Shadowchasers
by Cyber Commander
Summary: The thrilling conclusion! It's called Knight's Title! Don't miss it!
1. Kaiser Colosseum

Hello everyone, and happy 2009. Welcome to my newest Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, and my foray into the Fifth Dimension of dueling. By that, I mean _Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's._

Before I start, a few explanations.

This fic centers on dueling, like most of my fics. And the duels will follow the rules of the OCG and TCG to the letter.

In addition, I am going to attempt a feat that not many fanfic authors have. The duelists in this fic will obey the Forbidden/Limited List as it has stood as of September 2008. Let me tell you, having to outline a duel without using Pot of Greed and Call of the Haunted has been difficult, but the anime has managed to do it, most of the time (and not use Monster Reborn on top of it), so I'm willing to try. If the March 2009 List has any major changes, this fic will not change. I'll stay with the September 2008 version.

Now a word on the setting. This story takes place in the futuristic city of Neo Domino. We don't know yet exactly how far in the future this is. According to Godwin, the old Domino City was destroyed, thus creating Satellite, in an accident that happened seventeen years before the show's timeline started. Also, according to Jack, Yusei was born in the Tops, suggesting that Neo Domino has existed in its current state for at least eighteen years. We can thus likely assume that 5D's takes place more-or-less twenty-five to thirty years after the events of GX.

We will assume that the duels in this version of Neo Domino use real-life rules, and always have. In relation to the anime, this story begins about two days after the end of the Fortune Cup. For those who don't know what that means, it means that Yusei has defeated his rival Jack Atlas publicly, gaining a reluctant celebrity status, and Jack has lost his title in the eyes of a very unforgiving media. The Dark Signers have yet to become a major threat, and their group currently only consists of three members. In other words, this story begins in the transition between Season One and Season Two. As this story progresses, the storyline of the anime will progress in juxtaposition. In cases where the anime's storyline influences the events of this story, I'll make small notes at the beginning of the chapter.

One thing I can't help but stress. This fic is completely independent of any of my previous fics. As much as I loved Yumi and her friends, they do not belong in this world. This is a different world entirely. This also means that the restrictions I put on certain cards in Yumi's world do not apply in this one. (For example, the cards that were referred to as the Dread Council in _Soul of Silicon_ are normal cards in this fic.) This fic still, however, obeys the continuity of the anime regarding cards that are unique in that setting. (For example, only three Blue-Eyes White Dragons exist, and even though Kaiba's current status is not yet revealed in the time period of 5D's, those cards are unavailable to anyone but him.)

A note on names: For cards that exist in the TCG, I'll use the American names, unless I have a good reason not to. For cards that exist only in the OCG, I'll use the most agreed-upon translation. For anime-only cards, I'll use either the original name or the dub name, depending on which makes more sense. (Sometimes the dub can, in fact, do better, believe it or not, mostly because something is lost in the translation.) For the names of anime characters, however, when they are mentioned or appear in this fic, I'll use original names, because that is one area where the dub almost always screws up. When I reference the names of episodes, I'll use English names, as they are simpler, and the translations of the Japanese names can often be interpreted differently by different American viewers.

As usual, when I use an OCG-only card, anime-only card, or card of my own design (or a card of another fanfic writer's design), information about it will appear at the end of the chapter. Keep in mind, this is YGO 5D's, and thus focuses a great deal on the "third generation" of the game. Thus, there will be a lot of attention on Synchro Monsters, and a great deal of cards that American players have never used. (It is up to Konami when, if ever, we get to use them.)

Of special note is the card I will detail here, which is essential to Turbo Duels, a factor that plays an important part of 5D's. This card is used in every Turbo Duel, without exception:

**SPEED WORLD (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** An explosion of energy.

**Card Description:** Each player can have a copy of this card on the field simultaneously. This card is automatically activated at the start of the duel. If you play a Spell Card that does not have the words "Speed Spell" in its name, take 2,000 points of damage. During each player's Standby Phase, starting on the second turn, place 1 Speed Counter on this card (max. 12 for each player). Reduce your number of Speed Counters by one for each increment of 1,000 Life Points of damage you lose from a single source.

Speed World can even be activated against a player's will, such as in the case of a criminal being chased by someone using a Special Pursuit Deck. As such, it does not appear to be a true card _per se_, but rather a virtual card that appears on each D-Wheel whenever a Turbo Duel starts. Other abilities are not mentioned on the card. It apparently cannot be destroyed, displaced, or "bounced" by any action the duelists can make, seeing as it was unharmed by Yusei's "Speed Spell – Gap Storm", the effect of which was similar to "Heavy Storm". However, Speed World still qualifies as a Field Spell for all intents and purposes. (If it didn't, then Kiryu's "Earthbound God – Ccapac Apu" would have been powerless when he summoned it, even by anime rules.)

Speed Spells are important factors in all Turbo Duels. To use one, you require a specific amount of Speed Counters, depending on the Spell in question. The more powerful the Speed Spell, the more Counters you require. As a result of this, a deck used in a Turbo Duel tends to have more Trap Cards than usual, to compensate for the inability to use many Spell Cards.

One final thing. I absolutely _refuse_ to use the terms "Release" and "Advance Summon". The old terms were good enough for me for so long, and I see no reason why I should change them.

Enough with the boring stuff. I'm as eager to turn the page as you are…

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**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's**

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**Shadowchasers**

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**A fanfic by Cyber Commander**

_**What is this strange thing they call life? Philosophers have been trying to figure that out since the days of Socrates, and they're no closer to finding the answer now than they were then.**_

_**I'm not a philosopher by any means. But I have learned one thing about life in the past few weeks: There are things in it that you can't take for granted. I mean, you can travel the world, and see the beautiful things it has to offer… The Great Pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in Arizona… You could spend years touring the world's wonders and mysteries, and you still never see it all. The world hides its greatest secrets.**_

_**Who am I? You probably started to read this story hoping to read about some heroic duelist… One with a colorful history, and an equally colorful future… Perhaps one with a destiny that was foretold by some arcane prophesy, or some great power that he holds inside him.**_

_**Well, I can't give you that… All I can give you is myself. My name is Eiko Michiko, and I'm nineteen years old. My friends call me Ember. You might say I was a reluctant hero, but that's about it. I didn't start out as a hero… I only started out with potential. But that was okay – it is said that most of the folks in my current situation only started out with potential.**_

_**I wish I was more like Yugi Mouto… A human who held the soul of a three-thousand year-old Pharaoh inside him. Or I would gladly take Seto Kaiba's past as well. Having gone from a poor childhood to being the most powerful man in the gaming industry is pretty exhilarating. **_

_**Heck, I would even take **__**Katsuya Jonouchi's**__** story if he offered to give it to me. Being a kid from the wrong side of the tracks until he was pulled over them to become a duelist with a lucky streak that was hard to break… It sounds kind of romantic when you think about it.**_

_**Me? I won't pretend my life was as interesting as any of them until a few weeks ago. I grew up with happily married parents in a middle class neighborhood, in Neo Domino City, a place that Godwin professes to be the greatest utopia in the world. I was nurtured, educated, and got a decent-paying white-collar job right out of high school.**_

_**And dueling? Well, it was nothing more than a hobby, one that I happened to like. D-Wheels? Sure, they looked thrilling, but they also looked too dangerous for me to ever go near.**_

_**Life was good, and I had no complaints. Even if my life was a tad routine…**_

_**So what happened?**_

_**A couple of weeks ago, I started seeing things I had never seen before. I thought I was crazy…**_

_**And then someone told me that I wasn't crazy…**_

_**What I was… Was a Shadowchaser…**_

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**CHAPTER ONE**

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**Kaiser Colosseum**

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_**Where to begin? Well, I guess I'd best begin at the beginning, as my father always said I should. It was four o'clock, the second day after the big event had ended.**_

_**By that, I meant the Fortune Cup, naturally. I had seen it on TV, the big dueling competition that had ended in a big surprise, with Jack Atlas being knocked off his throne by Yusei Fudo, a Turbo Duelist whom the media had dubbed "The Shooting Star of Satellite". My reactions to it were a bit mixed. The new guy wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Jack was, but at the same time, I always thought that Jack had been getting a little too big for his britches. As my dad always said, "Pride goeth before the fall". I think that quote came from the Hebrew Bible.**_

_**Anyway, just because the Fortune Cup had ended, didn't mean that the Pro Dueling circuit had shut down. One duel was happening in a stadium not far from the one where the Fortune Cup was held, and one of the duelists was someone who I would get to know very soon.**_

_**I wasn't watching the duel, however. I heard about it later. It was a work day for me, and I was busy.**_

At the arena known to dueling fans as Nirvana, the crowd, most of them teenagers, was getting restless. It was five minutes to showtime, and they had been promised the debut of a new contender for the first event.

The new contender was waiting to make his entrance, having just mounted his D-Wheel, and was not happy. He leaned his head on his hand, wishing he was anywhere but here. How did Julius talk him into this?

As he donned his helmet, he looked around, and wondered if there might be any way for him to slip away unnoticed…

"Ladies and gentlemen," started the announcer. "Dueling fans! Amateurs and professionals alike! Welcome one and all!"

The crowd cheered.

_Guess not,_ thought Shichiro, as the music started.

"And now," said the announcer, as an engine started, "here trying to make it three in a row, the Flaming Scourge… Misuga Yoichi!"

Shichiro watched as his opponent drove his D-Wheel into the arena. The Wheel had a motorbike design that reminded him of Mukuro Enjo's, right down to the flame designs.

_Copycat players are starting early this year, _thought Shichiro.

"Let's fire this duel up!" called Yoichi to the crowd.

"And now," said the announcer, "a newcomer, but someone whom we expect big things from… Osaka Shichiro!"

_That's my cue…_ thought Shichiro. _Let's get this over with…_

His D-Wheel started, and he drove into the arena. He didn't get as many cheers as his opponent did, but it was clear that his D-Wheel was better built. Its black chrome plating and high-tech design made it look like it had been built for more practical uses than dueling for sport (and truthfully, it had).

Shichiro and Yoichi looked at each other. Then their dashboards flashed on.

"_Duel mode engaged,"_ said a computerized female voice. _"Autopilot standing by."_

The Speed World card appeared on both of their screens. Then the whole arena changed as it took effect, turning the racetrack into an arena of pulsating energy.

"_Countdown initiated,"_ said the voice.

"_Ready… Set… Duel!"_

With a roar of engines, the two D-Wheels sped off from the starting point.

"And they're off!" called the announcer.

_That's what you say at a horse race,_ thought Shichiro. _Can't this guy get it right?_

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Yoichi: 8,000)**

"Time to fry," chuckled Yoichi, as he made his first draw.

"I summon Sangan!"

As he played the card, a portal opened behind him, and a familiar Monster flew out of it – the spherical, three-eyed Fiend with a toothy mouth. (1,000 ATK)

"Your move, rookie," he said.

"If I must," said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He watched his screen, as the Speed Counter for both him and Yoichi rose to one apiece. The speed of his bike picked up slightly, but so did Yoichi's.

He looked over the hand of cards stowed on the gauntlet on his left arm. Then he chose one.

"I summon Queen's Knight!" he exclaimed, throwing it on his dashboard.

A glowing portal opened behind him, and a tall, armored figure flew out of it. It was a lady knight dressed in crimson armor, with playing card symbols decorating her armor and shield, her flowing blonde hair reaching to her waist. (1,500 ATK)

Several boys in the audience started to make whistles and catcalls.

"Shichiro has started off strong," said the announcer. "Anyone who has studied the history of dueling knows where this Warrior can lead."

"Queen's Knight, smite his Sangan!" shouted Shichiro.

"YA!" shouted Queen's Knight, as she made a swipe at the Fiend with her sword. She effortlessly cleaved it in half.

"Why thank you," chuckled Yoichi. "Now…"

"I know what Sangan does, pal," said Shichiro. "You get to pull a Monster with a low Attack Score from your deck. I don't need everything explained to me."

"Hey, lighten up," muttered Yoichi, adding a card to his hand.

"Don't feel like it," said Shichiro, "but I'll end my turn anyway…"

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)**

Yoichi drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

"Think I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, placing a card on his dashboard.

Briefly, a card appeared in front of his bike, and then faded from sight. Shichiro could still see it on his screen, however.

"Your move again, rookie."

Shichiro drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to three.

_If he keeps calling me a rookie,_ he thought, _I'm not just gonna beat him, I'm gonna hurt him._

"I'd like to remind our viewers that both our duelists have three Speed Counters right now," declared the announcer. "This is the point where several low-powered Speed Spells could conceivably be played with ease."

"I summon King's Knight!" shouted Shichiro.

He threw the card on his controls, and another portal opened. A new knight appeared, this one in golden armor, again with playing card symbols covering it. He had a full beard, and wore a helmet shaped like a crown. (1,600 ATK)

"And when King's Knight is summoned while Queen's Knight is on the field, I get to bring out their brother… Come out, Jack's Knight!"

A third knight flew out of the portal. This one was a young man with long, blonde locks, dressed in sapphire-blue armor, again with playing card symbols adorning his raiment. (1,900 ATK)

"Shichiro has drawn the whole royal flush of Warriors!" exclaimed the announcer. "Yoichi had better hope that his one Monster is a good one!"

Shichiro sped up a ramp, and turned around, and sped towards Yoichi with his Knights following alongside.

"Jack's Knight, take out his Monster!" he commanded.

Jack's Knight flew ahead, and raised his sword…

But when he swung, there was a sound of metal striking metal. Shielding itself in front of Yoichi was an android in a football jersey and helmet, crouching as if to receive a blitz. (2,100 DEF)

"Guess my Battle Footballer was too much for him, eh?" asked Yoichi.

Shichiro didn't answer as he sped past Yoichi. Then he turned around again, and started to follow him.

"Guess so," he said. "I have to end my turn…"

**(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)**

"Then you're mine!" laughed Yoichi, drawing a card.

Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, going to four apiece.

Yoichi placed a card on his Disk, and a portal of flame appeared in mid-air.

_What the heck?_ thought Shichiro.

A huge, demonic creature flew out of the portal. It was a gargoyle-like Fiend, with a mane of fire and flaming wings, holding a burning sword. (1,000 ATK)

"Meet Sangan's contribution," laughed Yoichi. "The dreaded Gorlag! This charming creature gains 500 extra Attack Points for each Fire Monster I've got, including itself. With Battle Footballer, that's an extra G added to its score!"

(2,000 ATK)

_Okay, so maybe this guy's a little better than I gave him credit for…_ thought Shichiro.

"Gorlag, slap his Jack's Knight!" ordered Yoichi.

Gorlag turned and made a rush at Jack's Knight, striking him with its burning sword. Jack's Knight groaned, and shattered.

"Slap his…" replied Shichiro. "Oh, as in slapjack… If you're trying to be funny, it isn't working."

"Here's something that's much funnier," said Yoichi. "Now I get to Special Summon a Monster, and I think he'll look familiar to you…"

The flaming portal opened on his side of the field again, and another Monster emerged. It was Jack's Knight. (1,900 ATK)

"I not only get to take any Monsters my Gorlag destroys," said Yoichi, "I get to change their Attributes to Fire. That means Gorlag itself gets even stronger!"

Gorlag burned even fiercer. (2,500 ATK)

"We've seen Yoichi use this strategy in his last two matches," said the announcer. "The more his Monster battles, the stronger it gets. Does Shichiro stand a chance?"

"Frankly, I'd say no," replied Yoichi. "And I'm setting two cards facedown to make sure."

Two set cards briefly appeared behind his Monsters, and then faded from sight.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)**

Shichiro quickly made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose up to five. The speed of his D-Wheel had tripled since he had started, but he didn't mind. His mind tended to function better the faster he went.

_Can't use this guy now,_ he thought, adding it to his hand.

"First, I move Queen's Knight and King's Knight to Defense Mode," he said.

Queen's Knight sheathed her sword and lifted her shield. (1,600 DEF) King's Knight followed suit. (1,500 DEF)

"Next, I summon Marauding Captain!"

In a flash of energy, a new Warrior flew through the portal: a battle-worn veteran in fancy armor and a cape, holding a sword in each hand. (1,200 ATK)

"By summoning him, I get to Special Summon another Monster from my hand. So I'll summon Big Shield Gardna in Defense Mode."

Another Warrior appeared, this one a muscular barbarian. He had no weapon, but true to his name, he had a huge shield, which he crouched behind. (2,600 DEF)

"Finally," continued Shichiro, "I'll set one card facedown, and that will be all."

A facedown card flashed into existence on his side of the field, and then faded.

Yoichi laughed, as he drew a card. Both Speed Counters went up to six.

"Your deck is nothing but Toolbox Warrior!" he laughed. "If I had known you would be so easy, I wouldn't have stayed sober!

"Just _joking_, people! I _never_ drink and drive!

"But you're gonna look pretty punch drunk pretty soon… Now watch my fire!"

He shifted gears, and flames shot out of his exhaust pipes. He swerved to the side, and ahead of Shichiro.

"Jack's Knight, attack his Marauding Captain!"

Jack's Knight leapt at the Captain, and swung his sword. The Captain was blasted into pieces.

"Now, my Gorlag attacks your King's Knight!"

Gorlag swooped at King's Knight, and made a slash with its burning blade. King's Knight shattered as well.

Yoichi chuckled, as King's Knight appeared on his side of the field. (1,600 ATK) Gorlag burned with fury. (3,000 ATK)

"Next round," he said, "I'm gonna have the whole set. You know what they say… You gotta know when to fold 'em!

"And I'm still not done with you…"

He took a card from his hand.

"With my Speed Counters this high, I can play Speed Spell – Sonic Buster. This lets me fire a blast with damage equal to half my Gorlag's Attack Score behind it!"

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field, and a bolt of pure energy shot at Shichiro. He groaned a little, as his Life Points went down, and his own Speed Counter went down by one.

**(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,500)**

"My move!" said Shichiro, angrily.

He drew a card. His Counter went up to six, while Yoichi's went up to seven.

_That's the ticket,_ he thought.

"And I just drew my Noisy Gnat! But it isn't a Monster that you summon…"

He tossed it into the discard slot on his dashboard. Behind him, a phantom Insect appeared, holding a boom box that was blasting loud music. Queen's Knight started to glow with silvery energy.

"By sending Noisy Gnat from my hand to the Graveyard, I can really make some noise, by boosting Queen Knight's Level from 4 to 5."

"Big deal!" replied Yoichi. "She can't beat any of my Monsters no matter what Level she is."

"Yoichi…" said Shichiro, as the Gnat faded away. "I'm guessing that you have a crackerjack agent who arranged your first two matches with two amateurs in order to make you look good. How much of the purse is he getting? Sixty percent? Seventy?

"If you can't figure out why I changed her Level, you're clearly an amateur yourself…"

He played a card from his hand.

"I summon Nitro Synchron!"

In a burst of fire, a small Monster flew onto the field. It was a cute robot, who looked like a propane tank with arms, legs, and a face. (300 ATK)

"Unprecedented!" exclaimed the announcer. "Shichiro just pulled out a Tuner Monster!"

"Tuner?!" exclaimed Yoichi.

"You got it!" replied Yoichi. "Now give Queen's Knight a tune-up!"

The needle on Nitro Synchron's gauge moved into the red, and steam blew from its nostrils. It and Queen's Knight flew to the top of the arena, and turned into seven glowing stars.

"You want fire, Yoichi?" asked Shichiro. "I'll give you fire! I Tune Queen's Knight and Nitro Synchron… Synchro Summon… Nitro Warrior!"

A far more intimidating Monster flew down, trailing a wake of flames. It was a demonic-looking Warrior, with green, scaly skin and horns, with a rocket engine on its back. (2,800 ATK)

"Still think I'm running a Toolbox deck?" asked Shichiro. "And since I used Nitro Synchron to summon this guy, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Maybe not," replied Yoichi. "But you still can't beat me… That guy may be hot, but Gorlag is still hotter."

"We'll see about that," said Shichiro, as a Speed Spell of his own appeared on his side of the field. "I play Dual Vortex!"

"Eh?" asked Shichiro. "What does that do?"

"Works just like Creature Swap," replied Shichiro. "We both trade a Monster. I'm giving you Big Shield Gardna."

"Fine!" replied Yoichi. "You can have Battle Footballer!"

The two Monsters vanished, and reappeared on opposite sides of the field.

"You think you could weaken Gorlag by doing that? Nice try!"

One of his Trap Cards lifted up, and spun around.

"I activate DNA Transplant! Now, the Attribute of all Monsters on the field become any I want, and I want Fire. That means Big Shield Gardna is a Fire Monster now, and Gorlag doesn't lose any points at all.

"And you made a big mistake. What you should have done was switch Gardna to Attack Mode before you played that Spell! Talk about dumb!"

"No Yoichi, my move was very smart," replied Shichiro. "You see, since I played a Spell Card, Nitro Warrior's effect activates, and while Gorlag may not lose any points, my Monster _gains_ a few!"

Nitro Warrior glowed with fiery energy. (3,800 ATK)

"Oh… crap…" muttered Yoichi.

"Nitro Warrior…" commanded Shichiro. "Crush his Gorlag with Dynamite Knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior roared, and flew at the Fiend. It slammed both of its fists into Gorlag, and the Fiend groaned before exploding into a burst of smoke.

"You destroyed it!" shouted Yoichi.

"That's not all," replied Shichiro. "When Gorlag bites the dust, so do the Monsters you stole with it!"

Jack's Knight and King's Knight shattered.

"I'm not done!" continued Shichiro, as Nitro Warrior fell back to an Attack Score of 2,800. "When Nitro Warrior destroys one Monster, and you have a Monster in Defense Mode, he can switch that Monster to Attack Mode and attack a second time!"

Big Shield Gardna put his shield aside, and stood up. (100 ATK)

"NOW do you see why I left him in Defense Mode?"

Nitro Warrior slammed his fists into Big Shield Gardna, and the barbarian shattered. Yoichi groaned in pain and his D-Wheel shook, as his Speed Counter was cut down two points.

"Now, my Trap Card activates!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card spun around. "Birthright! This lets me bring a Monster back from my Graveyard, so long as it's a Normal Monster."

The portal opened again, and Jack's Knight flew out. (1,900 ATK)

"And he's got a score to settle with you, Yoichi! Direct attack!"

Jack's Knight flew at Yoichi, and slammed his sword down on the front of his bike.

"ERGH!" grunted Yoichi, as his D-Wheel trembled and slowed down even more.

"I'll set another card facedown," said Shichiro, as a new facedown card appeared, "and that's all…"

He shifted gears, and pulled ahead of his opponent, with Nitro Warrior and Jack's Knight flying to either side, and Battle Footballer bringing up the rear. The crowd was cheering his name at the top of their lungs.

**(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 2,100)**

Yoichi fumed as he drew a card, his own Counter rising to five while Shichiro's rose to seven.

Then he chuckled as he saw what the card was.

"I'm removing Gorlag from play," he said. "In order to summon my Spirit of Flames!"

A fireball shot onto the field, and a fiery, fiendish creature surrounded by an aura of fire appeared. (1,700 ATK)

Then his other facedown card spun around.

"Then, I activate my Reinforcements Trap Card, to give him a boost."

(2,200 ATK)

"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked Shichiro.

"No, THIS is!" replied Yoichi. "I sacrifice it, along with all the cards in my hand…"

Spirit of Flames turned into a globe of light…

Then a much bigger portal appeared, and a huge, hulking beast emerged. It looked like a cross between a demon and a fiery, bloated reptile, standing on six legs, with a thick tail, a toothy mouth, spikes on its back, and no eyes. (2,800 ATK)

"My Infernal Incinerator! And guess what? He gains 200 more Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field!"

(3,400 ATK)

"Go! Barbecue his Nitro Warrior! Majin Hell Burner!"

The huge Fiend opened its jaws… Flames appeared in them…

"As much as I like a good barbecue," replied Shichiro, "I have to interrupt…"

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate Synchro Back! Nitro Warrior, see you later!"

Nitro Warrior vanished into grains of light. Infernal Incinerator fell to an Attack Score of 3,200.

"Huh?" asked Yoichi. "Where'd he go?"

"Back to my Extra Deck," replied Shichiro, "where your Monster can't reach him. So your Infernal Incinerator is going to have to pick a fight with someone else."

"Fine with me," chuckled Yoichi. "Attack his Jack's Knight!"

Infernal Incinerator shot a blast of flames that looked like a furnace exploding. Jack's Knight was incinerated instantly. Shichiro sweat as his Life Points went down, and his Counter fell to six.

**(S: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 2,100)**

"Shichiro is in a tight spot," said the announcer, getting excited. "Will he come back? Will he pull through? Will he put out this fire?"

"Will our annoying announcer ever shut his yap?" snapped Shichiro, as he drew a card.

His Speed Counter went up to seven and his opponent's went up to six. He looked at the card.

"I didn't tell you about the other effect of Synchro Back, by the way," he continued. "On my Standby Phase after I use it, the Synchro Monster… Comes back."

In a burst of flame, Nitro Warrior appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

"Big deal!" laughed Yoichi. "That only makes my Monster stronger!"

"And with my Speed Counters at seven," continued Shichiro, "I can play Speed Spell – Shift Down!"

The Spell appeared on his side of the field, and his D-Wheel switched gears.

"By purposely reducing my Speed Counters by six, I get to draw two cards."

He made two draws as his Counter started to plunge, falling all the way to one. The crowd gasped as he quickly started to lose ground.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" laughed Yoichi, looking at Shichiro, who was now behind him. "I'll run circles around you!"

"Oh, really?" asked Shichiro. "Do I need to remind you what Spell Cards do to Nitro Warrior?"

Yoichi stopped short, as he came to the realization…

"And to finish this," continued Shichiro, "I'll summon Axe Raider!"

The portal opened again, and a new Monster leapt out. It was another barbarian, but he was armored, and carried a nasty battle axe. (1,700 ATK)

"Nitro Warrior…" ordered Shichiro, "attack Infernal Incinerator with Dynamite Knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior flew at the huge beast, and his Attack Score rose to 3,800 again. He punched it on the snout, and the Fiend roared before exploding into a burst of flames.

"Here's some words to live by, Yoichi," said Shichiro. "You play with fire… You get burned!

"Axe Raider, attack with Axe Crash!"

Axe Raider hollered a battlecry, as he flew at Yoichi's bike holding his axe with both hands. He slammed the weapon into Yoichi's dashboard, and Yoichi screamed.

**(S: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 0)**

Yoichi skidded to a halt, with steam pouring from his engine. He uttered a curse as he threw his helmet to the ground in disgust.

Shichiro rode to the center of the arena as the crowd cheered his name. He sighed.

_This is embarrassing…_ he thought.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, after being congratulated and unwillingly basking in the admiration of the crowd, Shichiro sat in the green room of the arena, drinking from a bottle of mineral water.

He got up, and looked in the large mirror.

He was quite young, only nineteen, one year younger than the former champion, but a year older than the current one. But he looked somewhat older. He face looked weather-beaten and rough, and his hair had a natural "rolled out of bed look". Some people asked him how he got his hair like that, but in truth, he didn't do anything more than roll out of bed. His clothing was equally rugged, with a leather jacket (he had gotten it off the rack) and a pair of jeans (these were a little more expensive, but not by much).

In truth, Shichiro spent more money on necessities other than himself. He had to take care of the important things first. Such as cards. To him, a bad draw could be his last.

He casually opened the pouch on his belt where his side deck was kept, and took out a card. He often checked it to make sure it was still there, as it was his most valuable card. Atlas may have had that Dragon of his, a card that no other duelist could get, but there was no way he could ever get a copy of this. Even if he had stolen it, he wouldn't be able to keep it; it would refuse to stay with him.

It was a Synchro Monster; most folks would find it odd that he would keep a Synchro Monster in his side deck, seeing as there was still room for it in his Extra Deck. Usually it _was_ there… But he simply could not have kept it there for this farce…

He turned the card around. On the back was writing that only he could see:

"_The card you hold is your bond to the path you walk, and the cause you have pledged to. Use it for no purpose except in the service of that cause. Ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power."_

"Hey, Shichiro!" said a voice behind him.

Shichiro grit his teeth in anger.

"Julius…" he growled.

He looked around, and saw a short, balding man wearing a white business suit (which he _knew_ was bought off the rack).

"Shichiro, you're a hit!" chuckled Julius. "The fans love you!"

"Good for them," replied Shichiro.

"Look, Shichiro," said Julius. "I was thinking…"

He took a cigar out of his shirt pocket.

"You light that thing, Julius," growled Shichiro, "I'll make you eat it."

Julius laughed nervously, and put it back in his pocket.

"Look, Shichiro, I've been thinking about your future in the Pro League," he said.

"I already have plans," replied Shichiro. "Early retirement."

He put the card back in the pouch.

"Oh, c'mon!" said Julius. "I saw that Synchro Monster you were just looking at… That alien warrior… It…"

"He's not an alien!" shouted Shichiro.

"Whatever," replied Julius. "I've certainly never seen it before. Why didn't you use it against Yoichi? The fans like seeing new things, Shichiro. They would have gone nuts!"

"My cards are my business, Julius," said Shichiro.

"Look, Shichiro," said Julius. "You stick with me, I'll bring you to the top. Atlas has been kicked off his throne, and the public hasn't warmed up to this new kid yet…

"A void has been left in the business… You have potential, kid… Think of yourself, filling that void… Becoming the new champion… Now, if you just showed up here on Saturday to…"

"NO!" shouted Shichiro, with such force that Julius fell over.

Actually, he _almost_ fell over. Shichiro grabbed him by the shirt collar before he hit the floor.

"Oh, I want to be like Jack Atlas!" said Shichiro, sarcastically. "I want to have an inflated head, put out a line of action figures, and call myself stupid nicknames like 'The Master of Faster'.

"If I had been in charge of Security, I would have had him arrested just for wearing that ridiculous outfit. It's the only thing he has that's louder than he is. Face it, Julius, Jack may have been King, but he was a foolish king who built his castle upon a foundation of sand.

"I mean, he was supposed to be the star of the Fortune Cup. What did he do for ninety percent of it? He sat on his duff and watched. And then he dueled the winner and lost. You think I want a career that ends with such humiliation?

"I swallowed my pride and lowered myself to doing this duel for you because I owed you a favor, a favor I never would have owed if I'd have known you'd have asked me to do this. Listen well… I have no desire to fill the void that Atlas left, or start a legacy of my own. To me, the fame and money would be a poor substitute for the loss of my self-respect.

"Nothing you can say or offer will make me show up on Saturday. Tell whoever you promised that I would to find someone else."

Then he dropped him. He walked out to the garage where his D-Wheel was parked.

He mounted his bike, and strapped on his helmet. He started up the engine.

"Shichiro!" called Julius from behind. "You're making a mistake!"

Shichiro frowned. He turned the gear shift, and exhaust blasted out of his rear engine, all over Julius.

"Hey!" screamed Julius. "I just had this suit dry cleaned!"

"Then you should have known better than to stand that close to the back of a D-Wheel!" said Shichiro. "Call me… We'll do lunch!"

The garage door opened, and Shichiro sped out, onto the streets of Neo Domino. He was glad to get out of there.

As Shichiro passed by the business district, the news was being broadcast on several public televisions.

"Concern grows in Sector Security," said the female news anchor, "as another high-ranking executive linked to the new agricultural project that Godwin announced last month was found strangled to death after apparently working a night shift in his office. Other officials do not know the motive yet for the four murders, nor do they have any suspects. Godwin released a statement saying that he has no idea who would hate these officials so much to resort to murder."

_I gotta hand it to you, Godwin,_ thought Shichiro, who was listening. _When you lie to the press, you can sure keep a straight face. Most folks don't know it, but the truth is, the list starts with me and goes all the way around the block… Twice._

_I really shouldn't help you find this murderer… But if the boss's hunch is correct, I just might have to…_

_In the grand scheme of things… Folks like you are the lesser evils…_

_**Shichiro's career in the Pro League lasted one day, and ended with a perfect record: one win, no losses, no draws. He never looked back, and never regretted his decision. I'm not sure what ultimately became of Julius, but he likely got in big trouble with some people. I do know he had signed several contracts promising that Shichiro would not only appear Saturday, but several more times for the next four months. Shichiro figured he likely would have, and was smart enough never to sign anything himself, nor did he give anyone his real address, phone number, or any vital information. He never saw Julius again, and if Julius ever tried to reach him, he didn't succeed.**_

_**I didn't see this duel until I saw a recording that a friend of Shichiro's made of it when it shown on television. As I said before, I was working that day. Shichiro was working too – technically, he had done the duel on his lunch break. **_

_**At the time, I worked for Draco Industries, an international technology company that had its hand in practically everything. The company owned facilities around the globe that manufactured everything from baby food to aircraft parts, and everything in-between. The CEO, my boss at the time, was Anthony Draco, a billionaire tycoon who held power in Neo Domino that may well have been second to Godwin. If anything, more people were on his payroll than were on Godwin's.**_

_**Not that Mr. Draco was a rival of Godwin by any means. He had recently entered a joint endeavor with Godwin – that agricultural project that you heard mentioned, which I think was being started in China.**_

_**What did this have to do with me? Well, I didn't know it… But it seemed I was working too hard, and I was due for a vacation…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GORLAG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** Increase this card's ATK by 500 for each FIRE Monster you control. When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, Special Summon that Monster to your side of the field at the end of the Battle Phase. Monsters Special Summoned in this manner have their Attribute changed to FIRE and their effects are negated. If this card is removed from the field, destroy all Monsters that were Special Summoned by its effect.

_Note: "Gorlag" was first used by Amelda in the original anime episode "Déjà Duel! (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO BACK (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Mist Wurm glowing with green energy as a bolt of orange energy shoots towards it.

**Card Description:** Return 1 Synchro Monster you control to your Extra Deck. During your next Standby Phase, Special Summon that Monster from your Extra Deck.

_Note: "Synchro Back" was first used by Aki in an episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SONIC BUSTER**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A figure bursting with energy in the background, blasting the energy towards a figure in the foreground.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. Inflict direct damage to your opponent equal to half that Monster's ATK. You cannot activate this card if your opponent's Life Points would be reduced to zero by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Sonic Buster" was first used by Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D" episode "Pipe Dreams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SHIFT DOWN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **The image on this card was not shown.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. Remove 6 of your Speed Counters and draw two cards.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Shift Down" was first used by Yusei in an episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – DUAL VORTEX (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Similar to "Creature Swap", with Speed Warrior in place of the warrior, and the energy of "Speed World" in the background.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Each player selects 1 Monster they control and switches control of those Monsters with each other. Those Monsters cannot change their battle positions for the rest of this turn except with a card effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_We shed a little light on just who Shichiro is, and just what his purpose is. Plus, we'll get our first look at our narrator as well. We had a Turbo Duel this time, but next time, Shichiro takes on an opponent on his feet, dueling not to please a crowd, but for the true reason he duels. What might that be? If Shichiro believes the corrupted leadership of the city to be a "lesser evil", what is the greater?_

_More will be revealed, in time… Shichiro and those like him are best described as "Hidden Soldiers", and that's exactly the name of the next chapter, coming soon._


	2. Hidden Soldiers

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Hidden Soldiers**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Like I said, I was still working, even though the shadows were lengthening. And Shichiro was too. He wasn't ready to go home – home to him was also the place where he worked from – so he was doing a requirement of his job called "patrol".**_

_**And no, he wasn't a member of Sector Security, as you likely have guessed by now. The criminals he looked out for were ones that Security didn't know existed. But, they tended to lurk in the same places.**_

_**You see, Godwin would have liked everyone in Neo Domino to believe that their city was safe, and that his Security forces had the criminal element under control. But there were still parts of Neo Domino where unsavory folk gathered, who weren't as bad off as the people in Satellite, but who were still pretty bad off. Neo Domino had plenty of backwater bars, risqué clubs, and houses of ill-repute. To give one example, gangs often met for brutal Duel Monster competitions at a place called the Daimon Area, where the Black Rose Witch was known to lurk after hours. And in places where these people hung out, Shichiro piloted his D-Wheel, looking for the quarry that few suspected was there…**_

Shichiro drove his D-Wheel down a dark street, casually glancing from side to side as he did. As he turned a corner, a flashing light came on his dashboard.

He hit a control.

"Go ahead," he said, as a shadowy face appeared on it.

"Shichiro, finish up what you're doing," said a voice. "I just got a lead. We've gotten a species ID on the killer who's interested in Godwin's accountants."

"About time," said Shichiro. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes…"

Then he heard a scream coming from a nearby alley.

"Check that, boss," he said. "Give me an hour."

He pulled the bike to a stop. He punched a command on his dashboard.

"_Disengaging Duel Disk,"_ said a computerized voice.

The console quickly transformed into a normal Duel Disk, separated from the D-Wheel, and clamped onto Shichiro's gauntlet. He watched as a light flashed on the console, indicating that the security system had turned on.

He quickly walked into the alley, where he saw two figures, each of them with Duel Disks of their own. A duel had apparently been fought, that was the normal part.

The not-so-normal part was that the apparent loser, a guy wearing gang colors and a bandana, was on the ground, while the apparent winner, a bigger, burly thug with no apparent colors, was standing above him, threatening him with a baseball bat.

"I said hand it over!" snarled the thug.

"I didn't make any bet!" screamed the victim.

"I don't care!" ordered the thug. "You lost, and I want that card! Now hand it over, or you're gonna get a big headache!"

"He said there was no bet," said Shichiro, as he walked up, "and I'm willing to bet myself that there wasn't one. So back away from him right now."

The thug turned to look at Shichiro.

"And just who are you?" he asked.

"I'm a guy who really doesn't like thugs who threaten people with baseball bats," said Shichiro. "Now drop it."

"Or you'll do what, tough guy?" asked the thug.

Without waiting for an answer, the thug swung the bat at Shichiro…

Shichiro didn't flinch. He caught the bat in mid-swing, and wrenched it away from him.

"Tell me something, pal," asked Shichiro, as the thug looked at him in surprise, "do you have a Boar Soldier in your deck? I'm pretty sure whoever made that card liked people like you."

Then the thug looked at Shichiro, and noticed something. The look on his face turned to one of fear.

Shichiro turned to the victim.

"Amscray, buddy," he said, "I'll handle him."

The victim didn't need to be told twice. He leapt up, and ran away quickly.

Shichiro looked at the thug, and tapped the bat against his hand.

"Now listen, pal," he said, "take it from someone who's a duelist himself… If you want to get good cards, the proper way to do it is _not_ to threaten people with baseball bats!"

All this looked very strange yes, and it would have been even stranger if the thug's victim could have seen what Shichiro could see. The victim had seen a large, muscular thug who meant him no good, but he had no reason to believe that the thug was anything but human.

Shichiro, however, saw that the thug was clearly _not_ human.

When Shichiro looked in the thug's face, he saw a face with porcine features similar to that of a boar, with a sloping, primitive-looking forehead, watery eyes, and sharp teeth that included prominent lower canines that looked like small tusks.

"Look…" protested the creature. "I was only kidding around…"

"Can the BS, pal," said Shichiro, "because you're only fooling yourself. You were about to assault and rob a human. As it stands, you're already committed four minor violations of Section Five of Article Three of the Treaty, and if I hadn't stopped you, you would have racked up a major one and several in the next Section."

Then incredible anger appeared in the creature's eyes.

"You can take your damn Treaty and shove it!" he shouted. "Because I'm gonna…"

And then he stopped short. A piercing glare from Shichiro told him that _that_ had been the wrong thing to say. Big time.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh," chuckled Shichiro, holding the bat in both hands. "That's _really_ funny, pal…"

The thug grinned nervously.

Then Shichiro slammed the bat over his knee, breaking it in half.

"What would your chieftain do if I told him you felt that way?" he asked. "He wouldn't like it, because he knows that if too many members of his clan start thinking they can 'take the Treaty and shove it', his life is going to be _very_ unpleasant!

"I know what he'd do… He'd get mad. And when orc chieftains get mad, someone suffers for it. Guess who?

"Maybe I should get on the phone and give him a call… You're a member of the Horned Skull Clan, right? I can tell from that."

He pointed to an insignia on the thug's coat.

"Man, what is it with you guys and skulls?" he asked. "Know what a skull's purpose is? It's supposed to protect the brain, something most of you apparently don't do, seeing as you keep getting in trouble…"

"Please don't call him!" begged the creature. "I've had a bad day, really… I lost a lot playing cards… Regular cards, you know, not Duel Monsters, and I had a little too much to drink, and…"

"Look, pal," said Shichiro, tossing the broken bat aside. "I know that orcs are warlike by nature. Violence runs in your blood. But let's face it, in this day and culture, society frowns on that sort of thing…"

He removed his Turbo Duel Deck from his Disk, and placed it in his belt. Then he took a second deck out of his belt (one used for normal duels) and placed it in his Disk.

"But since you seem to be a duelist, we'll handle this as the Treaty specifies, regardless of your opinion of it."

"You want to duel me?" asked the orc.

"You got a name?" asked Shichiro.

"Hisao," replied the orc.

"Well then, Hisao," replied Shichiro, "if you accept and win, I'll just walk away and pretend this little incident never happened."

"And if I don't?" asked Hisao.

"I'll decide when that happens," replied Shichiro.

Hisao sighed.

"Guess I don't have much of a choice…" he muttered.

He grinned.

"But then again… Maybe this is my chance to royally embarrass a Shadowchaser!"

"True," replied Shichiro. "That might make you pretty popular in your clan, now wouldn't it?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Draco Tower, the headquarters of Draco Industries, was a landmark of Neo Domino City. The skyscraper towered over the other buildings of the business district, testament to the power held by the company itself.

In one floor near the apex, a secretary was busy outside the doors to the office of the founder, president, major stockholder, and CEO of the company, Anthony Draco. The secretary was noticeably stressed, as calls had been coming in more and more as the day wore on.

She was dressed rather casual, as her boss didn't enforce much of a dress code. She simply wore a sweatshirt and a pair of slacks. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, and was a rich auburn. She had green eyes – her most remarkable feature. If she wasn't so stressed right now, she might have been considered attractive.

"Mr. Draco's office," she said, "please hold. Mr. Draco's office, please hold. No, sorry, Mr. Draco had to cancel… Please hold…

"I know you're holding, Mr. Godwin, please hold a little longer…"

Briefly, the calls stopped coming, and she took a deep breath…

Then she looked up. A woman had walked into the entrance hall.

She was a tall woman, with long, raven-black hair in a ponytail that was far longer than Ember's, reaching past her waist. She wore dark sunglasses, a strapless halter top that resembled a corset, and a very long skirt that reached down to the floor. She didn't look very happy.

The secretary grinned a very nervous grin…

Inside the office she was holding post by, her boss was pretty stressed himself. He was on the phone in a heated discussion.

He was a man who looked about fifty, trim, with a full head of salt-and-pepper grey hair, and a neatly-trimmed beard and moustache, with slate-grey eyes. He wore a grey, expensive-looking suit (custom tailored, of course) and matching shoes. He may not have set a strict dress code for his employees, but he knew it was important to always look sharp himself.

Most folks would call him handsome, but not when he was angry, like he was now.

"You're my lawyer, Phil!" he demanded. "You graduated from the Harvard School of Law! Now you do what I'm paying you to do, and figure out a way to get those space cadets to leave me alone. Sue them for bothering me if you have to. I'm losing money every day that I have to delay the project because of them!"

He hung up and held his forehead. Then the pager on his desk beeped.

"Mr. Draco?" said the secretary. "Ms. Hebi-Na is here to see you."

"ERGH!" growled Draco.

He hit the button.

"You tell Ms. Hebi-Na that I'm not here!" he shouted.

He crossed his arms.

"The last thing I need is to speak to that bitch…"

The pager beeped again.

"Mr. Draco?" said the secretary. "She says she knows you're here, and she's not going away until you talk to her."

Draco sighed. He hit the button again.

"Send her in, Ember…" he said. "And bring a bottle of aspirin in while you're at it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Well," said Shichiro, staring down his opponent, "I see you've decided to face me…"

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hisao: 8,000)**

"Oh, I sure have," growled the orc, making his first draw, "and this is gonna be a pleasure…

"I'll have this defend me…"

A facedown Monster appeared.

"Then I'll also set a facedown card…"

A reversed card appeared.

"…and I'll leave it at that…"

Shichiro made his first draw.

"I summon my Warrior Dai Grepher!" he exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, a muscular, armored Warrior, holding a two-handed sword appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Get his Monster!" shouted Shichiro.

Grepher charged at the facedown card. An odd creature appeared on it, sitting in the lotus position. It looked like some Hindu deity, with six arms and three faces. Grepher slashed with his blade, and it shattered.

"So much for your Asura Priest," said Shichiro.

"And you took the bait," chuckled Hisao. "Trap activate…"

His facedown card lifted.

"Vessel of Illusions. Since my Spirit Monster was destroyed, it conjures up a Spirit Token."

An exact duplicate of Asura Priest materialized, still in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"I end my turn," muttered Shichiro.

Hisao laughed loudly, as he made a draw.

"I activate Fiend's Sanctuary!" he shouted, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, I get a Metal Fiend Token!"

A small stickman that seemed to be made out of metal beads appeared on his side of the field. (0 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice both my Tokens…"

The Spirit Token and the Metal Fiend Token both vanished into grains of light…

"To call forth Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi!"

A pit of fire appeared where the two Monsters had been, and slowly, a giant form rose out of it. It was a huge, humanoid figure, wearing a kilt and no shirt, with odd tattoos on its arms. Its scalp was a mass of flames instead of hair. (2,800 ATK)

"Well, that certainly is a powerful Monster," said Shichiro. "But you do realize, because it's a Spirit, it will leave when you end your turn."

Hisao chuckled.

"Not it won't," he replied. "Because I'm also summoning a friend of his…"

He flipped a card in his hand around. It was Maharaghi.

"And to do so, I have to remove from play one Spirit in my hand. This one will do."

He quickly placed the Maharaghi inside his jacket.

"So… I Special Summon Izanagi!"

In a blast of wind, a new Monster appeared. It was a very formal looking man, dressed in a stuffy, white noble's outfit. He had pure white hair that reached down to his waist, had a sword strapped to his side, and carried a fancy spear. (2,200 ATK)

"With this guy around, Spirits don't have to leave at the end of the turn where they show up," laughed Hisao. "And he's no slouch in a fight himself. So why dontcha show him, Izanagi?"

Izanagi rushed at Grepher, and jabbed at him with his spear. Grepher burst.

"Now that I've taken care 'a him, Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi is gonna take care 'a you! Attack directly! Hellish flame fist!"

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi cackled, and aimed a punch, hitting Shichiro squarely. Shichiro maintained his footing, but he did cringe a little.

**(S: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

"I and end my turn," chuckled Hisao. "And you gotta toss your whole hand before you draw because of my Monster's effect. So dump 'em!"

Shichiro frowned, and discarded the five cards in his hand – Hayabusa Knight, Command Knight, Jack's Knight, Synchro Boost, and Freed the Brave Wanderer.

Then he drew a card. He looked at it.

"I set this Monster," he said, placing it on his Disk, "and that will be all."

A facedown Monster appeared.

Hisao laughed as he drew a card.

"What more could ya do?" he asked. "Look like I'll be done with this in time to get to the watering hole in time for happy hour!

"I summon Susa Soldier!"

In a burst of lightning, a man in oriental plate armor, holding a fancy sword with tattoos on his face appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"Time to finish you off! Crush his Monster!"

Susa Soldier slammed his sword down, and a shockwave ripped towards the facedown card…

Then, an elf in green and brown armor and a helmet holding a longsword appeared on the card. He blocked the energy blast with his blade, and knocked it aside. (1,200 DEF)

"HUH?" gasped Hisao. "Obnoxious Celtic Guardian??"

"Oh, that's right…" said Shichiro. "Orcs don't like elves that much, right? Well, you're not gonna like this guy that much. He can't be destroyed by Monsters that have 1,900 Attack Points or more. And look at that… All three of your Monsters have more than 1,900 Attack Points."

"How could anyone have been so lucky?!" screamed Hisao.

"In my business, there's no such thing as luck, Hisao," said Shichiro. "Are you through with your move?"

Hisao growled, and took a card from his hand. He placed it on his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"NOW I am. Don't forget, so long as Izanagi is here, my Spirits don't have to leave at the end of the turn where they're summoned.

"And I'll tear down that barrier soon enough…"

"There's only one Spirit that I know of who's both strong enough to beat my Monster's Defense, and weak enough to destroy him," replied Shichiro. "Asura Priest. I realize it's a powerful card, and you likely have three copies, but one of them is already gone, and Spirits can't be Special Summoned.

"I draw…"

He drew a card.

"And it goes facedown…"

A facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

"Your move…"

Hisao growled as he drew a card.

Then he chuckled as he saw what it was.

"I play an Equip Spell!" he exclaimed. "The mighty Sword of Kusanagi!"

"And if you can tell me the significance of that name," replied Shichiro, "I will eat my Duel Disk."

Hisao paused, as a large sword appeared in Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi's hand.

"Ah, who cares?" he said. "All I know is, it gives the Spirit Monster who has it a trampling effect. So who cares if your elf can't be destroyed?

"Attack!"

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi flew at the Guardian, sword-first.

"I activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card flipped up. "This reduces the damage I would have taken to zero, and lets me draw one card."

As Obnoxious Celtic Guardian fended off the blow, Shichiro made a draw.

Hisao growled again.

"I end my turn!" he scowled.

Shichiro made a second draw.

"I set one Monster, and one facedown card," he said.

A concealed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"Your move…"

Hisao glared at him as he drew a card.

"There is no way in Hell that your facedown card could be another Defense Draw!" he shouted. "Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, attack his elf again!"

The huge Spirit slammed his sword into the Guardian, and Shichiro grunted a little.

"Izanagi, attack the other Monster!"

Izanagi flew at the facedown Monster. Queen's Knight appeared on the card, and screamed before she shattered.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Hisao.

"Are you quite through?" asked Shichiro.

"Make your move," replied Hisao.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was more nervous than she had been in a long time. This wasn't the first time that this Hebi-Na woman had come in to see her boss, and every time she appeared, she made her flesh crawl. Of course, she had been within her rights to see him this time – she had made an appointment.

Right now, Ember heard the sounds of a heated argument inside the office. She could only hear bits and pieces, but it was clear that her employer was angry.

Then he stuck his head out the door.

"Ember, make a fresh pot of coffee, please," he said with a sigh. "We're going to be here a while…"

He went back in, where the strange woman was waiting.

"You really picked a bad time to come," he said, sitting down. "I'm up to my neck in problems with this new project that Godwin and I are working on, which incidentally, he's only financing. I'm doing all the real work."

"So, what's the problem?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Lunatics," replied Draco. "A group of environmentalists who would try even PETA's patience are objecting to me clearing the land in that Chinese province so I can even begin construction. Three times now, they've dug up some archaic law that they claim states I'm not allowed to do it, and each time I have to wait for the court to rule in my favor before I can start, only for them to present a new one!

"What these tree-huggers don't realize is, I'm doing it all for the benefit of people like them… My soybean plantations alone are going to give them all the tofu they can eat."

"I prefer food that's more solid," said Hebi-Na.

"Yeah, I know about your… tastes…" muttered Draco.

Ember came in with the coffee pot. She set it on the desk, and went to get a set of cups.

"The one thing I just can't fathom is…" started Draco.

Then Ember got so nervous, she tripped and fell. One of the coffee cups smashed to pieces.

"Ember?" said Draco. "Are you all right?"

Ember took some deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Draco…" she stammered, as he bent over her.

She looked at Hebi-Na.

"Forgive me, but… Lately, some people who come in here… They give me cold chills…"

Draco gave a strange look at Ember, then gave an even stranger look at Hebi-Na.

"You know," said Hebi-Na with a frown, "I think I'll leave…

"Don't bother, I'll show myself out…"

Ember and Draco watched as she left, closing the door behind her. Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Ember," he said, "you kept my headache from turning into a migraine…"

He helped her up.

"Now, Ember…" he said, "I'd say that you've been working too hard, and the stress is getting to you… I'd tell you to go home early tonight, but unfortunately, I simply can't… I have to be back here at eleven o'clock to make a conference call to some people on the other side of the world, and I need you to finish my presentation."

"I'll be staying late to work on it Mr. Draco," replied Ember. "I just needed to catch my breath…"

Draco watched as Ember left the room and then picked up the phone.

"Custodian's office?" he said into it. "Send someone up here with a dustpan and broom…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro made a draw. He looked at it.

"Trap Card, activate," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Birthright. Now, I get to bring Jack's Knight back from the Graveyard."

In a flash, Jack's Knight appeared, holding his sword aloft. (1,900 ATK)

"Big deal," replied Hisao. "He only has 1,900 Attack Points."

"That's why I'm going to sacrifice him," replied Shichiro, as Jack's Knight vanished. "To Special Summon… Turret Warrior!"

A much bigger Monster rose in Jack's Knight's place. It looked more like a Rock than a Warrior, with thick limbs made of brick. (1,200 ATK)

"Ha!" laughed Hisao. "That's even worse."

"Oh, really?" asked Shichiro. "When Turret Warrior is summoned like this, it gains Attack Points equal to the amount that the Warrior I sacrificed had. You can add, can't you?"

(3,100 ATK)

"Erk!" gulped Hisao.

"Turret Warrior… Clobber his Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi!"

Turret Warrior made a powerful punch with its mighty fist, and the huge Spirit groaned in agony. It exploded in a flaming burst.

"Ergh…" muttered Hisao.

"I didn't mention…" he said. "When a Monster gets trashed when it has the Sword of Kusanagi, the Sword goes back to my hand!"

Sword of Kusanagi slipped out of his discard slot, and he added it to his hand.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,700)**

"Mind if I ask a question?" asked Shichiro.

Hisao looked at him.

"Why Spirit Monsters?" asked Shichiro. "Aren't they a little… formal, for someone like you?

Hisao gave him a dirty look.

"Why?" he asked. "Because a 'savage humanoid' can't have a deck that isn't full of crude and bestial brutes?

"Look pal, in ancient times, everyone thought that folks like us weren't capable of any strategy more advanced than 'Scream and charge'. Well, it was a bad stereotype then, and it is now. We're smarter than everyone thinks, and we're more than capable of complex strategies."

"Sorry…" muttered Shichiro. "Maybe I was fooled a little by the fact that you were about to cave that guy's head in with a baseball bat."

"My move…" muttered Hisao, drawing a card. "I'm still way ahead of you."

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"I play Akashic Record," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. "You aren't the only one who can draw extra cards. Now, I get to draw two of them. The catch is, if either of them has been used before now, I don't get to keep them."

He made two draws.

He held them forward, revealing them to be Mirror of Yata and Yamato no Kami.

"Seems I get to keep them," he said. "Next, I move Susa Soldier and Izanagi to Defense Mode."

Susa Soldier sheathed his sword, and then knelt in a defensive position. (1,600 DEF) Izanagi knelt and held his spear to his side. (1,000 DEF)

"Next, I play Shien's Spy."

He played a Spell Card, and a mysterious looking woman appeared, dressed in Japanese peasant's clothes, a straw hat, and carrying a bundle on her back.

"This moves my Monster to your side of the field for one round."

Susa Soldier vanished, and reappeared on Shichiro's side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

"What's the point?" asked Shichiro.

"I'll show you," said Hisao, as his facedown card lifted. "The Trap Card, Legacy of Yata-Garasu. Normally, this lets me draw one card. But, if my opponent has a Spirit Monster on his side of the field, I get to draw _two_ cards."

He made two draws, and looked at them.

"I'm ending my turn, so that means I get my Monster back…"

Susa Soldier reappeared on Hisao's side of the field.

Shichiro drew a card.

_I'll save this,_ he thought.

"My Guardian moves to Attack Mode," he said, as Obnoxious Celtic Guardian stood up. (1,400 ATK)

"Destroy his Izanagi!" he shouted. "Silver blade slash!"

Celtic Guardian leapt up, and slammed his sword into the Fairy. Izanagi was blown apart in a blast of pixels.

"Turret Warrior, destroy Susa Soldier!"

Turret Warrior punched the Spirit, and Susa Soldier burst in an explosion of sparks.

"I end my turn…"

"My move…" growled Hisao.

He drew a card.

He quickly played it, setting it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

He nodded.

Shichiro made a draw.

"I activate the Spell Card, Reinforcement of the Army," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. "Now, I can take a Warrior from my deck up to Level 4."

He looked through his deck, and chose a card.

"And here she is… Warrior Lady of the Wasteland."

In a burst of energy, a female Warrior appeared, one with a strange sense of fashion. She wore a halter top, short skirt, leather boots, a tattered black cape, and a wide-brimmed hat with a feather stuck in it. A longsword was strapped to her back. (1,100 ATK)

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Hisao. "Quite the fashion statement…"

"This from a race that's fond of ritual scarring," replied Shichiro. "Turret Warrior, destroy his facedown Monster."

Turret Warrior rushed at the facedown card. A beautiful woman appeared on the card, one who wore a flimsy skirt and halter, velvet gloves, and had long hair tied in braids. She shrieked as Turret Warrior's fist hit her and she shattered.

"You just activated Otohime's special effect," said Hisao. "I can move one of your Monsters to Defense Mode."

Turret Warrior knelt down, and then crossed its arms over its chest. (2,000 DEF)

"But not all of them…" said Shichiro.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian hit Hisao with his weapon, and he grunted.

Then Warrior Lady of the Wasteland drew her sword, and flew at Hisao. She shouted a cry as she made a slash at him. He screamed in pain.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,200)**

"Gee, Hisao," said Shichiro, "I thought orcs prided themselves on being tough. You're saying you can't take the phantom pain that a Duel Disk causes? How do you expect to take the real pain that your race is so used to?"

"Maybe the blasted Treaty that we all had to agree to has made us all soft," growled Hisao.

"That's nonsense," replied Shichiro. "I _never_ stray from the Treaty, and everyone who knows me says I'm tougher than steel!"

"My move…" grunted Hisao, drawing a card.

He smirked as he looked at it.

"You know, it isn't entirely true that Spirits can't be Special Summoned," he said. "One very powerful Spirit can _only_ be Special Summoned. And to do it, I gotta remove one Spirit in my Graveyard from play…"

Asura Priest slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his jacket.

"So, I Special Summon Yamato-no-Kami!"

In a fiery burst of dark flames, a wild-looking man appeared in front of Hisao. He wore only a pair of white trousers, and his muscular torso was covered with ugly tattoos and strange jewelry. In addition to his human arms, six crustacean limbs protruded from his back. (2,200 ATK)

"I'll also Normal Summon Izanami," he continued.

He played the card, and a wave of soft, blue energy appeared on the field. A woman who seemed to be dressed in a feminine version of Izanagi's royal raiment appeared, looking at Shichiro with a serene smile. (1,100 ATK)

"Next, I activate her effect," said Hisao, "I toss one card…"

He discarded Sword of Kusanagi.

"…and I get a Spirit Monster back from my Graveyard."

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Next, I give Yamato here a new Equip Spell – the Mirror of Yata. By giving it to him, he doesn't leave the field when this turn ends."

Yamato-no-Kami glowed with eldritch energy.

"All right… Yamato, attack Turret Warrior with dark crushing grip!"

The spires on Yamato-no-Kami's back transformed into tentacles, and lashed forward, grabbing Turret Warrior, and squeezing it until it shattered into bits.

"Izanami, attack his Warrior Lady!"

Izanami flew at Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. Warrior Lady frowned. She drew her sword, and rushed to meet the attack…

Both duelists braced themselves, as both Monsters exploded.

"You activated Warrior Lady's effect!" exclaimed Shichiro. "I get to Special Summon an Earth-Attribute Warrior from my deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"So let's see… Think I'll summon Big Shield Gardna…"

In a burst of light, the burly Warrior in hide armor, holding a huge shield appeared in front of Shichiro. (100 ATK)

"Eh…" sighed Hisao. "I end my turn…"

Shichiro drew a card.

_Sweet,_ he thought.

"I summon… Rose, Warrior of Revenge!" he shouted.

A burst of flames shot out of the ground, and a fierce-looking woman leapt out of it. She was dressed in a tight, black leather combat outfit with a white scarf around her neck, had green eyes and red hair tied in a long ponytail, and carried a long saber. (1,600 ATK)

"Hold on!" gasped Hisao. "That's a Tuner Monster!"

"She sure it!" replied Shichiro. "That means I can use her to summon something better.

"GO!"

Rose closed her eyes… And then she opened them, and they burned like flames. She and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian leapt into the sky, trailing wakes of fire. Both Monsters dissolved into grains of light, and turned into eight shimmering stars.

"I Tune Rose and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" exclaimed Shichiro. "Synchro Summon… Colossal Fighter!"

A huge Monster leapt down on Shichiro's side of the field with a roar. It was a giant Warrior, covered with cybernetic armor, his eyes covered with a green visor. (2,800 ATK)

"And Colossal Fighter has a powerful ability," continued Shichiro. "For each Warrior in both Graveyards, he gains 100 more Attack Points."

Warrior Dai Grepher, Rose, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, Turret Warrior, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Hayabusa Knight, Jack's Knight, Command Knight, Queen's Knight, and Freed the Brave Wanderer appeared behind Colossal Fighter. He glowed with energy as they vanished again… (3,800 ATK)

"Flatten Yamato-no-Kami!" shouted Shichiro. "Mega-knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter lunged at the evil Spirit, and slugged at him with his fist. Yamato-no-Kami screamed, and staggered back a few steps, but it didn't shatter.

"Forgot to mention," said Hisao. "When a Spirit is attacked when it has Mirror of Yata, it doesn't bite the dust… The Mirror does!"

"But you still take damage," replied Shichiro.

"Ergh…" muttered Hisao.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,600)**

"I move Gardna to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Shichiro.

Big Shield Gardna knelt, and crouched behind his shield. (2,600 DEF)

Hisao was sweating heavily. He drew a card.

Then he laughed.

"I summon my second Otohime!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and another Otohime appeared. (0 ATK)

Colossal Fighter struggled, and then knelt in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

"Next," he said, "I play my Double Summon Spell Card. This lets me make a second Normal Summon this turn.

"So, I sacrifice Otohime and Yamato-no-Kami…"

The two Spirits disappeared into orbs of energy.

"…and guess who's back…"

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi reappeared. (2,800 ATK)

"And to make sure he sticks around… I'm Equipping him with a second Mirror of Yata! You can never have too many…"

The huge Spirit glowed with energy.

"Now, destroy his Colossal Fighter! Hellish flame fist!"

Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi lunged forward, and struck Colossal Fighter. The giant shattered.

"Your shield-boy is next!" laughed Hisao.

Shichiro closed his eyes.

"I don't think so," he said. "I didn't mention that Colossal Fighter has another effect. When he's destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon any Warrior from either Graveyard.

"And, since Colossal Fighter _himself_ is a Warrior…"

Colossal Fighter appeared again on Shichiro's side of the field, and this time, he looked angry. (3,800 ATK)

Hisao gulped.

"You've got no more cards to play, so it's my turn," said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He looked at the two cards in his hand. He took the one that he had been saving.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said, playing it. "Now, I get to recover one Warrior from my Graveyard."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and Colossal Fighter fell to an Attack Score of 3,700.

"Now I summon him… Freed the Brave Wanderer!"

In an aura of pure light, a soldier in shimmering armor appeared. He resembled the famous Freed the Matchless General, but somewhat younger, and more radiant. (1,700 ATK)

Then, both Queen's Knight and Jack's Knight appeared behind Shichiro in phantom form.

"Freed has a powerful ability," he said. "I simply have to remove from play two Light Monsters in my Graveyard, and he can destroy any Monster who's stronger than he is. And if my math is right, 2,800 is greater than 1,700."

The two phantoms behind him vanished, as Freed glowed with blinding light. Hisao slunk back in fear. Colossal Fighter fell to an Attack Score of 3,500, while Freed made a slash with his blade. Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi groaned, and then burst into an explosion of pixels.

"Freed, attack directly with brave sword attack!"

Freed rushed at the orc, and made a deep cut down the torso with his broadsword. Hisao screamed again.

"Colossal Fighter… Finish this. Direct attack!"

Colossal Fighter roared, and slugged the orc in stomach, and Hisao fell backwards from the impact. He was knocked back ten feet, and fell prone.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

The Monsters vanished. Shichiro walked up to Hisao, who was crying.

"Please…" he sobbed. "Please don't tell my chieftain… I'll do anything… Anything you say… I'll…"

"Pathetic…" muttered Shichiro. "And you call yourself an orc…"

He turned around.

"Seems that you were nothing more than a coward. Letting you live as one is punishment enough.

"But know this, Hisao… I'll have my eye on you… So think twice before you decide to try to mug another human… You never know when a Shadowchaser will be watching."

He walked away, as Hisao grit his teeth and glared after him.

"Ooh, this isn't over pal…" he grumbled.

"I heard that," said Shichiro's voice from the darkness, startling him.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Hebi-Na stood in a dark room. In front of her was a screen, with a shadowy face on it.

"This isn't good, and you know it, Hebi-Na," said the image on the screen. "You know how it goes…

"First they get cold chills and strange feelings. Then they start seeing things. And before long, their eyes open to the truth.

"We simply cannot have someone like that in the position she is in. We must do away with her before Jalal finds her."

"This isn't some corporate tycoon you're talking about, pal," said Hebi-Na, as she took out a nail file. "If I'm going to use my talents to target some secretary, I want triple the regular fee."

The face on the screen stared at her.

"Hebi-Na, you're only using that as an excuse to get more money," it said. "What do you care about the status of a target?"

"I don't have to answer that, and I'm not gonna," replied Hebi-Na, as she filed her nails.

"Triple the regular fee, or get someone else. Can you find someone who's as skilled as I am and as… discreet?"

"Fine!" growled the figure. "But use a gun this time. Too many of Godwin's men have been strangled… The last thing we need is Sector Security thinking the same killer is after Draco's employees too."

"Humph…" said Hebi-Na. "Much as I hate resorting to such… crude methods, I suppose I could do that…

"It will be done tonight by the time the moon sets…"

She turned and left the room.

_**I had no idea that Hebi-Na was an assassin, even if she was creeping me out. And the reason she was making me uneasy wasn't the fact that she simply looked bizarre, with her dark glasses and strange sense of fashion. You see, I could swear I saw or heard strange things when I was around her. When I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, I saw her differently for a brief instant. There were times when I heard her talk when she seemed to roll her S's more than she should have. And sometimes she didn't seem to walk so much as she seemed to slither.**_

_**I had thought I was going nuts, and had been for weeks now. I saw things like this frequently. I tried to tell myself it was due to the late hours I was putting in at work, which I was doing frequently because I wanted more overtime pay to save up for my vacation, which was long overdue. **_

_**But soon, very soon, I would get an explanation from somebody… And all it would take was for him to save my life…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VESSEL OF ILLUSIONS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A golden water basin overflowing with water.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when a Spirit Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon one "Spirit Token" in Attack or Defense Position. A "Spirit Token" has the same Type, Attribute, Level, ATK, and DEF of the destroyed Monster.

_Note: "Vessel of Illusions" was first used by Noah in the original anime episode "Noah's Final Threat (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image: **A dinosaur skull lying with a few bones.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. If a copy of either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both from play.

_Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part Two)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Shichiro may not seem like the typical knight in shining armor, but next chapter, he still has to save a maiden from danger, as Hebi-Na's identity is revealed. And she's far more dangerous than Hisao was. More introductions will be made along the way, and in case you were wondering about that special Synchro Monster that Shichiro has, he may get a chance to use it next chapter. Be here next for "Shadowslayer"._


	3. Shadowslayer

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**CHAPTER THREE**

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**Shadowslayer**

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_**The role of a secretary is one that most people overlook. I've heard that, in the States, they have a National Secretary's Day in April, which is something I would have loved to have. Let me tell you, as someone who used to be one, the job requires you to do more than just type and answer the phone.**_

_**Not that I ever had a real reason to complain about my job. It paid well, I was on the company medical and dental plans, and Mr. Draco wasn't the worst person to work for. But maybe I just wanted more recognition. I wrote most of the presentations he made from data that people had collected, I arranged his schedule, I handled his finances, and I kept the solicitors away from his office. Some would even say that I was in charge of covering up any mistakes that he made, although I'd have never said that to his face.**_

_**A secretary is a vital part of any office, so my position on Mr. Draco's staff was a vital one. And maybe I held a bit of resentment that it was a position that was often taken for granted.**_

_**And that resentment started to rise, as I worked into the evening alone, in the computer lab twenty floors below his office…**_

Shichiro drove into the garage of a townhouse – a rather upscale one that looked like it wouldn't have come cheap, as was the case with most of the surrounding buildings.

As he parked his D-Wheel, someone came out to meet him. It was a muscular man wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, with short, black hair. He had a tattoo of the goddess of justice (a winged, robed, blindfolded woman holding a sword in one hand and a balance in the other) on his right bicep.

"Shichiro…" he said, in a worried tone. "It's about time you got here… You know it isn't smart to keep the boss waiting…"

"C'mon, Gears, he's been in this business a long time," replied Shichiro. "I don't think he's gonna fire me…"

The two of them walked into a comfy-looking lounge, full of expensive furniture, with a fire burning in the fireplace. The fire never went out, and never needed tending or fuel. They didn't know exactly how it worked, only that the boss needed it here for some reason.

As they sat down on the couch, a tall figure materialized in front of the fire. He looked transparent, which made sense, seeing as he was a holographic projection. (He was actually in a different part of the world right now, where he directed a global organization that Shichiro was only a part of. The hologram was his way of being in multiple places at once.) The figure was well-dressed, although his clothing was very outdated, and he had sharp, very feral features, and long, pointed ears. His skin was richly tanned, and his hair was a rich blonde, almost to the point of being gold.

"What's up, Jalal?" asked Shichiro.

"Cordial as ever," said the figure, in an accent that was clearly British. "I'm glad you finally got back, because we may not have much time."

"You IDed this killer?" asked Shichiro.

"Its race, as least," replied the figure. "It's clearly an ophidia."

"Makes sense," replied Shichiro. "Strangles with its tail, right?"

"More than likely," replied the figure. "I have no idea what interest it has in Godwin however, but we intend to find out.

"And the same tipster that gave me this information has told me that it has a new target."

"Then why am I sitting here talking shop?" asked Shichiro, getting up.

He started to head back for the garage.

"Wire the info to my bike," he called over his shoulder. "I'll bring this guy in…"

"Be careful, Shichiro!" called Jalal. "Do this by the book for a change! You know how dangerous these things can be!"

He sighed.

"He's so impulsive…"

"Better impulsive than careless," sighed Gears.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Ugh…" muttered Ember. "This coffee is terrible…"

She sighed as she sipped it.

"…but at least it has caffeine…"

She turned back to the computer screen.

"Let's see…" she said. "Second quarter profit earnings… Gross average of forty-four million yen…"

Then she stopped short. She realized that this was going to be given on a conference call to some group in London.

"Better find the exchange rate for the British pound…" she muttered, as she typed onto a website. "Give a comparison…"

She sighed as she inputted the data.

Five minutes later, she hit the save button, and then hit the print command.

As the printer churned out the document, she leaned back in her chair and held her head.

Then, she took something off of the desk. It was a deck case. She took out the deck and looked at the cards. She sighed.

_Why can't work be more like dueling?_ she thought. _I just wish I had a little variation… A little extra spice to my life… It would help so much…_

She didn't see Hebi-Na silently creep up behind her. The assassin pulled a revolver out of a shoulder holster, and quietly placed a silencer on the muzzle of the weapon…

Ember was lucky that she had chosen that exact moment to look back at the screen. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have seen Hebi-Na in the reflective surface, pointing the weapon at her.

Her next move was directed mostly by panic-fueled adrenaline. She dropped to the floor, just as the shot fired.

Hebi-Na pointed the gun for a second shot as Ember scurried under the desk.

"Omigod, Omigod, Omigod…" muttered Ember.

"Oh, please, He can't help you now," said Hebi-Na. "Now come out from under there and face me standing up."

"Really easy for someone holding a gun to say, huh?" said a voice.

Hebi-Na turned around in surprise, and saw Shichiro standing there.

She frowned. And then she smiled.

"Heh, heh…" she chuckled. "So… One of you finally found me, huh?"

"I don't think it's very funny," said Shichiro. "So, whoever is behind this is using a female assassin?"

"Is that a problem?" asked Hebi-Na, smiling broadly.

Ember was shocked as she watched, and saw Hebi-Na's smile…

She had fangs…

"Not really," replied Shichiro. "I've always been equal opportunity.

"And you can shed your skin, by the way. You don't fool me."

Hebi-Na shrugged. Ember watched as she took off her sunglasses. That was when the next shock came. Her eyes were green and reptilian.

Then the biggest shock came when she undid a cord that held her skirt up, and let it fall to the floor. She had no legs. Her entire body below her waist was a long serpent's tail. She seemed to be some combination of woman and snake. Ember was now starting to wonder if she was truly insane.

The oddest part was, this stranger who was confronting this creature was taking this bizarre situation as if it happened every day.

"So," said Shichiro. "You're an assassin… May I ask who you're working for?"

"An exceptional person," replied Hebi-Na.

"Right," said Shichiro. "You have a choice then…"

He held his Duel Disk out in front of him.

"You can surrender and make it easy, or you can duel…"

Hebi-Na chuckled. She put the gun in the holster, and then produced a Duel Disk of her own.

"Where's the fun in easy?" she asked.

_What the?_ thought Ember. _She had a gun… Why did she put it away?_

"Truthfully, I've been hoping one of you would show up," said Hebi-Na. "The money I'll get for this hit is nothing once the other ophidia find out I took one of you down… I'll be treated like a queen."

Shichiro looked over at Ember.

"Just stay there, miss," he said. "I'll handle her… And don't try calling anyone for help. The signal on this floor is probably jammed anyway."

"Less talk," said Hebi-Na. "I'm eager to duel now, and then have dinner after…"

She smiled again, again showing those fangs. Shichiro flinched a little. That comment could have had several possible meanings when coming from an ophidia…

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)**

"You certainly aren't a lady," said Shichiro, "but I'll still let you go first…"

Hebi-Na made her first draw.

"Well, look at that," she said, looking at it. "I summon Lamia in Attack Mode."

She played a card, and a creature materialized in front of her. It looked like a reptilian woman, with long, blonde hair, scaly skin, and the lower body of a snake, similar to Hebi-Na. (1,300 ATK)

"She kind of looks like me," she said. "But I'm much cuter."

"Oh, please," said Shichiro. "If some lame Reptile is the best you've got, this is going to be over quickly."

"I'm not done," continued Hebi-Na. "Next, I'll throw down two facedown cards."

She fit two cards into her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared behind Lamia in two flashes of light.

"Then, a Continuous Spell…"

A Spell Card flashed into existence, showing the picture of a glowing serpent rising out of a swamp.

"It's called Swamp of the Dragon Snake, and it lets me Special Summon a low-Level Reptile from my deck at every one of my End Phases. But there's a little catch… I have to Special Summon it to _your_ side of the field.

"Okay… I'm ending my turn… And I think I'll give you my Poisonous Viper!"

In a burst of energy, a small, green, venomous snake appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)

"Thanks…" muttered Shichiro, sarcastically. "You're too kind…"

He drew a card and looked at it.

"Forgot to mention," said Hebi-Na, "as its name suggests, that Viper is incredibly poisonous. Each time you start your turn with it on your side of the field, you lose 500 Life Points."

Shichiro winced, and held his throat, as an aura of sickening green energy surrounded him.

"I figured it was something like that," he said. "First, I'll move it to Defense Mode…"

Poisonous Viper curled up in its coils. (200 DEF)

"Then, I'll summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

He played a new card, and the elven Warrior appeared, flashing his sword. (1,400 ATK)

"I don't have much in my hand to help him," he continued, "but I'll change that… I play the Spell Card, Card Destruction."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Now, we must each fold our hands, and draw an equal number.

"Fine with me," replied Hebi-Na.

She discarded her Heavy Storm and Shield Crush, and made two draws. Shichiro discarded Millennium Shield, Micro Ray, Warrior Dai Grepher, and Jutte Fighter, and made four draws.

"Much better," he said.

He fit a card into his Disk.

"I Equip him with Jeweled Sword!"

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's sword vanished, and a new, fancier one appeared in his hand. (1,700 ATK)

"Combined with his effect, only a select few Monsters can defeat him in battle now.

"Attack her Lamia!"

The Guardian made a slash with his blade. Lamia screamed, and then shattered into triangles.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "I can't believe you took the bait!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Then he noticed that Hebi-Na had activated one of her facedown cards.

"I used Lamia as a sacrificial lamb to use my Trap Cards," she said. "First, Damage = Reptile. Now, when I take damage from a battle involving a Reptile, I get to summon a new one, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than the damage I took. So, I'll summon Venom Cobra to defend me."

In a burst of energy, a rocky, earthen-brown cobra appeared on her side of the field, sitting on its coils. (2,000 DEF)

Then her second facedown card lifted.

"I also activate… Snake Whistle! Now, I get to Special Summon another Reptile, so long as it's Level 4 or less. So I'll summon my Black Mamba."

In another burst of energy, a large, venomous snake appeared, with olive-green scales and a hood. (1,300 ATK)

"A bit of trivia," she said. "The black mamba is the second largest venomous snake in the world, second only to the king cobra. But while it's second in terms of size, it's first in terms of speed. Some have clocked specimens at speeds of twelve miles per hour. Don't think you can outrun this guy.

"But records aside, it is feared widely, as it has one of the deadliest venoms of all snakes.

"And by summoning Black Mamba, I get to change the battle position of one of your Monsters, so I think I'll move your Poisonous Viper to Attack Mode."

The Viper sprang up into an attack stance. (100 ATK)

Shichiro grunted. He looked at his hand.

"I'll toss this facedown," he said, "and that will be all."

A facedown card flashed into existence.

**(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)**

Hebi-Na quickly made a draw.

Ember, meanwhile, looked at Shichiro. She noticed something – a sword was strapped to a sheath on his back.

Still, that really didn't explain why Hebi-Na had put the gun away…

_Kind of like taking a knife to a gunfight,_ she thought.

"I summon Gagagigo!" shouted Hebi-Na.

She played a card, and a tall lizard man with sharp claws and a long tail appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"You said that only a select few Monsters can defeat your elf now," chuckled Hebi-Na. "Fortunately, Gagagigo fits the criteria.

"Gagagigo, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The lizard man leapt at the Warrior, and made two slashes with his talons. Obnoxious Celtic Guardian gasped, and shattered.

"You may have defeated him," replied Shichiro, "but since he was armed with my Jeweled Sword, I now get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Good for you," replied Hebi-Na. "Black Mamba, attack his Viper!"

Black Mamba hissed, and slithered across the field, striking the smaller snake and swallowing it whole. Shichiro cringed in pain.

"I move to my End Phase," continued Hebi-Na, "and use my Swamp of the Dragon Snake. So you get another Poisonous Viper."

Another of the small Snakes appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)

"I just love to share…"

**(S: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,600)**

Shichiro drew a card. Then he winced as the poisonous aura surrounded him again.

"I move this snake to Defense Mode…" he muttered.

Poisonous Viper curled up, just like the last one did. (200 DEF)

"Then, I set a Monster, and one facedown card."

A hidden Monster appeared. Then, a facedown card appeared next to the other one.

"Then, I activate Birthright!"

His first facedown card lifted, and Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, holding his sword in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

"Let me tell you a little story," he continued.

"Does it look like my bedtime?" asked Hebi-Na.

"You know, snake," continued Shichiro, "there was a legend among Samurai warriors… The legend stated that the first Samurai were actually trained swordsmanship by goblins. Even the great Minamoto Yoshitsune made this claim.

"This may have only been a legend, but then, how do you explain one ancient katana blade that adorned the halls of one feudal lord's castle? It was known as the Goblin Sword… The Sword of Tengu!"

He played a card from his hand, and another Equip Spell appeared. Grepher's sword vanished, and was Equipped with a glowing katana. (2,000 ATK)

"Destroy her Black Mamba!" shouted Shichiro.

Grepher charged at the large snake, and with one swipe, cleaved it in half.

"Ergh…" muttered Hebi-Na.

**(S: 5,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)**

At this moment, Ember noticed something else about Shichiro. A small mark was on his right cheek, that looked like a jagged line.

_A criminal mark?_ she thought.

"I activate the effect of Damage = Reptile!" shouted Hebi-Na. "I summon a second Venom Cobra!"

Another of the defensive Reptiles appeared. (2,000 DEF)

"Then it's your move, snake," said Shichiro.

Hebi-Na hissed, and drew a card.

"I move Gagagigo to Defense Mode…" she said.

Gagagigo knelt, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF)

"Then, I sacrifice one Cobra…"

One Venom Cobra vanished…

"To bring out Giga Gagagigo!"

With a roar, a much bigger Reptile appeared. It looked like a hulking, more muscular version of Gagagigo, garbed in metal armor. (2,450 ATK)

"I end my turn," she said. "And I use my Swamp to give you my third Poisonous Viper!"

Yet another Viper appeared on Shichiro's side of the field. (100 ATK)

_That's odd,_ thought Shichiro. _She didn't attack, even though Giga Gagagigo is clearly stronger than Grepher…_

He drew a card.

_But I've got a bit of leeway…_

"And now you lose 500 Life Points _twice_!" laughed Hebi-Na.

Shichiro groaned as an even more intense aura of poison surrounded him.

He gestured, and the second Viper curled up in Defense Mode. (200 DEF)

"Grepher, destroy Gagagigo!" he shouted.

Grepher made a swipe with his blade, and the Reptile exploded.

"That's all for my turn," he said. "At least you're out of Vipers…"

**(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,900)**

"Indeed," chuckled Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

"I summon Skreech," she said.

She played the card, and an odd-looking Reptile appeared. It had only two limbs connected to its lizard-like torso, and its head, if you could call it that, was little more than a tube-like mouth with teeth. (1,500 ATK)

"And what's that going to do?" asked Shichiro.

"It's going to attack Grepher," replied Hebi-Na.

"HUH?" said Shichiro.

Skreech shot a blast of water from its mouth. Grepher swatted it aside, and Skreech exploded.

"You're probably wondering why I purposely destroyed my Monster," said Hebi-Na, taking her deck from her Disk. "Well, when Skreech is destroyed by battle, I get to send two Water Monsters from my deck to my Graveyard.

"So, I'll discard two more Skreech."

She selected the two cards, and then discarded them.

_What sort of odd strategy is this? _thought Shichiro, as she reshuffled.

"Now then…" replied Hebi-Na. "Giga Gagagigo, attack Grepher!"

The huge Reptile roared, and leveled a punch at the Warrior. He groaned, and shattered.

**(S: 4,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)**

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na. "You didn't lose any Life Points…"

"You think that the Sword of Tengu was just a glorified Legendary Sword?" asked Shichiro. "It has another effect – it reduced the damage I took to zero."

"Then make your move…" muttered Hebi-Na.

Shichiro drew.

He groaned as the Vipers burned him again.

"Actually," he said, adding it to his hand, "I choose to end my turn without making _any_ move…"

**(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)**

Hebi-Na laughed, and made a draw.

"Well I'm certainly not gonna pass!" she laughed. "I sacrifice my other Cobra…"

The second Cobra vanished.

"…to summon Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice!"

A very large snake with black scales, and horns on its forehead appeared where the Cobra had been. (2,000 ATK)

"Urubonus here has a special effect," she said. "When it attacks, the target loses 300 points from both its scores.

"So, Urubonus, attack his facedown Monster! Malicious strike!"

Urubonus hissed, and lunged at the facedown Monster. Then, Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card. (2,600 DEF)

Gardna's Defense Score fell to 2,300, but it was still to much for Urubonus. Its fangs bit into his shield, and then it slunk away, shaking in pain.

Then Gardna stood up, holding his shield aside. (100 ATK) Hebi-Na laughed.

"Your Gardna moved to Attack Mode!" she laughed. "That means he's easy prey for my other Monster!"

Giga Gagagigo rushed at the barbarian.

"Guess again," said Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Ready For Intercepting. This moves Gardna right back to facedown Defense Mode, just in time to take the hit."

Gardna vanished, and was replaced by a facedown Monster. As Giga Gagagigo swung his fist, Gardna reappeared in Defense Mode again. The Reptile's fist struck the shield. The Reptile cried out in pain and shook his sore fist.

Gardna stood up into Attack Mode again.

Hebi-Na fumed.

"I end my turn!" she pouted.

**(S: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,950)**

Shichiro drew a card. Then he groaned as the two snakes burned him again.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_That's the sweet spot…_ he thought.

"I sacrifice both Poisonous Vipers…" he said.

The two snakes dissolved into mist…

"To summon Gilford the Legend!"

With a roar, a huge, hulking Warrior appeared. He was dressed in black, decorated armor, and a long, flowing, red cape, with a mask over his eyes with two forward-pointing horns. Rich, red hair cascaded down his back. He held a mighty sword that was almost as big as he was, and two more swords were slung to his back. Hebi-Na slunk back in surprise. (2,600 ATK)

_All right! _thought Ember. _He not only got rid of those nasty Vipers, he summoned a powerful Monster!_

"And due to his effect," continued Shichiro, "He has access to all Equip Spells in my Graveyard. That means both Jeweled Sword and Sword of Tengu are Equipped to him."

The two Equip Spells appeared behind Gilford. (3,200 ATK)

"And to clinch the deal," he continued, playing another card, "I'm giving him another one. Synchro Boost. This raises his Attack Score by 500, and his Level by 1."

(3,700 ATK)

"Destroy her Avatar of Malice!" commanded Shichiro. "Legendary blade!"

Gilford made a mighty cut, and the snake was cleaved in half. Hebi-Na groaned in pain.

_All right!_ thought Ember. _He's gonna win! I guess I'm not doomed!_

"Once again!" shouted Hebi-Na, "I use the effect of Damage = Reptile!"

She gestured, and a third Venom Cobra appeared on her side of the field. (2,000 DEF)

"I move Gardna back to Defense Mode," said Shichiro, as Gardna crouched behind his shield again. (2,600 DEF)

"It's your move, snake."

**(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)**

Hebi-Na made a draw. She looked at it. It was Nobleman of Crossout. She looked at the other two cards in her hand, which were a second Damage = Reptile and Destruction Jammer.

"I'll just move my Monster to Defense Mode, and that will be all," she said.

Giga Gagagigo moved into a kneeling position, and crossed his arms. (1,500 DEF)

"You're up to something," said Shichiro, as he drew a card.

He looked at the Trap Card and added it to his hand.

"And I don't like it…"

He pointed, and Gilford cleaved Giga Gagagigo in half.

"Make your move…"

Hebi-Na drew a card.

Then she smiled an evil smile, showing those fangs again.

"Enough play time," she said. "Time to die…

"I just drew the queen of my deck… But to summon her, I have to remove from play every last Reptile in my Graveyard and on the field from play…"

Cards started spilling out of her discard slot. Then the Venom Cobra in front of her vanished.

"Having done that," she said, placing them all in a pouch by her side, "I can summon… Evil Dragon Ananta!"

Then, an explosion blasted on her side of the field. From out of it, a titanic form rose. It looked like the classic Grecian Hydra, although that myth most often described it as a giant snake with nine heads. This one had only seven, and one of them seemed dominant. The dominant head on this Monster had fin-like gills on the sides and wore a golden tiara.

"Ananta's Attack and Defense Scores are equal to 600 for each Monster I just removed from play to summon her," continued Hebi-Na. "And in case you haven't been keeping track, I had one Venom Cobra on the field, while my Graveyard had three Poisonous Vipers, three Skreech, two other Venom Cobras, Lamia, Gagagigo, Giga Gagagigo, Black Mamba, and Urubonus, the Avatar of Malice, for a total of fourteen.

"Multiply it. That equals a _big_ number!"

"Quite…" muttered Shichiro, looking up at the huge serpent…

(8,400 ATK)

_Eighty-four hundred Attack Points?_ thought Ember. _That thing could defeat the God Cards! It could even beat Slifer after it was subjected to Slifer's effect…_

"Ananta," said Hebi-Na, with a serene smile. "Attack Gilford, will you? Infernal venom blast!"

Ananta blasted a bolt of glowing, green energy at Gilford the Legend, and Shichiro shielded himself as his Monster was blown to atoms.

"Well?" shouted Hebi-Na. "Fall down! You should have no more Life Points!"

Shichiro glared at her.

"Take another look…" he said.

**(S: 2,650) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 4,250)**

"How…" started Hebi-Na.

"You forgot that Gilford had the Sword of Tengu," replied Shichiro. "It reduces the battle damage to zero, remember? It doesn't matter how many Attack Points your Monster has."

Hebi-Na glared back at him.

"He also had Jeweled Sword," said Shichiro, "which means I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"I set one card facedown!" shouted Hebi-Na, as she threw a card into her Disk.

"Then I move to my End Phase, which means I can activate Ananta's other effect, and destroy any card on the field. That means your Big Shield Gardna is history!"

Ananta breathed her venom blast again, and Gardna exploded.

_Just try to beat me,_ she thought. _You can't possibly defeat Ananta in battle… And if you try to destroy her with a card effect, my Destruction Jammer will foil your plans._

Shichiro drew another card.

"I play Nightmare's Steelcage!" he shouted.

In a burst of energy, a large, iron, domed cage appeared around Hebi-Na and her Monster.

"Get used to the bars," he said.

"It's pointless," said Hebi-Na. "You forget that Ananta's effect can tear this cage down."

"No, I didn't forget," replied Shichiro. "But you can only do that during your End Phase, making me safe from her attack for one whole round.

"In the meantime, I'll summon Queen's Knight!"

He played a card, and the lovely female Warrior appeared, looking sternly at Hebi-Na. (1,500 ATK)

"I'll also set a card facedown, and that will be all."

A reversed card appeared behind Queen's Knight.

"My move!" shouted Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

She looked at the card. It was her Creature Swap.

_Definitely not,_ she thought, adding it to her hand.

"I move right to my End Phase," she said, "and use Ananta's effect to destroy your cage!"

The Steelcage shattered into shards of metal.

"My move…" said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"I summon King's Knight!" he shouted.

In a burst of radiant energy, King's Knight appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And that lets me summon… Jack's Knight!"

In another burst, Jack's Knight appeared next to his siblings. (1,900 ATK)

"And I end my turn."

Hebi-Na grinned as she drew.

She looked at the card. It was Dust Tornado.

She smirked slightly.

_So what's the facedown card?_ she chuckled. _Mirror Force? Sakuretsu Armor?_

_Boy, is he gonna be surprised…_

"Ananta, attack his Queen's Knight!" she shouted. "Infernal venom blast!"

Ananta breathed her vile attack. Shichiro shielded himself as Queen's Knight was vaporized.

"You triggered my Trap!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. "Spirit Force!"

"Huh?" said Hebi-Na. "Spirit Force? What does that do?"

"The first thing it does is reduce the damage I would have taken from that attack to zero," said Shichiro. "Then, I get to recover a Monster from my Graveyard. Of course, it has to be a specific kind of Monster… A Warrior who's also a Tuner, who has 1,500 Defense Points or less."

"Hold up," said Hebi-Na. "You haven't got any Tuners in your Graveyard…"

"Oh no?" asked Shichiro. "You clearly forgot that I played Card Destruction at the start of this duel…"

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Fine!" shouted Hebi-Na.

She fit the card she had just drawn into her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I move to my End Phase, and use Ananta's effect. Let's see… Eenie, meenie, minie, moe… Destroy Jack's Knight!"

Ananta blasted her breath again, and Jack's Knight was blown to bits.

_With Dust Tornado set,_ she thought, _I can destroy his next Trap Card as soon as he sets it. I can't lose._

"I hope you enjoyed that…" growled Shichiro. "That was your last move…"

Ember felt a surge of energy coming from Shichiro as he made his draw.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing the card.

The goofy jar appeared, and five cards – Queen's Knight, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Warrior Dai Grepher, Big Shield Gardna, and Gilford the Legend slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

He looked at the two cards.

"All right, snake," he said. "This is the round you go down."

"Just try it," said Hebi-Na, with an evil grin.

Shichiro sighed, and looked at her.

"You're planning to protect Ananta with Destruction Jammer, right?" he asked. "Or My Body as a Shield? Well sorry, but neither one can protect her from what I'm about to do."

"HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "I'd like to see you _try_ to defeat Ananta in battle right now!"

"Be careful what you wish for," replied Shichiro. "First, I play Monster Reborn!"

The holy ankh appeared, and Jack's Knight reappeared on his side of the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Then," he continued. "I play Silent Doom, to bring back something else I tossed with Card Destruction…"

He played the card, and the legendary Millennium Shield appeared next to Jack's Knight. (3,000 DEF)

"Now, I toss Noisy Gnat from my hand, which boosts Millennium Shield's Level from 5 to 6."

He discarded the card, and the Insect with the boom box appeared behind him. The Shield glowed with energy.

"Now then, I summon the Tuner Monster… Jutte Fighter!"

As he played his last card, a small Monster leapt onto the field. It was a short, funny-looking man, wearing a plain kimono and thick eyeglasses, his hair tied back in a topknot, carrying what looked like a water cooler on his back. True to his name, he was armed with a jutte (a blunt dagger with a single prong). (700 ATK)

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "Cute!"

"Cute and dangerous," replied Shichiro. "Once per turn, Jutte Fighter here can move one of your Monsters to Defense Mode."

Jutte Fighter jabbed with his weapon, and Ananta curled up in a Defensive Position. (8,400 DEF)

"Big deal!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Her Defense Score is the same as her Attack Score – unbeatable!"

"We'll see…" replied Shichiro. "Jutte Fighter is also a Tuner Monster, in case you forgot.

"So let's go…"

The card slipped out of his Extra Deck. _The_ card. Shichiro's heart always skipped a beat as he was about to play this card, and he was sure that the feeling was the same for everyone else in his position. This card was what made him what he was… It was what defined the path his life had taken…

Millennium Shield lay flat, and Jutte Fighter hopped onto it. Then he rode it towards the ceiling like a flying carpet. Ember opened her eyes wide…

Both Monsters dissolved into eight shimmering stars. The stars started to form into a tall shape…

The Monster that appeared had the same facial features and hair as the odd person who had debriefed Shichiro at the townhouse. But he was now wearing the armor of a heroic knight, with a shield with a golden dragon painted on it in his left hand, and a gleaming longsword in his right.

"Behold…" said Shichiro. "The Synchro Monster… Jalal the Dragonborn!"

(2,600 ATK)

"Humph…" muttered Hebi-Na. "He may be powerful, but he's not even close to being strong enough to take down my Monster…"

"Jalal has a special effect," replied Shichiro, "which I can use once per round, by paying half my Life Points. Having done so, I can remove from play a Spell or Trap from either Graveyard…"

A red aura surrounded him, as his Life Point counter fell. His own discard slot glowed, and a card slipped out of it.

"Once I do that, Jalal gains something called a Rune Counter…"

Jalal's sword glowed with golden energy, and a strange sigil appeared on it.

"Then, by expending the Rune Counter, Jalal can use the effect of the Spell or Trap I removed from play, as if it was his own effect.

"The card I removed from play was this one…"

He held a Trap Card up.

"Micro Ray!"

Hebi-Na gasped.

"But that means…" she said.

Jalal became shrouded with magical energy.

"It means your Monster's Defense Score is about to go from unbeatable, to pathetic," said Shichiro.

Ananta roared in rage. (0 DEF)

"King's Knight!" shouted Shichiro. "Slay her Dragon!"

King's Knight let out a war-cry, and leapt at the huge Reptile. He smote off her central head with one swipe. The rest of Ananta shuddered, and then crashed, exploding into pixels.

"No…" said Hebi-Na, in fear.

"Jack's Knight, direct attack!" ordered Shichiro.

Jack's Knight made a slash at the ophidia with his sword, and she hissed in fear and rage.

**(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,350)**

"Jalal, finish her off!" shouted Shichiro. "Sword of the ancients!"

Hebi-Na screamed as the mighty blade cut her down the middle.

She collapsed.

**(S: 1,325) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

"No…" she cried. "I… I can't lose…"

She looked up, and saw that Shichiro was walking up to her, holding something that looked like a large, glowing sapphire.

"Look, can't we work something out?" she pleaded. "I know people!"

"Tell it to the judge," said Shichiro. "For now, you're under arrest for the premeditated, first-degree murders of four humans, and the attempted murder of a fifth.

"My advice to you is, when you get there, start spilling your guts as to who hired you."

The gem started to glow with far more intensity, and Hebi-Na screamed…

Then, she simply vanished.

Shichiro sighed, and put it away.

"Omigod, Omigod…" shouted Ember, running up to him.

"It's okay," said Shichiro. "You're safe… She…"

"She was a snake!" screamed Ember. "What was she?"

Shichiro looked shocked. He looked at Ember.

"You… You saw what she really was?" he asked.

"Yes…" said Ember. "She… she was a snake… She looked like something her Disk would have summoned…"

Shichiro looked at her.

"Ho… boy…" he said.

He reached into his pocket.

"Oh no…" said Ember. "Did I see something I shouldn't have? Are you going to put on a pair of sunglasses and then flash a light in my eyes that's going to make me forget this whole thing happened?"

Then she saw that what Shichiro was taking out of his pocket was only a cell phone. He hit a speed dial number on it.

"Gears?" he said. "Yeah, it's me. Yeah, I took care of it, but we have a problem…

"Yeah, her victim survived, she's unhurt, and it seems she's an Aware. A _really_ potent one."

"Aware?" said Ember. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, I'll be a while," said Shichiro, into the phone. "Heck, this might benefit us in the long run."

He looked at Ember for a few seconds.

Then he drew the next card off his deck.

It was Rose, Warrior of Revenge.

He looked at Ember again. He started to rebuild his deck.

"How did I see her for what she was if I wasn't supposed to?" asked Ember. "How could _you_?"

"I could see her true form because I'm a Shadowchaser," replied Shichiro.

"And apparently… So are you.

"Have you eaten dinner tonight yet?"

"Are you asking me out?" asked Ember, almost laughing.

Shichiro held her by the shoulders, gently.

"Not technically," he said. "You see… uhm, may I ask your name?"

"Ember…" said Ember, nervously.

"Ember then…" continued Shichiro. "You deserve an explanation, and it will take too long for me to do it here… I can't simply leave you without one…

"Your eyes have opened to the truth… And no matter what you do… They will never close again…"

Ember looked at him with a nervous glance.

"I'll… get my coat…" she said.

_**You might find this hard to believe, but my initial meeting with Shichiro wasn't the worst first date I had ever been on. The one that was… Well, it may not have started with someone trying to kill me, but it did end with me sneaking out of the restaurant out the lady's room window. A story for another time. **_

_**Anyway, my "first date" with Shichiro, if you can call it that, included up to this point me getting my first full look at a Shadowkind, and him saving my life. I was glad that he had saved my life, but after what he had said to me before we left, I wondered what sort of life I would be going back to. How had my eyes opened? What was the truth? Was the world under the control of some evil entity like in **_**The Matrix**_**? Did aliens live among us like they did in **_**Men in Black**_**? And just what was a Shadowchaser? I certainly never remembered joining any group with that name…**_

_**I wanted to find out… If Shichiro hadn't asked me out, I would have likely followed him. Fortunately, he had every intention of telling me…**_

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**URUBONUS, THE AVATAR OF MALICE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card declares an attack, the ATK and DEF of the attack target are decreased by 300 during the damage step only.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLACK MAMBA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, switch the battle position of 1 face-up opposing Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**POISONOUS VIPER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** During the Standby Phase of this card's controller, the controller of this card takes 500 points of damage.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LAMIA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Flavor Text:** _A demon that combines the features of a snake and a woman. Countless men have been lured to their dooms by its deceptive face._

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**SWAMP OF THE DRAGON SNAKE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A swamp with a glowing serpent rising out of its waters.

**Card Description:** During each of your End Phases, you may Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Reptile-Type Monster from your deck to your opponent's side of the field.

_Note: The proceeding five cards were all used by Seika Kohinata in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**JEWELED SWORD (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** An armored glove holding a sword point-down, glowing with golden energy.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, draw one card.

_Note: "Jeweled Sword" was first used by Gokaido in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Champion or Chazz-Been". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SWORD OF TENGU (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A katana sword with the hilt shaped like a fanged face.

**Card Description:** Equip only to a Warrior-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 300. Battle damage you take from a battle involving the Equipped Monster is reduced to zero.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JALAL THE DRAGONBORN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except via Synchro Summon. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can pay half your Life Points to remove from play 1 Normal or Quickplay Spell or 1 Normal or Counter Trap from either Graveyard to place 1 Rune Counter on this card (max. 1). At any time during your or your opponent's turn, you may remove a Rune Counter on this card to duplicate the effect of the card that was removed from play as this card's effect.

_Note regarding this card:_

_I am usually quite willing to let other fanfic authors use custom cards that I have created. With this one, however, I must add a condition._

"_Jalal the Dragonborn" is a card that was designed specifically for this fanfic. Shichiro's card is not unique, but it is a special card whose use is limited to the members of one organization. In future chapters, its significance and history will become clearer. Therefore, I will only permit its use in fanfics that are part of the same mythos. If anyone ever wants to do a spin-off of this fanfic and I approve of it, this card may be used. In any other fanfic, its use is not permitted._

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_Coming up next:_

_What are the Shadowchasers? What is their purpose? Explanations are coming next chapter, as Shichiro gives Ember the whole picture, and sheds some light on the dark of the world that is known only to a few. Be here, because you won't want to miss it any more than Ember does. "The Eye of Truth" is next._


	4. The Eye of Truth

_Since this next chapter is the obligatory exhibition chapter, I felt I'd best debut it a little early. Enjoy._

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**CHAPTER FOUR**

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**The Eye of Truth**

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_**After what had happened, I sort of expected Shichiro to take me somewhere special and exotic. Somewhere very unusual.**_

_**But he didn't take me to see some mysterious wise man, like Morpheus, nor did he take me to any secret base where aliens hung around a lounge with a coffee pot smoking cigarettes.**_

_**Instead, he took me to a quaint Italian restaurant, run by a guy whom he seemed to know, who appeared to fit the stereotype of a friendly, old, Italian chef. Shichiro told me right away that Giorgio, as he called him, was a retired member of their group, and that our conversation would be held in peace, without any disturbance from anyone who might want to interrupt, including Security. When I asked why Security would want to interrupt, he said, "You never know…"**_

Shichiro hadn't made much small talk since they had gotten into the restaurant. After ordering drinks and an appetizer, he looked closely at the Rose, Warrior of Revenge card.

"So what exactly is this all about?" asked Ember.

"It's… very complicated…" said Shichiro.

Shichiro had not exactly kept track of where he had gotten every single card he used, but this one was special. For one thing, it was a Level 4 Tuner – that was pretty rare. He believed that of all the Tuners in circulation, only five of them were Level 4, and all five weren't exactly common. And some of them had some sort condition attached to them when you used them. This one had no condition. It was simply a Level 4 Tuner, which was searchable in his deck, and had an effect that was somewhat useful.

But regardless, the circumstances in which he had gotten it had been very strange, even as far as rare cards were concerned…

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The mysterious woman in miko regalia grinned as she handed Shichiro a card.

"The most I can do for the help you've given me," she said.

"Rose, Warrior of Revenge?" asked Shichiro, looking at it.

"Uh, uh, uh!" replied the woman. "Don't get excited… I'm _lending_ you this card. You can use it until its true owner is ready to use it."

"Its true owner?" asked Shichiro.

"A warrior of fire, just like the Monster on the card," replied the woman. "And just like a Tuner, this warrior has great potential…

"Be careful, now… Don't give it away on a whim. It would be a tragedy if this wound up in the wrong hands.

"Even if you find this warrior, do not give this card away until the warrior recognizes its purpose. Until then, you can always use a good Tuner."

"But what IS its purpose?" asked Shichiro. "Is it more than just a Tuner?"

"Indeed…" said the woman, walking away. "The warrior will realize its true purpose, if not immediately, then in time. When that happens, that is the time to give him or her the card…"

And then she faded into the darkness…

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"You seem glued to that card," said Ember.

"Ah, yeah," said Shichiro, putting it on the top of his deck. "I, uhm, I noticed you were a duelist too… Mind if I see your deck?"

Ember carefully handed him the deck. Shichiro slowly looked through the cards.

_Okay,_ he thought. _Now I know I've found something…_

"You have a few Tuners, I see…" he said.

"Uhm, yeah," said Ember. "I only have one Synchro though. Well, it is my favorite card, sure…"

"Yeah…" said Shichiro, looking through the deck. "It's a pretty good deck, to tell the truth… Does dueling run in your family?"

"Well…" said Ember, blushing a little. "I have a cousin who's a minor contender in the pro circuit… Not a Turbo Duelist, he stays on his feet. Maybe you've heard of Eiko Akira?"

"I don't pay much attention to the pros," replied Shichiro.

"He has a Lightsworn Deck, and he's pretty good…" replied Ember. "And yeah, he helped me with mine, a little…"

"Look…" said Shichiro.

He handed the deck back, and took the Rose card again.

"I want to try something… When I show you this card… What… purpose do you see that it has?"

Ember looked at it and shrugged.

"It's a Level 4 Tuner," she said. "Not without its charm…"

"Uhm, yeah…" said Shichiro.

He shuffled it back into his deck.

_It may take some time,_ he thought.

"Well, Ember, I promised you an explanation… So let's start…"

He cleared his throat, and folded his hands.

"Monsters are real," he said. "It's been that way for a long time.

"Creatures of legend walk the street in disguise – elves, werewolves, pixies, gnomes, and dozens of other creatures of myth. Folks who know about them call them Shadows or Shadowkind.

"All Shadows have the ability to mask their presence. Some appear human to those who can't see what they really are. Some can't be seen at all."

"But why can't people see them?" asked Ember. "Is it some sort of conspiracy?"

"Not quite," replied Shichiro. "It's more like a veil. The simple fact is, most humans simply don't _notice _them. It has more to do with the nature of the human mind than the nature of the universe. People generally walk around in a state that can best be described as 'autopilot'. They don't pay attention to the people around them. Why should they? Fashion is ubiquitous, opinions are guided by the mass media, people are people. It's perfectly natural.

"If you had lunch in a restaurant today, you can probably remember what you ate. But can you describe your server? If you parked your car this morning, you remember where you parked. But can you describe the car next to yours?

"Unless something odd happens, most people interpret the world as a series of ordinary, explainable events, and pay no attention to details. But what happens when they see Shadows? If a person saw a gang of orcs on a rampage or a fire drake torching a building…"

"Oh, he'd certainly notice _that_!" replied Ember.

"No," replied Shichiro. "Most people wouldn't. The minute something like that happens, human nature takes over. We are assured early in our lives that such things don't exist. So, when someone sees a monster, his mind creates an illusion, telling him that he's seeing something else. The gang of orcs becomes a gang of street toughs, while the fire drake becomes a gas main exploding. The easy answer completely obscures the truth, and people continue on in their lives, blissfully unaware of the reality.

"But Ember… Some people are not like this. Some people can see the Shadows for what they truly are. And to protect those who might be endangered by them, and to protect the Shadows themselves if they are in danger, this has given rise to the Shadowchasers.

"Humans come in three varieties. The most common type are called Mundanes by Shadows who are nice, and Clueless by ones who aren't. They can't see through the veil at all. Even if they look a Shadow directly in the face, they'd never suspect it was anything but human. Some Shadows have been known to fall in love with Mundanes, they are loved back, and they get married, and sometimes even have children… But even if the marriage is one made in Heaven, the human never realizes the true nature of his or her spouse. The Shadow can't go right out and say it, lest he sound insane, or even worse, no longer be trusted.

"Then there are humans that are called Sensitives. They aren't as in the dark as the Mundanes. They know that something odd is going on when Shadows are around, and they might be able to see a Shadow for what it is when they view it out of the corners of their eyes. But they still can't see the whole truth.

"Then there are the Awares, the rarest type. That's what the two of us are. These humans can usually see the Shadows just as plainly as an actual Shadow can. The veil can't hide anything from an Aware. It is from these people that the Shadowchasers come from, because they are the best at dealing with Shadows."

"Do Shadows ever… marry these types of humans?" asked Ember.

"Uh huh," replied Shichiro, "and such Shadows are often better off than ones who fall in love with Mundanes, because far more trust is involved. A marriage needs trust, after all.

"Of course, that isn't _common_. Some Shadows find humans physically unattractive, and some simply can't mate with humans due to biological differences, if you know what I mean. Not all Shadows are mammals, although that doesn't always make a difference. Shadows are magical creatures, and the laws of science don't always apply to them.

"But, when a child is born from such a union, the heritage of the Shadows is passed on. Take ophidia like Hebi-Na. There are numerous humans alive who can trace their lineage back to them. They're called snakeblooded. Folks like this are called Shadow-Touched.

"But I seem to have strayed a little…"

"But how does one become… Aware?" asked Ember. "How does one get these powers?"

Shichiro chuckled.

"Well, Shadows themselves are automatically Aware," he said. "Shadows have no trouble seeing other Shadows. And as for humans who are, it's really not a question of how they gain such 'powers', but more a question of how they _lose_ them."

"Pardon?" asked Ember.

"Humans are usually born at least Sensitive and sometimes Aware as well," replied Shichiro. "You know how children are often said to have overactive imaginations, and see monsters in the night that adults never see?"

"It isn't their imagination?" asked Ember, getting nervous.

Shichiro shook his head.

"Most children can see glimpses of Shadows, and some can see them quite clearly," he said. "Children look at the world through different eyes than adults do. They have an understanding of things that adults find hard to comprehend.

"You ever read a short story called _Mimsy Were the Borogoves_?"

"Isn't that a line from Lewis Carroll's _Jabberwocky_?" asked Ember.

"Yes," replied Shichiro, "and _Mimsy Were the Borogoves_ was a short science fiction story written in 1942 by an author named Lewis Padgett. That was a pseudonym for two authors who collaborated, I believe. In it, it is revealed that the words in _Jabberwocky_ are part of the language of a future civilization. However, due to their peculiar complexity, only children can understand their true meaning. In the story, young Alice Liddell learns them, and recites them to her 'Uncle Charles'. He thinks them nothing more than fanciful words, because he's an adult, but says he'll put them in one of his stories.

"Shadows are sort of like that. Because children view the world in a different way, they see things that adults can't.

"Some imaginary friends that children have are very real friends, who are actually Shadows who don't bother with disguises, choosing not to be seen at all by humans who can't see the truth. I know this doesn't make much sense…"

"No… No!" shouted Ember. "My kindergarten teacher… She was so sweet, but we all knew she wasn't human… We could all swear that she had pointed ears and that her eyes were almost hypnotic… And she brought these gingerbread cookies on Fridays that were so good, the parents kept begging her for the recipe…"

Shichiro shrugged.

"She might have been an elf," he replied. "She wouldn't have been the first such Shadow who took a job that involved taking care of children. And if she was, the cookies likely had fey cinnamon in them. That stuff is indeed the envy of human bakers. But before you jump to conclusions and go look her up, keep in mind that they might have simply been very good human-made cookies. The Shadowchasers have mistaken certain humans for Shadows more than once.

"But anyway, adults assure children that it's their imagination, and since children are taught to obey their elders, this usually goes unnoticed. And by puberty, children quickly lose their ability to see the Shadows, and they convince themselves that their childhood visions were all only fantasies.

"Whether they ever gain their sight back again… Well, there's no known way to purposely gain it. No-one ever does anything to himself to make himself Aware. It depends on a lot of different factors and a good deal of random chance. Take me for instance. You notice my name…"

Ember did. "Shichiro" meant "seventh son".

"I have six brothers," continued Shichiro. "All six are older than me."

"You must have gotten a lot of hand-me-downs," replied Ember.

"Tell me about it," said Shichiro. "My father also has six brothers, and they are all older than him.

"You can imagine what Christmases are like for our family. My three oldest brothers are married, the oldest one has two children already, the second-oldest has one, and one on the way."

"Quite a family," replied Ember.

"My grandpa was a very old-fashioned guy," said Shichiro. "He was of a type who believed that a man's status was dependent on the size of his family, something that is still true in some cultures.

"But getting back to me, some people say that a seventh son of a seventh son will grow to possess odd powers. That's the only explanation I can think of as to why I became Aware… Four years ago…

"Aware humans are rare, of course. It isn't always like that. There have been times in the past when Awares were far more common. In ancient Greece, for instance, far more folks could see the Shadows, and stories told by Awares gave rise to all the popular mythology of that culture… Such as stories of the Gorgon and the Minotaur, and all the monsters fought by Heracles…"

"So then, were folks like him and Theseus and all the other heroes… Shadowchasers?" asked Ember.

"Well, technically, the Shadowchasers don't go that far back," replied Shichiro. "But if the heroes of myth truly existed, they were certainly Aware.

"Changing the subject, Shadows do come from somewhere… They aren't truly native to Earth.

"Shadows originally come from another world that exists beyond our reach. Some alternate world in another dimension, where the physical laws are different. We figure it's likely the sort of place that J.R.R. Tolkien might have dreamed up. Some powerful force takes them – kidnaps them, some would say – and transports them to our world, dumping them here unceremoniously, usually in a populated area. A Shadow never comes to our world willingly or purposely. Some Shadows are born in our world, as most of them are living creatures, and like most, are able to reproduce, as I've already said.

"When Shadows come to our world, their memories of their past lives quickly fade. But they keep their instincts, and most are able to adapt. When a Shadow finds a newly arrived Shadow, most are compassionate enough to give him or her directions to the nearest member of its species, or an ally who can reach one. Neo Domino alone has several clans, each one made up of one species, and all of them will gladly take in a fellow member who's made the transition. If no-one helps one, the Shadowchasers find it soon, and they do the job.

"Most Shadows simply want what humans want. They want to live normal lives and make the most out of what they have. They quickly realize that they can't go home, so they adjust. Some Shadows have become very powerful in society. In some countries, Shadows hold high positions on the boards of large corporations, and even governments. If there's a politician in the States who everyone loves and respects, yet who refuses to ever try to run for President, it might be because he knows he's ineligible, as he's not a natural-born citizen… And not even human.

"However, when a Shadow wants more than it is entitled to, it becomes dangerous. Shadows often have powers that make them stronger, smarter, or more charismatic than the average human.

"And sometimes, humans that are Aware want to exploit, or even enslave Shadows. Bigotry is a problem in all walks of life.

"That's where we come in.

"The Shadowchasers were formed roughly a thousand years ago, with the intention to keep Shadow activities stable. Their goals are both to fight Shadows who are a threat to humans, and protect law-abiding ones who are threatened by other forces, human and Shadow alike. Shadowchasers are selected mostly from humans who are able to perceive Shadowkind for what they are, but rarely, Shadows themselves join."

"There's one thing I don't get," said Ember. "Hebi-Na had a gun. Why did she put it away and agree to duel you?"

"First of all, she wouldn't really have needed the gun to kill you," replied Shichiro. "Most ophidia can kill their victims – who are usually far weaker than they are – with their bare hands, or tails as the case often is. If met with actual resistance, they use their fangs, which contain deadly poison.

"Second, she realized that a handgun is worthless against a Shadowchaser. I know a few tricks myself that make me more than a match for anyone with a firearm. Shadowchasers have learned this stuff over the centuries, mostly from friendlier Shadows. We know martial arts styles that Bruce Lee would have had difficulty learning. Well, maybe a guy like him could have managed them eventually…

"You see, that's the very reason for using Duel Monsters: Shadows tend to be stronger than most humans, and Shadowchasers tend to have supernatural powers as well. Several centuries ago, the boundary between Shadowkind and humankind was not very well defined, and the two groups threatened to collapse into all-out war. Thus, the leader of the Shadowchasers, a powerful warrior named Jalal, and the most powerful representative of Shadowkind, a wizard of the Incantifer species named Maskent, met and drafted the Great Treaty.

"The Treaty outlines a set of laws that Shadows must follow for dealing with humans, and puts the Shadowchasers in charge of enforcing them. In return, the Shadows are left in peace, and get several benefits that humans would find impossible to obtain, so long as they don't break the Treaty.

"But both Jalal and Maskent knew that conflicts would arise between Shadows and Shadowchasers. The most important part of the Treaty stated that any time a Shadow and a Shadowchaser had a disagreement, the resulting conflict had to be fair.

"Of course, ensuring that the conflict is indeed fair has been the hardest part over the years. For the longest time, the best way that a Shadowkind criminal who was on trial could seek acquittal was to argue that he was arrested via a means that was _not_ fair. This led to incredibly bothersome legal procedures over the years…

"But the invention of Duel Monsters was a godsend to both sides. Neither side can truly predict what the other is capable of in such a contest, and thus the fight is fair. It was proposed as the fairest way of settling any conflict, and eventually, it was agreed to. And once it spread, legal challenges to that issue were pretty much done away with.

"Now, should a Shadowkind break such a vital part of the Treaty and go rogue, it's in big trouble, because at that point, it loses every benefit it gets from the Treaty. That's when Duel Disks are put away and true weapons are used. Every Shadowchaser in its geographic location and every bordering one would hone in on it, and it would have nowhere to run. Plus, if too many members of a Shadow's clan break _any_ part of the Treaty, the whole clan is penalized for raising its members as hoodlums. The clan leaders will think twice next time about how they discipline their members.

"That's why almost all Shadows learn how to duel. It has become how almost all civilized disputes are settled in modern times. And it's far better than the conflicts that occurred in the past."

"Are… Jalal and Maskent still alive?" asked Ember.

Shichiro nodded.

"Most Shadows aren't immortal, but they are," he said. "You'll meet Jalal soon. The Incantifers are a race of incredibly powerful sorcerers who learned the secret of immortality a long time ago, but fortunately, almost all of them are pacifists. They're mostly scholars and philosophers who spend time trying to figure out great secrets of the universe. Such as how to find a way back to the homeworld of Shadow. That project is tops on their list.

"Of course, in a survey we recently conducted, only about twenty percent of Shadows that were surveyed said they would ever want to go back. They were pretty sure that stuff like the internet and digital TV didn't exist on their home world."

He chuckled.

"Anyway," he continued, "Jalal and Maskent are still in charge of keeping the original copies of the Treaty. They keep them under incredible security, and they also are in charge of all legal matters that come up. The Shadowchasers' courts and other legal facilities are located in a hidden location with our central headquarters in Great Britain. It's a complex that The Hague would envy. When I arrested Hebi-Na, I sent her to a holding cell there where she can be processed."

"And Sector Security lets you do this?" asked Ember. "Why can't they catch these criminals? Why can't they mark them, and…"

Shichiro laughed.

"Ember, Ember, Ember…" he said. "Godwin makes you believe that once a marker is on a criminal's face, he has nowhere to hide, and Security can swoop down on him at any time. Let me tell you the hard, cold facts: It's a fiction designed to make the population of Neo Domino think that they're safe. The truth is, those markers are far from foolproof. They're incredibly easy to jam and fool. Anyone with a computer and some hacking skills can do it.

"And Shadows have another thing on their side: magic. If a Shadow ever found himself marked, all he'd have to do is go to his clan's shaman, medicine man, or witch doctor, depending on the species, and that individual would use a simple spell that took five minutes to cast that would wipe the mark right off his face as if it were never there. Also good for removing tattoos."

"A cosmetic surgeon could lose his license for doing that!" gasped Ember. "You let these shamans do this?"

Shichiro reached into his pocket and took out an iPod.

"Yes we do," he said, as he looked something up on it. "Because, according to Section Four of Article Eight of the Treaty, and I quote…"

He read off the screen:

"A Shadowchaser will never: A. Turn a Shadow over to a member of a human law-enforcement agency; B. Aid a human law-enforcement agency in the apprehension or investigation of a criminal who is known to be a Shadow, unless he or she intends to apprehend the Shadow for the cause of the Shadowchasers, or; C. Hinder a Shadow in evading a member of a human law-enforcement agency. In a case where a Shadow has committed a crime where a human law-enforcement agency and the Shadowchasers are both involved, the Shadowchaser must make sure that the Shadow is processed by the Shadowchasers' justice system, regardless of what aid he or she gives or what aid is given to him or her by the human law-enforcement agency in question. End quote.

"In other words, Shadows are granted immunity to any justice system but ours, and if Sector Security doesn't like it, tough. It's necessary to prevent humans and Shadows from hating each other, and some clans of Shadowkind would be furious if one of their members was subjected to some of the penalties for crimes that human criminals have to deal with.

"To make a comparison, in the States, there are several communities of Native Americans who hold treaties with the American government that make their communities independent states that are not answerable to American law. Shadowkind is kind of like that, only on a global scale. Shadows are fickle creatures, and when dealing with criminals among them, one has to be very careful.

"For example, you think some humans simply oppose the death penalty? Some clans of Shadow consider it the vilest blasphemy and an insult to the gods, worse than any crime that a criminal could commit. If a member of their clan was sentenced to it, they'd demand that _everyone_ involved in the criminal's trial and conviction, the judge, jury, prosecutor, arresting officers, and every witness, be tried for the abominable act, and nothing else would placate them. Any human who came across that clan would be in serious trouble until they got what they wanted, which, of course, we couldn't give them."

Ember looked at him.

"I… understand…" she said, nervously. "I assume the Treaty is pretty long?"

"Very," replied Shichiro.

Ember was quiet for a few minutes.

"Is Godwin a Shadow?" she asked.

Shichiro chuckled again.

"We suspected him of being one for a long time," he replied. "Seems he's only a very unusual human…"

The waiter brought a plate of fried calamari to their table.

"Godwin is either very eccentric, or he's one of the smartest geniuses in the world," he continued. "Just which, we aren't sure. From what we've managed to learn, and don't go spreading this around, by the way… He's part of some… sect or something that believes some Star Dragon King imprisoned an army of demons and a Demon Lord underneath the Nazca Lines in Peru several millennia ago. The Shadowchasers are trying to figure out whether this Dragon King or these demons, if they even exist, have anything to do with Shadowkind, but we've come up empty so far. There's certainly no record of them in any histories of any clans that we monitor.

"Anyway, Godwin can't see the Shadows, doesn't believe in them, and thinks the Shadowchasers are nothing more than a dueling club, so the Shadowchasers plan to leave him alone until such time as he becomes a threat to us, which we aren't ruling out."

"Why does he let you do as you please?" asked Ember.

"Well, he doesn't, personally," replied Shichiro. "But, we made a little… deal with a high-ranking member of Security, and as a result, they leave the Shadowchasers alone. If a Shadowchaser gets in trouble with Security, all it takes is a quick phone call to get him out of trouble."

"You mean you have an official 'in your pocket'?" asked Ember. "That sounds a little corrupt…"

"Well, so are a lot of the things that Godwin does," replied Shichiro. "Just ask Bommer…"

"The guy who was arrested at the Fortune Cup for trying to kill Godwin?" asked Ember.

"Did you actually listen to what he said before he did so?" asked Shichiro. "If you didn't, you should have. He wasn't lying.

"It's like that all around the world, truthfully, Ember. Every government has one or two influential members who are Aware, who realize that Shadow can be dangerous, and realize that the Shadowchasers are the only force that can control it. Thus, these people must make deals with the Shadowchasers to keep their countries safe. Of course, since the Shadowchasers will never pledge allegiance to any government agency, sometimes these officials get angry. They consider ending the deal and forming agencies of their own to deal with Shadow…"

"But then…" replied Ember, "they realize that to do so, they'd have to propose the idea to the rest of the governing body, and suggest that government money, most likely taxpayer money, go towards keeping elves and goblins in check."

"You catch on fast," said Shichiro. "Governments have been known to start questionable programs… The United States once had a national council that researched individuals with psychic powers… The KGB had a program which looked into theories of mind control during the Cold War… Then there was the U.S. Air Force's now-famous Project Blue Book, which studied UFO sightings. But in all these cases, there was visible proof that these agencies would not be a total waste of time and money. With one or two Awares in a government body that consists of hundreds of Mundanes, there is no proof of Shadowkind. No technological devices can be made to see them. There would only be the word of the Awares. So proposing such an outlandish idea is not smart.

"Even if the head of state is Aware, he usually wants to keep his position. Such ideas never get past the planning stage, and they grudgingly keep the deals that they made with the Shadowchasers. And the end result is, the Shadowchasers are given more leeway than usual, and can do their business without being molested by Mundane officials."

Ember paused again.

"But why all the secrecy?" she asked. "Why can't humans all handle the truth? I'm sure humans and Shadows could get along. It's not like people couldn't handle it…"

"Try telling that to the vampires," replied Shichiro, as he chewed on a piece of calamari.

"Vampires?" asked Ember.

"A tragic tale," sighed Shichiro, shaking his head. "Centuries ago, the vampires were a numerous race. And a lot of them had that thought. Then, around the beginning of the Victorian era, the most influential vampire decided that his people could indeed live peacefully among humans, and they didn't need to hide any more. Most vampires agreed, and they lifted the veil surrounding themselves.

"For a few years, it worked. Humans and vampires lived in harmony… But then… Something happened that made them hate each other.

"No-one knows how it started… No-one knows who threw the first blow. But the two races collapsed into a war that the Shadowchasers were powerless to stop. The vampires were the clear losers. When the dust cleared, almost none of them had survived.

"Today, vampires are all but extinct on Earth… Whatever force brings the Shadows here stopped bringing them here, possibly wanting to prevent another war. And it's really a shame. The media portrays vampires as bloodsucking demons, but in reality, it was only true with some of them. If you listened to some of the music that the great vampire composers created before that time, you'd know that they weren't all bad…"

"They were musicians?" asked Ember.

"Quite…" replied Shichiro. "Mozart was Aware, and he was close friends with a vampire who shared his passion and talent for music.

"A far more subtle problem arose when another race of Shadow decided to reveal themselves to certain humans… Gremlins."

"Gremlins?" asked Ember, raising an eyebrow.

"Stephen Spielberg's portrayal was _very_ inaccurate," continued Shichiro, "and they don't like it very much. Gremlins are actually fey creatures. Nature spirits like brownies and pixies. Unlike most of their kind, they're fond of machines and technology. Several centuries ago, gremlins revealed themselves to humans who shared this interest.

"Gremlins assisted Benjamin Franklin in his electricity experiments… They helped Thomas Edison develop several of his most well-known designs… Virtually every great inventor and engineer before the Twentieth Century owed something to these Shadows.

"The problem was, these scientists took all the credit for themselves, and gave none to the gremlins. And for good reason. What was Edison supposed to do, tell people that little men with pointy ears helped him invent the light bulb and the phonograph?"

"People would think he was nuts," replied Ember.

"Exactly," said Shichiro. "But the gremlins didn't understand this. And eventually, they got mad. They started to resent humanity, and turned malicious. They started using their knowledge of technology to sabotage it, rather than improve it.

"During World War II, they were notorious for attacking military aircrafts. After their sabotages started to become lethal, the Shadowchasers labeled them an outlaw race, and started a serious campaign aimed at rooting them out. It was hard work, but most of them were found and disciplined. Most clans of gremlins behave themselves nowadays, out of fear of more punishment, but they refuse to ever help humans like they used to. They're discouraged from doing so.

"Since those times, other races of Shadow learned from the vampires' sad fate and the gremlins' mistake, and know enough to keep themselves hidden from humanity. The Shadowchasers know it too, and they work hard to keep the secret from those who can't see…

"We consider creatures with the power to lift the veil among the most dangerous threats. Perhaps you've…"

He looked around. His voice sank to a low whisper.

"Maybe you've heard of Darkness? As in proper name?"

"Darkness?" asked Ember. "I thought he was a myth… Jack Atlas has a card with his picture on it… A powerful one called The End of Storm… I think Mukuro Enjo has one too…"

"And that's one card that Shadowchasers are _absolutely_ forbidden to use," replied Shichiro. "Whoever the foolish card designer was who thought up that card didn't realize the risk of displaying that madman's ugly face.

"We don't know much about… him, only that he was a powerful demon who could have caused every dimension in existence to spill into each other, merging all consciousnesses together, in his twisted vision of universal peace. Humans losing their individuality would have been bad enough, but if it had happened to humans and Shadows at the same time, peace wouldn't have been the result. It would have caused insanity.

"Anyway, a great hero defeated him. Not a Shadowchaser, but he was a good kid. Heh… He took care of Darkness while the Shadowchasers were protecting themselves from his spell and trying to figure out what to do!

"Darkness has since been on the Shadowchasers' 'Ten Most Wanted List', to compare his status to another system. He hasn't been seen since his defeat, but Jalal and Maskent have powerful wards encircling the globe that would set off a series of alarms if Darkness or any being we know of that posed a similar threat ever came back.

"But Ember… It's a big world, and the threats get more dangerous as the world gets bigger. We need all the help we can get…

"And we need your help too, Ember. You're an Aware… You're also a Shadowchaser."

"Why?" said Ember. "Why me? I didn't sign up for this…"

Shichiro sighed.

"Ember, let me give it to you straight…" he said.

"You can never go back to what you once were. If there was a way for an Aware to become Mundane, I'd offer it to you. But no-one has ever found a way to do that. And not for lack of trying either. The Incantifers are working on it, but all they've ever hit are dead ends. They say that finding the cure for cancer might be easier, and they're no closer to solving _that_ than they were twenty years ago.

"And the Shadows don't like being spied on. Now they've identified you. Hebi-Na was only the first. Without protection, there will be others.

"Awares rarely ever last long if they try to take their chances alone. Sooner or later, if they try, an evil Shadow sees her as a threat, and wants to get rid of her. I saved you from that snake, but sooner or later, an assassin is going to come who won't miss.

"The only way you'll become safe is if you become stronger. And to do that, you need to join us…

"The motto of the Shadowchasers is, 'Ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power'."

"I don't follow…" replied Ember.

"It means that being ignorant to the truth doesn't assure that you'll be happy or safe," replied Shichiro. "If the Shadowchasers weren't around, the Shadows likely would have taken over the world by now. Can you imagine the advantage that such powerful beings who couldn't be seen by most humans would have if they weren't kept in check?

"But knowing the truth puts you in a much different situation. Some Awares think they have power because of what they see, but if they use their perceived power wrong, they can be just as dangerous as the most evil of Shadows.

"An Aware has to learn to temper his gift with the responsibility to use it, and the Shadowchasers are the only true way that can happen. We're the only thing that keeps the majority of Shadows and humans living in peace, more or less.

"If our cause failed, pretty soon, half the population of Earth would be at war with the other half… That would have apocalyptic repercussions!"

Ember looked down.

"How much does it pay?" she asked. "Are there benefits?"

"All needs are taken care of," replied Shichiro. "We can even offer you a place to sleep that's better than whatever apartment you have now. There's no real salary, but we all have access to a very generous trust fund that should take care of anything you need. We take care of our own."

"Am I going to have to change my diet?" asked Ember.

"We're talking this over in an Italian restaurant, Ember," chuckled Shichiro. "Most of us aren't on any special diet. We burn off whatever we eat rather quickly."

"I don't know the first thing about driving a D-Wheel," added Ember.

"It's easier to learn than you think," replied Shichiro, "and you won't use one until you're well-established anyway. As for eventually getting one, I'm close friends with a mechanic who has built no less than five, including mine."

Ember sighed.

"I'll… need to think it over…" she muttered.

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Ember had to admit, she had never had a date like Shichiro. He was a real gentleman, he paid the bill entirely, and kept his hands to himself.

"That was pretty good fettuccini alfredo," she said, as they left the restaurant.

"Come back here when you can and try the pasta fazool," replied Shichiro. "It's even better."

As they walked up to Shichiro's bike, a limo pulled up in front of them. Ember stepped back in surprise, clearly recognizing it.

The chauffer quickly got out, and opened the back door.

Mr. Draco stepped out, pushing the chauffer aside. He was wearing a black overcoat and sunglasses.

"Next time I say hurry, I mean it!" he scolded.

He sighed, and looked at Ember.

"Ember, I am so, SO sorry," he said, holding her by the arms. "I came as soon as I heard… The idiots in charge of security on that floor will never work for me again…"

"I should hope so," replied Ember.

"Ember, look, I'm going to make this up to you," continued Draco. "A big bonus will be in your account tomorrow morning. And I know I owe you a lot of vacation time. I insist you take it now. You're overworked enough as it is…"

"Actually," said Ember, "a good vacation was on my mind…"

She looked at Shichiro.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Osaka," said Draco. "A word…"

He went aside, taking his sunglasses off.

"Mr. Osaka," he said, "I can't thank you enough for saving my secretary's life… I heard you belong to some sort of non-profit organization… As my way of saying thanks, perhaps I can make a donation…"

He took a checkbook out of his coat.

"If you'll just tell me who to make it out to…"

"That's very nice of you, Mr. Draco," replied Shichiro, "but we don't accept private donations."

"Oh?" asked Draco. "And from where do you get your funding?"

"I'm not at liberty to say," replied Shichiro.

"I see," replied Draco, as he put it back inside his coat. "Well… perhaps I can help you another way… I may well know who hired that Hebi-Na woman… I'd tell Security, but let's face it, Godwin's troops may be able to arrest a shoplifter or a purse snatcher, but they aren't as reliable with matters this big…"

"Matters this big?" asked Shichiro. "How big?"

"Well," said Draco, "as you know, she was associating with me – reluctantly, on my part, I might add…"

"In what regards?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, she claimed to be the go-between for a rich private investor in Germany who was interested in a microchip project I was working on. She gave me the name Fynn Herrscher and gave me a phone number that she claimed was for an office in Hamburg. But after calling a few times, I did some checking, and found out that the number actually was for some place in Rotterdam, and there was no such person as Fynn Herrscher. I think the person who I was speaking to was actually an associate of Hebi-Na's true employer…

"I believe it was… Louis DaPen…"

"Louis DaPen?" said Shichiro, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah, and you didn't hear that from me," replied Draco. "You realize now why it would be a bad idea to report this to Security…"

Shichiro nodded. He knew that people like DaPen often _owned_ members of Security.

"Anyway," said Draco, "good luck with whatever it is you're doing."

He sat back in the back seat of the limo.

"Ember… Have a good vacation, and try to relax, please!"

The door closed, and they watched as the limo drove off.

"Louis DaPen?" asked Ember. "I've… sort of heard of him…"

"He's Godwin's biggest embarrassment," sighed Shichiro.

"Louis DaPen is the godfather of Neo Domino. He first appeared in organized crime circles about ten years ago, and somehow made his way to the top rather quickly. He may well be the most powerful crook in town.

"Godwin wants the good people of Neo Domino to think that the mob doesn't exist in his precious utopia, but it's another lie. Organized crime is as much a threat here as it is anywhere, and he's struggling to control it.

"We've suspected for a long time that DaPen might be a Shadow, but we can't make any definite conclusions. Not many people ever actually see him. Godwin thinks he conducts his 'business' from somewhere in Satellite, but Security has yet to make any headway in rooting him out."

"So where do we go from here, Shichiro?" asked Ember. "If I agree to this… And I haven't yet… Am I going to be your apprentice?"

"Ah, heh, heh, heh," chuckled Shichiro, nervously. "No, not mine… I can't do that…"

"Why not?" asked Ember.

"Well, I'll tell you one of my dirty little secrets," said Shichiro. "About two years ago, I pursued an unauthorized project. I thought that, with training, a Sensitive could be made into an Aware. So, I found an incredibly powerful Sensitive, and took him under my wing.

"But like I said before, no-one can purposely become Aware. It didn't work out. We had a falling out, and he left. The fact of the matter is, I'm a good duelist, I'm a good fighter, but I'm a lousy teacher.

"But don't worry, I have someone else in mind, and I'm sure she'll be happy to do it.

"Now, if you decide to take me up on it, meet me here at seven tomorrow morning."

He handed her a card.

"If you get in trouble before then, that's my cell, and that's my pager. Don't call after midnight unless it's an emergency, because I have to sleep sometime…"

Shichiro watched as Ember got into a cab (and paid the cabbie himself) and then watched it drive off.

Then he dialed his cell phone.

"Gears?" he said. "I'm coming back. I think we'll see this one again. In the meantime, is Jinx there?"

"Not right now," replied Gears. "She just called, said she was chasing some dark elf who had lifted some green ice."

"Green ice?" asked Shichiro. "Uh, that's gangster slang for stolen emeralds, right?"

"You got it," replied Gears. "I don't need to tell you what gemstones mean to magic-sensitive races…"

_**My dad said a lot of smart things, as I already told you. One smart thing he often said was that a good way to make a decision was to sleep on it. And I was tired enough right now to sleep thought Armageddon. **_

_**As I lay in bed in my modest apartment, I wondered what was going on in the city… I wondered how many of these Shadowchasers there were, and if there were battles going on between them and creatures that I had only seen before in fairy tales. **_

_**I thought of many things, such as my kindergarten teacher, who had read to me and my class such children's classics as **_**Green Eggs and Ham**_** and **_**The Very Hungry Caterpillar. **_**Had she been a supernatural being all along? I thought of all the other fantasies I remembered from my childhood that I had assumed were just dreams…**_

_**Around midnight, something woke up in me… A small nudge that turned the doubt I was experiencing into excitement…**_

_**And something occurred to me…**_

_**I had made a wish right before Hebi-Na had attacked me… It seemed that my wish had come true.**_

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**We move away from Shichiro, and into the mean streets of Neo Domino, as a friend of his, that Shadowchaser whom he named Jinx a minute ago, pursues her target to the best of her ability. A Turbo Duel where every move is decided by whim starts, as she tries to bring bad luck to her foe. Be here next time for "Lucky Chance", or you're out of luck.**_


	5. Lucky Chance

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**CHAPTER FIVE**

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**Lucky Chance**

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_**Now, you're all probably wondering, just what DO gemstones mean to magic-sensitive races? As I found out later, Mundanes really have no idea.**_

_**Humans value gems because of their beauty, and their rarity. Not to mention for their durability. Men give their sweethearts diamond-studded engagement rings, not only because of the beauty, but because they are symbolic. A marriage is supposed to last forever, and even if it doesn't, the diamond will. In the case of diamonds that aren't so pretty, they are valued for their hardness. Diamond-tipped drills and saws are among the sharpest cutting instruments made by man.**_

_**Shadowkind value gems for all these purposes as well. But only Shadows realize that gems have yet another value. The Earth is a living creature, and she's a source of great magical power. Traces of her power are found in the treasures dug up from her deepest parts, the precious stones that the rich covet. In other words, there's magic in gems. Thus, wizards can use precious stones as components in the most powerful of spells, or as parts of powerful magical items. **_

_**And diamonds are not the most precious of gems as far as magic is concerned. That distinction goes to a gem called adamantine. Mundane humans don't know about this gem, because only certain Shadowkind can find them, let alone mine them, and they'd never sell them to Mundanes. The power they hold is incredible. Second in power is diamonds… And then comes emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, the three of which are about equal. Most of the time, the more valuable a gem is as far as its monetary value, the more magical power it has.**_

_**And that's the catch… Whether you want a gem because of its beauty or because of its magical power, such objects are always incredibly expensive… And they are targets for Shadows who are thieves just as much as humans who are.**_

As Shichiro was driving home, a chase was happening on the other side of town, close to the financial district.

A dark elf thief named Malken had recently lifted what looked like the score of his life. A case of fine, cut emeralds, just arrived from Colombia, and on its way to the Neo Domino Reserve. They were just precious stones to him, since he wasn't a wizard, but he knew of several who would pay through the nose for them. And once he sold them, he would be eating steak and drinking champagne for a year. A thief by trade, he knew that the transition period had the lowest security for an item of value, so he had swooped into the much smaller bank where they had been stored and gotten them. Even better, he had gotten away long before Sector Security had arrived. As he drove away with his prize, he had chuckled as he envisioned the foolish humans wondering how he had cracked that holding safe so easily.

In fact, he thought he could probably make the most money selling them to his clan leader, doing away with most of the fuss in the process. Normally, the leader of a Shadowkind clan would get in trouble for letting its members steal, let alone encouraging it. But dark elf matrons were far cleverer than any orc chieftain. She would simply not ask him where the gems had come from, so if anyone questioned her, she could honestly say that she had no knowledge of them being stolen. (This trick was nothing new – human fences have used it for years, and Shadows had learned a great deal from humans.)

But as of five minutes ago, his plans had fallen apart. While he had evaded Security, he had not evaded the Shadowchaser who had come to investigate. And as he drove his jet-black D-Wheel at high speed down the street, she was in hot pursuit.

Her D-Wheel was a similar design to Shichiro's (it had been built by the same person – Gears) and her outfit was similar too; not shabby, but not too much money spent on needless frivolities. She was two years older than Shichiro; her long, blonde hair trailed from beneath her helmet, flying in the wind as she chased after the thief.

Her friends called her Jinx, for a good reason that anyone who knew her quickly understood. Only Jalal and her parents ever used her real name anymore.

Malken looked at his console, saw the rear view, and saw that she was gaining. Her D-Wheel was much better well-built than his.

"No way some Shadowchaser is gonna throw me in the cooler!" he shouted.

He hung on tight to his prize as he turned a corner, running a red light. Jinx continued to pursue. She smirked as she saw him turn into a large parking garage.

"Big mistake, pal," she said with a smirk. "Now you have nowhere to go but up… And once you get to the top, you're going down…"

She drove in, and saw Malken waiting for her in the middle of the first floor. She slowed to a halt.

"I believe you have something that doesn't belong to you, hot-shot," she said.

"And what would the humans do with this ice?" asked Malken. "Turn it into necklaces and bracelets? Never realize what it can actually do? Stuff like this is wasted on the Clueless."

"They're the ones who bought it, and they can do with it as they please," replied Jinx. "It's not your job to judge. Now, are you going to give it back quietly, or do we have to this the hard way?"

Malken sneered.

He took a deck out of his belt, and plugged it into his gauntlet.

Jinx sighed.

"They always want to do it the hard way," she said.

She placed her own deck into her own gauntlet.

"You're not taking me without a fight!" replied Malken. "The ice is my way to easy street, and you're gonna have to _make_ me give it back!"

"Fine…" said Jinx. "Then I'll just have to. And to think, I thought this was gonna be a dull night…"

The Field Spell flashed into existence on the dashboards of both their D-Wheels. Quickly, the parking garage was transformed into the pulsating realm of Speed World.

"Catch me if you can!" shouted the elf.

He started his D-Wheel, and it drove down the corridor, with Jinx in pursuit.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Malken: 8,000)**

"I'm gonna put you on ice, fast!" shouted Malken, drawing his first card. "I summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode!"

He threw a card on his controls, and a Machine appeared in a burst of digital ones and zeroes. It was a cute robot, with red plating, googly eyes on its face, and a large gear on its back. (1,300 ATK)

"Your Monster looks like it came from a toy store!" laughed Jinx.

"It may be a toy, but it's not playing around," replied Malken. "By summoning it…"

"I know, I know…" replied Jinx. "You get to take a Yellow Gadget from your deck. Well, I'm not scared of him, either."

A card slipped out of Malken's deck, and he stowed it on his gauntlet. Then he chose another one.

"I'll throw two cards facedown, for later," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared, and then faded from sight.

_Probably Trap Cards to protect that Gadget,_ thought Jinx, as she made her first draw. _Well, I won't bite yet…_

Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, going up to one apiece.

"I summon Abare Ushioni!" she shouted.

A portal opened beside her bike, and with a loud bellow, a bulky creature charged out of it. It was bull-like in shape, with red skin, three eyes, and odd tattoos all over. It started to run next to Jinx's bike. (1,200 ATK)

"HA!" laughed Malken. "That guy can't beat my Gadget!"

"He doesn't have to attack to hurt you," replied Jinx. "When I give the command, a coin is gonna toss. If I call it right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call it wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.

"Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Then a blast of golden energy shot out from the rear of her Runner, forming into a spinning coin.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin landed between the two D-Wheels, and spun rapidly…

Then it slowly came to a stop. It was heads.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and a blast of energy shot from its three eyes, striking Malken's bike. He grunted, as his Speed Counters dropped back to zero.

"Lucky…" he muttered.

"I'll set a facedown card of my own," said Jinx as a facedown card flashed into existence on the other side of her bike. "And with that, I end my turn."

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,000)**

Malken quickly drew a card. His Speed Counter rose back up to one, while Jinx's rose to two.

"I summon Yellow Gadget!" he shouted.

In another digital flash, another toy robot appeared. This one was yellow, naturally, with a single eye on its headless torso, a gear in running lengthwise through the center of its body, the two halves of a gear on either side of its back, and arms that looked like pipe cleaners. (1,200 ATK)

"By doing that, I get to pull Green Gadget from my deck…"

A card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"Red Gadget!" he shouted. "Turn her Abare Ushioni into hamburger! Attack!"

Red Gadget rushed at the large bull.

"Not so fast!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card lifted up and spun around. "I activate… Fairy Box!"

The image of a colorful whack-a-mole appeared behind her, and loony music started to play.

"Now I get to toss a coin each time you attack, and if I guess the toss right, your Monster's Attack Score falls all the way to zero!"

Once again, a blast of energy shot out of the rear of her bike, and turned into a spinning coin.

"Heads again!" she shouted.

The coin slowly stopped spinning… It was indeed heads.

"Aw, man!" shouted Malken, as Red Gadget's Attack Score plummeted.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and rammed the Machine, blowing it to pieces. Malken grunted as his Speed Counter fell to zero again.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,800)**

He swerved around a corner, and up the ramp to the second floor of the parking garage. Jinx had him treed, it seemed, but she still had to win this duel. She quickly followed him.

She drew a card. Her own Speed Counters went up to three, while his went up to one again. She knew she simply had to keep pounding away at him. If she kept his Speed Counter down, the moves he could make would be limited.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

She looked at the card she had just drawn, and added it to the hand of cards on her gauntlet.

"Then I use Abare Ushioni's effect again!" she shouted, as the coin shot out of her bike. "Tails this time!"

The coin started to spin once more. It stopped.

It was tails.

"I'm having the worst luck…" muttered Malken.

"They don't call me Jinx for nothing," replied Jinx.

Ushioni's eyes started to glow.

"But my luck is about to get better!" shouted Malken, as he discarded a card.

The blast fired, and was halted by a dome of pure light.

"Huh?" said Jinx.

"I just discarded a Hanewata," replied Malken. "It shields me from all effect damage this turn."

"I see," added Jinx. "Well, it's time to say goodbye to Abare Ushioni anyway…

"I sacrifice him…"

Abare Ushioni turned into an orb of light…

"…to bring out Maximum Six!"

The orb exploded, and in its place was a huge, hulking ogre, with purple skin and six arms. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. (1,900 ATK)

"Here's the deal," continued Jinx, as the huge creature followed her. "I'm gonna roll a die this time. Then, I multiply the result by 200, and add it to this big guy's Attack Score.

"So…"

Then a different blast of energy shot out of the rear of her bike. It turned into a die and bounced on the floor between the two runners.

It came up five.

Maximum Six roared, and flexed its muscles. (2,900 ATK)

"Not bad," said Jinx. "Maximum Six, smash his Yellow Gadget!"

The ogre flew at the robot. With one punch, the Gadget was squashed flat, and Malken's bike wobbled, as his Speed Counter fell to zero again.

"Trap activate!" shouted Malken, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "The Grave of Enkindling!"

"Eh?" said Jinx.

"Now, we each Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in Defense Mode," replied Malken. "So, I'm bringing Red Gadget back."

Red Gadget appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,500 DEF)

Jinx gestured, and Abare Ushioni appeared in front of her, sitting in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

**(J: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,100)**

_Hanewata is still protecting him from effect damage,_ thought Jinx. _Using Ushioni's effect again would only be a risk to me._

"Your move, hotshot," she said. "Unless you want to give up right now."

"NEVER!" shouted Malken, as he swerved up the ramp to the third floor.

He drew a card.

He smirked.

His Speed Counters went up to one once again, while Jinx's went up to four.

"First, I summon my Sinister Sprocket!"

A small but odd Monster appeared next to Red Gadget. It looked like a dark spool with eyes, trailing a long length of chain. (400 ATK)

_A Tuner Monster?_ thought Jinx. _But that means he's going to summon a… Humph, he stole it, most likely…_

"Next," continued Malken, as his other facedown card lifted, "I activate Give and Take. Now, I can summon Hanewata to _your_ side of the field."

Jinx looked surprised as a small Watapon with wings appeared in front of her. (300 DEF)

"It also means that my Monster goes up in Levels equal to Hanewata's Level," continued Malken. "So Red Gadget is Level 5 now.

"Time to put the chill on you and your gamble cards!"

Sinister Sprocket wrapped its chain around Green Gadget. The two Monsters flew towards the ceiling, and burst into six stars. A large shape started to rise behind Malken.

"I Synchro Summon… Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary!"

A cold wind blew through the whole parking garage, as the huge Monster appeared. It was a huge, winged, crystalline serpent, with a chilling glare that radiated pure cold. (2,300 ATK)

"Ho boy…" muttered Jinx.

"Now I activate Brionac's effect," chuckled Malken. "By sending a card in my hand to the Graveyard, I can send one card on the field back to its owner's hand! So I'll be taking back Hanewata."

He discarded a card, and a cold wind blew in Jinx's direction. Hanewata vanished, appearing in Malken's hand.

"By the way," continued Malken, "that card I discarded was a special card called Ojamagic. That means I get to take my three Ojama cards from my deck."

Three more cards slipped out of his deck.

"Giving you three more cards to discard, right?" growled Jinx.

"You'd better believe it," said Malken, as he discarded the three cards.

The cold wind blew again, and Jinx's Fairy Box, Abare Ushioni, and Maximum Six vanished, appearing in Jinx's hand.

"Seems your lucky streak is ending right now!" he laughed. "Attack directly! Chilling blight!"

Brionac breathed a stream of pure cold, slamming into Jinx's D-Wheel and causing it to shake. She shivered as her Speed Counters were knocked down to two.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Malken. "Your move…"

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,100)**

Jinx quickly drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to three, while his rose to two.

_He has Hanewata in his hand again,_ she thought. _He'd just use it again if I tried to use Abare Ushioni, and then he'd attack and wipe it out. Better just stall…_

Malken was surprised when Jinx simply set a reversed card, and signaled the end of her turn.

"HA, HA, HA, HA!" he laughed. "Did you forget about Brionac's effect already? He can blow that Trap Card right off the field!"

"Just move," replied Jinx.

"I will," laughed Malken, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to three, while Jinx's rose to four.

"And here goes my Trap Card!" shouted Jinx, as the card she had just set spun around. "Threatening Roar! Now, you can't attack me this turn!"

A loud roar ripped through the garage, and Brionac recoiled.

"You're just stalling," growled Malken. "I'll summon Green Gadget anyway."

In another digital blast, the third of the Gadgets appeared. True to its name, it was green, and seemed to have one big gear for a torso. (1,400 ATK)

"Now I get to search for a second Red Gadget," he said, as a new card slipped out of his deck.

He sped up ahead of her, speeding up the ramp, and up to the fourth floor.

_I have to beat that huge Sea Serpent this round,_ thought Jinx. _If I don't, he'll just use its effect again…_

She drew again. Her Speed Counters rose to five, while his rose to four.

"I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" she shouted, as a Speed Spell appeared on her side of the field. "Now, I get to draw two cards…"

She made two draws.

"…so long as I then discard one from my hand."

She quickly discarded Abare Ushioni. She looked over her hand.

"And now, with my Speed Counters holding on at more than four, I can play this! Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!"

She shifted gears, as a more powerful Speed Spell appeared.

"I'll fuse together Alligator's Sword and Baby Dragon…" she said.

Two of Katsuya Jonouchi's signature Monsters appeared in front of her. They swirled together like two colors of light.

Then they combined in a burst, resembling Alligator's Sword riding a larger version of Baby Dragon as a mount. (1,700 ATK)

"What did you do, copy Jonouchi's deck card for card?" laughed Malken. "Imitating him doesn't give you his luck. And just how is that guy going to beat Brionac?"

"HE isn't," replied Jinx. "You saw one side of my deck… Now see the other. I summon… X-Saber Palomlo!"

The portal behind her opened again, and a new Monster emerged. It was a lizard man of some sort, but far more serious-looking than Alligator's Sword. He was garbed in barbarian armor, holding a battle-axe with an X-shaped insignia on the hilt. (200 ATK)

"An X-Saber Monster?" asked Malken. "I've… I've heard of them."

"Good," said Jinx. "They're quite fond of their reputation. And this one happens to be a Tuner. So let's go, people!"

Palomlo held his weapon in front of him, and it shone with energy. He and Alligator's Sword Dragon flew towards the ceiling, and turned into six shimmering stars.

"I Synchro Summon… Gaia Knight, the Force of Earth!"

With a loud whiny, a rider galloped onto the field. He at first suggested Gaia the Fierce Knight, but with updated armor. He still held his trademark lances, as he galloped alongside Jinx's bike. (2,600 ATK)

"Oh, man…" muttered Malken.

"Gaia, attack his Dragon!" shouted Jinx. "Spiral Spear Strike!"

Gaia charged, and stabbed his spear into the great beast's gizzard. Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary let out a roar, and then shattered into shards of ice.

"I'm not finished yet!" shouted Malken.

"We'll see," said Jinx.

A facedown card appeared on her side of the field before fading.

"It's your move."

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,800)**

Malken made a draw, as his Speed Counters went up to five, while Jinx's went up to six.

He frowned. Green Gadget crouched in Defense Mode. (600 DEF)

"That's all," he said.

Jinx drew a card. Both Speed Counters went up a notch again.

"I set one Monster in Defense Mode," she said.

A hidden Monster appeared, and then faded from sight.

"Then I attack!"

Gaia charged, and skewered Green Gadget. It burst into pixels.

"I end my turn," she said.

Malken quickly drew. His Counters went up again, to six.

"I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and a card facedown," he said, as a reversed card and a hidden Monster appeared. "And that will be all."

The facedown cards faded.

Jinx shifted gears and sped alongside of him, with Gaia riding alongside, as she made a draw. Both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, hers going up to eight, and his going up to seven.

_Hmm, Lost Star Descent,_ she thought, looking at the card she had drawn.

"I set a card facedown," she said, setting it.

"Then I attack with Gaia!"

Gaia charged once again. As he did, a ceramic jar appeared on the card. A shadowy, one-eyed creature with a toothy mouth emerged from it, and let out a loud cackle before it shattered.

"That was my Morphing Jar!" laughed Malken. "Now we have to ditch all the cards in our hands, and draw five replacements!"

They both quickly discarded their hands, and made five draws each. Jinx placed them on her gauntlet, and looked them over.

"It's your move…" she said.

The two D-Wheels turned, riding up the incline to the next floor. Malken drew a card. His Speed Counter clicked up to eight, while hers rose to nine.

"I summon… My third Red Gadget!" he shouted.

Red Gadget appeared once again. (1,300 ATK)

A second Yellow Gadget slipped out of his deck.

"Now, a Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card spun around. "The powerful Ultimate Offering. This let's make as many Normal Summons as I want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points for each additional one.

"So I'll pay 500 Life Points to summon Yellow Gadget."

Yellow appeared next to Red. (1,200 ATK) Another Green Gadget slipped out of his deck.

"And I'll do it again to summon Green."

His Life Points went down by 500 again, and Green Gadget appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"And finally…" he said. "I'll use Ultimate Offering one more time… And sacrifice Green and Yellow…"

The two Gadgets vanished into orbs of light.

_A double sacrifice?_ thought Jinx. _What the heck is he…_

"I summon…" shouted Malken, "the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!"

With a roar, a giant Machine appeared behind Malken. It was a Dragon only in basic outline, apparently cobbled together from scrap metal and junk, put together in a haphazard way. But even though it was made from spare parts, it seemed to form a terrifying gestalt that exuded raw strength. (3,000 ATK)

_Good lord…_ thought Jinx. _This is not your average jewel thief…_

"Attack!" shouted Malken. "Ice her Knight!"

Flames appeared in the huge Machine's mouth…

"Not so fast!" shouted Jinx. "I activate…"

_Oh no!_ she thought. _Since that's an Ancient Gear Machine, my Traps are useless during the Battle Phase! I can't use my Fairy Box!_

Balls of molten flame shot from Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon's maw, and Gaia Knight, Force of the Earth was blown to bits.

"And since I sacrificed Yellow to summon him," continued Malken, "you lose an additional 600 Life Points.

"Now, Red Gadget… Attack her other Monster!"

Red Gadget flew at the facedown Monster…

Where the card had been, a new Warrior appeared. He was clothed in blue barbarian armor, with a mask covering the right side of his face, and the X insignia on his knee guards. He held a large sword, with the same X design on the blade. He blocked the blow with his blade, and Red Gadget bounced off. (0 DEF)

"Huh?" said Malken. "Zero Defense Points?"

"That's right," said Jinx. "But X-Saber Passiul can't be destroyed in battle. In exchange for that, I lose 1,000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases."

"Ha!" laughed Malken. "My Dragon also has a trampling effect! I'll be able to take you out in two turns at most!

"I end my turn."

**(J: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,300)**

They both sped up the last ramp, and unto the roof of the parking garage. The night sky was overhead, and the full moon loomed above.

Jinx drew a card. Her Speed Counter rose to ten.

_Time to put the chill on this guy,_ she thought.

"I activate… Lost Star Descent!" she shouted, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "This lets me bring a Synchro Monster back in Defense Mode! Guess who it is…"

In a flash of light, Gaia reappeared, again riding next to Jinx, but his lances were put away, and he was holding on tight to the reigns of his horse. (0 DEF)

"Swell," laughed Malken. "Now you have _two_ Monsters with zero Defense!"

"Gaia's Defense is reduced to zero by my Trap," replied Jinx, "AND his Level is reduced by one."

"Huh?" replied Malken.

"And guess what…" continued Jinx. "Passiul is also a Tuner Monster. But unlike his friend Palomlo, he's Level 2.

"Now, I Tune my two Monsters together, to Synchro Summon my favorite Monster! Go!"

Passiul held up his weapon, and it shimmered in the dim light. He and Gaia flew into the sky, and formed into seven stars…

"Meet the lord of X-Saber!" exclaimed Jinx. "The mighty… X-Saber Urbellum!"

With a roar, a much more powerful Warrior descended. He was again dressed in barbarian armor, but was far more muscular, wearing a helmet made from the skull of a steer. The X insignia was on his belt, and two long swords were strapped to his back. (2,200 ATK)

"Mighty, my foot," laughed Malken. "He may be impressive, but he doesn't come close to being able to take down my Dragon."

"Oh really?" said Jinx, as a Speed Spell appeared on her side of the field. "With my Speed Counter this high, I can play Speed Spell – Speed Energy! Now, for every Speed Counter I have, Urbellum here gains 200 more Attack Points! That's 2,000 added to his score!"

X-Saber Urbellum glowed with a powerful aura of energy. (4,200 ATK)

"Oh…" said Malken, starting to freak. "My Dragon is a goner!"

"No it isn't…" said Jinx with a grin. "Why bother with your Dragon when I can end this duel by attacking your other Monster?"

Malken looked at his controls with a start. He had almost forgotten about Red Gadget.

"Urbellum…" shouted Jinx. "Attack Red Gadget with mystical rage!"

X-Saber Urbellum drew one of his blades, and leapt into the air, forming a silhouette against the moon. With a roar, he brought it down on Red Gadget, blowing it to pieces. Malken screamed and skidded to a halt.

**(J: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Steam poured out of the engine of Malken's bike. He held his head in a daze.

Then he noticed that the case of emeralds had fallen on the floor next to him.

He scrambled to get it…

And then Jinx's foot fell on it.

"Uh, uh…" she said, shaking her finger.

As Jinx lifted her own gemstone to make the arrest, Malken started punching his console and spouting obscenities in elven.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Malken had been taken care of, and Jinx was about to head back. As she got back on her bike, her cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" she said, answering it. "Shichiro? Yeah, I'm almost done here. I just have to wait for Security to get here, and then leave once I put these emeralds somewhere where they're certain to find them.

"Really? You don't say…

"Mmm. Well, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting…

"Okay, I'll be heading back… Not like I want to talk about it over the phone…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now nine o'clock.

Back at the townhouse, Shichiro and Jinx were looking up all the information they could on Ember using their laptop and their computer-hacking skills.

"Straight-A student, member of the French club, girl's lacrosse team," muttered Jinx. "Seems like the girl next door. And I don't mean the type who would appear in anything that Hugh Hefner thought up."

"Let's just say I have a hunch about this one, Jinx," said Shichiro.

"And your hunches are notorious for always being right," sighed Jinx, sarcastically.

"Maybe not," said Shichiro. "But this isn't the same."

"Looks like she got the job as Draco's secretary by pure luck," continued Jinx. "There were over five-hundred applicants…"

"You'll note that her employee record is almost spotless," replied Shichiro. "If anything, I don't think Ember is someone who would ever be a risk of turning rogue."

"Possibly, Shichiro," said Jinx, "but you know I can't take an apprentice without Jalal's approval."

"And you have that approval," said a voice.

Everyone turned around, and saw the holographic projection of Jalal, that had just appeared.

"I've had cats that made more noise than you," said Jinx. "You sure, boss?"

"Let's just say I have the same hunch as Shichiro," replied Jalal. "I'd recommend you accept young Michiko as your apprentice. If she succeeds, and I have a feeling she will, it may benefit you in the long run."

Jinx sighed.

"Well, how can I say no?" she replied. "Bring her here tomorrow! We can get started…"

Then they all saw that Gears was putting his coat on. It was a black overcoat, though a rather plain one.

"Where are you off to, Gears?" asked Shichiro.

"I'm going out to a movie," replied Gears, as he picked up his helmet. "Don't wait up…"

He headed out for the garage.

_**One thing you gotta love about Neo Domino City – it never closed. Even more so than New York, it was a city that never slept.**_

_**If you wanted to go grocery shopping, or go get a burger and fries, or go out to see a movie, like Gears wanted to do, or do almost anything, you could do it at any time. Almost every place in the city was open twenty-four hours. And no matter what time it was, there was always a place where you could find something to do, be it a concert, play, or other activity.**_

_**Of course, Gears was soon going to get a little more than he had bargained for, and it would soon lead to the formal beginning of my start in this new world that I would wake up to…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER URBELLUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

When your opponent has 4 or more cards in his hand, and this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, your opponent selects 1 random card in his hand and places it on the top of his/her deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BRIONAC, DRAGON OF THE ICE BOUNDARY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Sea Serpent/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

Discard any number of cards from your hand. Return a number of cards from the field to the respective owners' hands equal to the number of cards discarded.

_Note: "X-Saber Urbellum" and "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Boundary" were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER PALOMLO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When an "X-Saber" Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle, you may pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER PASSIUL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed by battle. While this card is face-up on the field, you take 1,000 points of damage during each of your opponent's Standby Phases.

_Note: "X-Saber Palomlo" and "X-Saber Passiul" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GIVE AND TAKE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A duelist in the background behind Junk Synchron, facing Junk Warrior in the foreground.

**Card Description:** Select one Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position. Increase the Level of one face-up Monster you control by the Level of the Special Summoned Monster until the End Phase of the current turn.

_Note: "Give and Take" was released in Japan in the "Duelist Pack 8: Yusei Fudo" set. (American release date not yet known.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SPEED FUSION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Dark Magician and Flame Swordsman standing in Speed World's energy field, with the shadowy form of Dark Flare Knight behind them.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Send Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Fusion Monster Card from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon the appropriate Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.)

_Note: "Speed Spell – Speed Fusion" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Blast From The Past (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SPEED ENERGY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Two eagles flying through the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 6 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up Monster you control. Until the End Phase of the turn, increase the ATK of the selected Monster by the number of Speed Counters you have x200. The selected Monster cannot attack your opponent directly this turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – ANGEL BATON (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The angel from "Graceful Charity" holding a glowing bead between her hands.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw two cards. Then, discard one card from your hand.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Speed Energy" and "Speed Spell – Angel Baton" were both first used by Yusei in the Anime Tour special episode. ("Speed Spell – Angel Baton" was previously seen in Crow's deck, but not used.) Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_You people are all likely wondering by now what kind of deck Gears has. Well, next chapter, you'll wonder no more. But the Turbo Duel that he gets into is unlike any duel so far, as it is an unexpected ambush from a suspicious source. Be here, as the story starts to take shape, in earnest. "Light-Imprisoning Mirror" is coming up next._


	6. LightImprisoning Mirror

_Hello folks. Today is the day we celebrate Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday. His real birthday was last week, of course, but people like having Mondays off in this country. Ah, well. I'm sure Rev. King wouldn't have minded. He was a pretty easy-going guy._

_If you have the day off, have a good one. And take time to read my new installment._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Light-Imprisoning Mirror**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Now, if you're like I was at the time, you're likely wondering what the deal is with Gears, the third member of this 'team' that Shichiro was a part of. Up to now, I had only heard him mentioned when Shichiro spoke to him over the phone, but I was curious.**_

_**Gears had been a Shadowchaser for longer than either Shichiro or Jinx. As you've already heard, he built and did maintenance for their D-Wheels. In addition, he was the resident engineer, gearhead, and computer hacker for the group in Neo Domino. Shichiro once told me that they have yet to build a device that he can't figure out.**_

_**You might have surmised by now that he plays a Machine Deck. He does, but not for the reasons you may think. He originally played a deck much like Shichiro's. But an incident about a year before Shichiro came along caused him to adapt a new deck, one that included some special Machines.**_

_**How special? Well, they're odd, to say the least.**_

It was close to midnight.

Gears was exiting a movie theater (the movie that was highlighted on the marquee was a sci-fi flick called _Grey Matter, Dark Matter_) and he was trying very hard to convince himself that the bomb he had just seen was in some way worth the one-thousand yen he had spent to see it.

Ultimately, he failed to do so.

"Man, who writes this stuff?" he thought, as he mounted his D-Wheel.

He had a scary thought. If the producers in Hollywood gave the greenlight to films this bad, what were the screenplays that they_ rejected_ like?

His D-Wheel was a bit more high-tech than either Shichiro's or Jinx's, seeing as he had built it for his own personal use. The security system on it alone was worth the sticker price of most standard D-Wheels. He always reminded himself of how much of his blood, sweat, and tears had gone into it before he started it up, as he was about to do now.

He donned his helmet and looked down the road with a sigh.

_It's late…_ he thought. _Best be getting back…_

Then his stomach started to rumble. He had never been one to pay for overpriced popcorn at a movie.

_Maybe I'll get drive-through first,_ he thought. _No need to bother Boris when I get back._

He didn't know that another D-Wheel was following him as he drove away from the bright lights of the entertainment district towards the local burger place.

And he didn't know it… Until the rider nearly sideswiped him.

"Hey!" shouted Gears.

He watched as the Wheel drove past him. The driver lifted his visor, and grinned at Gears, showing a face with a criminal marker and a very obvious five o'clock shadow.

He was human, but a guy whom Gears really didn't like. And Gears wasn't about to let this go unchallenged.

He shifted gears on his bike, and pulled up beside the careless driver.

"Scully?" he shouted. "When did they let you out of jail? And how the Hell did you get Security to give you your Wheel back?"

"I got out last week, pal!" laughed Scully. "Thought I'd look you up… And they _didn't_ give it back. I got a new one as part of the fringe benefits of my new job. I'm working for someone new now. I think you've heard of him… Name's DaPen."

"DaPen?" shouted Gears.

"Oh, yeah," replied Scully. "He has big plans… Wanna know what they are?"

"You'd better start talking," said Gears, "or I'll…"

"Duel me!" shouted Scully. "You beat me this time, I'll sing my head off!"

Gears growled as he pulled ahead. Scully was likely just mad because he had taken such a beating the last time.

He watched as Scully pulled onto the back roads of the rural area.

"All right, fine!" called Gears. "You're on, Scully! I'll beat you just like I did before!"

_Only this time,_ he thought, _my deck has changed for the better…_

He hit a command on his console, and the Speed World card flashed into existence on his console. Scully quickly did the same, and the dark streets transformed into the shimmering lanes of Speed World.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Scully: 8,000)**

"I'm taking you down for good this time!" shouted Gears, as he made his first draw.

He stashed the card on his gauntlet, and chose another one.

"And I'm calling out Ally of Justice Garadholg to make sure that happens!"

In a flash of eerie energy, a Monster bounded to the front of him. It was a Machine of some sort, roughly in the shape of a large dog or fox, with bronze armor. (1,600 ATK)

"A new one, Gears?" laughed Scully. "Sure doesn't look like much…"

"Looks can deceive," said Gears, taking another card. "I'll set a reversed card, and call it a turn."

A facedown card flashed into existence before fading.

"My move!" laughed Scully, whipping a card off of his deck.

Both Speed Counters rose to one.

"I Special Summon Gilasaurus in Attack Mode!" he laughed.

A portal behind him opened, and a vicious-looking raptor Dinosaur leapt out. It dashed beside his bike. (1,400 ATK)

"Normally, you'd be allowed to Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard. But you don't have one."

"Still using Dinosaurs, Scully?" asked Gears. "Some things never change…"

"Oh, they don't, do they?" asked Scully. "Well, since that was a Special Summon, I'm also bringing out Kabazauls."

He played another card, and another, much bulkier Dinosaur flew out of the portal. It had red skin, a head like a hippopotamus, and seemed to have a bad case of hay fever. (1,700 ATK)

"This guy may have the sniffles," said Scully, "but his sneeze is going to blow that Machine of yours away!

"Kabazauls, attack his… Uh, how do you pronounce that thing? Aw heck, just attack!"

Kabazauls looked ready to let loose a very big sneeze.

"Ah…" it said. "Ah… ah…"

"Something you should know about Garadholg," said Gears. "It gains 200 Attack Points when it battles a Light Monster."

"News flash!" laughed Scully. "Kabazauls is NOT a Light Monster!"

Then Gears's facedown card lifted up.

"I activate DNA Transplant!" he shouted. "Now ALL Monsters on the field are Light Monsters!"

"Ah-CHOO!" sneezed Kabazauls, blowing a savage wind towards Garadholg. However, Garadholg pounced, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800. It slashed at the Dinosaur with its claws, and Kabazauls's eyes bugged out before it shattered into pieces.

"All I have to say to your Kabazauls is," said Gears, "gesundheit!"

"Okay, so you got lucky…" growled Scully. "I end my turn…"

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)**

Gears drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to two.

"First, I set a Monster," he said, as a Defensive Monster appeared briefly.

"Then Garadholg attacks your Gilasaurus!"

Garadholg pounced at the dino, its Attack Score rising to 1,800 again. Gilasaurus screeched, and was blown to pieces.

"It's your move…"

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,500)**

Scully drew a card, as both Speed Counters rose to three. He turned a corner, down an alleyway, knocking over two trash cans as he did so. The trash cans few towards Gears's D-Wheel, but he easily avoided them.

"I summon my Black Stego!" he shouted.

The portal opened again, and a large Dinosaur lumbered out of it. It was more or less a stegosaurus, with a grey hide and sharp teeth (an incorrect portrayal of an herbivore, of course). (1,200 ATK)

"I'll throw a card facedown, and end my turn."

A card appeared behind Black Stego, and faded.

"I know your Stego's effect," replied Gears. "It will move into Defense Mode as soon as I attack."

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to four.

"I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode… Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

His facedown Monster flipped, and in an explosion of energy, a locomotive made of black steel with a fiendish face on the front appeared, chugging along next to his bike. Black smoke poured from its stack. (1,400 ATK)

"Now I get to draw one card," said Gears, making a draw.

"And now I sacrifice Dekoichi…"

The locomotive vanished into an orb of energy…

"…to summon Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!"

A new Machine swooped onto the field. This one appeared to have been built in the shape of a large condor or other bird of prey, again with bronze armor, with large wings and razor-sharp talons. (2,300 ATK)

"Jerks like you can't escape Justice forever, Scully," shouted Gears, "just like your Monsters can't escape the Allies of Justice!"

"How corny can you get?" laughed Scully.

"I dunno," said Gears, "I just thought it sounded 'cool'.

"Claíomh Solais, attack his Black Stego!"

Claíomh Solais swooped down on the Dinosaur. Black Stego quickly curled up in a defensive position. (2,000 DEF) Claíomh Solais barely seemed to care, and made a slash with its talons, tearing it in half.

"Garadholg, attack that punk directly!" ordered Gears.

Scully braced himself as Garadholg pounced, and slammed into his bike. His Speed Counters were cut down a notch, down to three.

"Your move, pal," said Gears. "How about trying something new for a change?"

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)**

Scully growled as he drew a card. His own Counter rose to four again, while Gears's rose to five.

"All right, Gears," he said. "I don't know what the deal is with these weird Machines I can't pronounce, and frankly, I don't wanna know. Trap Card activate…"

His facedown card flipped up.

"Fossil Excavation. So, I toss one card…"

He threw his Mad Sword Beast into the discard slot on his console.

"…and I get to bring back one dino from my Graveyard."

Gilasaurus appeared again, dashing beside his bike. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it…"

Gilasaurus vanished into an orb of light…

"…to summon my Dark Driceratops!"

A larger Dinosaur appeared, flying over Scully's D-Wheel. Whoever had designed this Monster clearly took inspiration from the theory that modern birds had evolved from dinosaurs. It was a winged cross between bird and reptile, with both scales and feathers, with a beak-like mouth. (2,400 ATK)

"Even with 200 more Attack Points, your little fox can't beat this guy! Dark Driceratops, attack… Oh, attack the smaller one!"

Dark Driceratops roared, and swooped on Garadholg. The Machine's Attack Score rose to 1,800, but like Scully said, it wasn't enough to prevent it from being smashed to pieces.

"Ergh…" muttered Gears.

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,900)**

"That's half of my problem down," laughed Scully, as he swerved to turn a corner again.

Gears quickly followed him, with Claíomh Solais in hot pursuit.

"There's far more where he came from!" replied Gears, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters clicked up to six, while Scully's rose to five.

"I sacrifice Claíomh Solais…" he said.

Claíomh Solais vanished into an orb of light.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Rudra!"

A new four-legged beast bounded onto the field. While Garadholg looked like a mechanical dog, this one more resembled a mechanical wolf. It had silver plating instead of bronze, and sharp edges all over. (1,900 ATK)

"Talk about _dumb_," said Scully. "You sacrificed a Monster to summon a _weaker_ one?"

"No, a _stronger_ one," replied Gears. "At least it is with my DNA Transplant still on the field. While Garadholg gains only 200 Attack Points while battling Light Monsters, Rudra gains a full 700 while doing so."

"What do these Allies of Justice have against Light Monsters?!" shouted Scully.

"It's a long story," replied Gears. "I'll write you a letter about it after Security arrests you.

"Rudra, flatten his Dark Driceratops!"

Rudra growled as it ran, and then pounced, jumping on the flying Dinosaur. Its Attack Score rose to 2,600, and Dark Driceratops burst.

"It's your move, buster," said Gears.

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,700)**

Scully turned, and started to drive down a long stretch of road. Some people saw the two duelists coming, and ran for cover. Scully started to get worried. DaPen said he would delay Security, but he could only do so much…

He drew a card. His Counter went up to six, while Gears's rose to seven.

He hit a button on his console.

"_Autopilot on,"_ said a computerized voice.

"What are you doing?" asked Gears.

"Playing this," replied Scully, as a Speed Spell appeared in front of him. "Speed Spell – Rage Recharge."

Four cards appeared in front of him: Mad Sword Beast, Gilasaurus, Dark Driceratops, and Black Stego.

"Now, by paying only 800 Life Points," he continued, "I get to take four Monsters from my Graveyard and return them to my deck."

His console quickly shuffled his deck.

"They have to be one of a few certain Types of Monsters of course, but Dinosaurs fit the bill.

"Then I draw twice…"

He put his deck back in his gauntlet and made two draws.

Then he laughed out loud.

"You wanted to see something new, Gears?" he laughed. "Fine. I'm gonna bring out something else that DaPen gave me!

"First, since you have a Monster and I don't, I can Special Summon Vice Dragon!"

The portal opened, and a large, incredibly ugly Dragon flew out of it. It had grey, pebbly skin, a face with a rounded snout and sharp teeth, disproportionately large claws, and large wings. (2,000 ATK)

"So now we're switching to Dragons, huh?" asked Gears. "Well, I happen to know that since you Special Summoned it that way, you have to cut its Attack and Defense Scores in half."

Vice Dragon's head drooped a little. (1,000 ATK)

"I know that," replied Scully. "That's exactly why I'm gonna sacrifice it…"

Vice Dragon vanished into an orb of darkness.

"This next card is pretty rare… Jack Atlas has one, and I don't know who else does… But DaPen was nice enough to give it to me!

"I summon Strong Wing Dragon!"

In a blast of gale-force wind, a new Dragon appeared where Vice Dragon had been. It looked humanoid in shape, with a rocky, grey hide, a fierce Dragon's head with two horns, and very large wings. (2,400 ATK)

_Whoa,_ thought Gears. _Never saw THAT guy before… Atlas used this? I should watch more TV…_

"Guess what Gears?" said Scully. "This guy has an effect you should know about. Since I sacrificed a Dragon to summon him, he gains half of that Dragon's base Attack Points.

"Vice Dragon's base Attack Score was 2,000, so…"

"I know how to add, pal," snapped Gears.

(3,400 ATK)

_What a beast…_ thought Gears, getting a little nervous. _He got this from DaPen? Whoever said 'Crime doesn't pay' was full of it…_

"Attack his Machine!" ordered Scully. "Strong Hurricane!"

The wind picked up, and Strong Wind Dragon breathed a virtual storm at Rudra.

Rudra's Attack Score rose to 2,600, but it still burst under the onslaught. Gears did his best to keep balance as his Life Points fell.

"My move is over," laughed Scully. "Make your move… That is, if you even have a Monster that can take down this one…"

**(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,900)**

_I have a few,_ thought Gears. _Only problem is, none of them are in my hand right now…_

He drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to eight, while Scully's rose to seven.

"I toss one card facedown," he said, as a facedown card flashed into existence. "And then set a Monster in Defense Mode."

A facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared, and then faded from sight.

"That's all for me," he said.

Scully drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to eight, while Gears's rose to nine.

"Oh, by the way," he said. "I should have mentioned… Strong Wind Dragon also has a trampling effect."

Gears frowned.

_Yup,_ he thought. _This is _exactly_ the type of Monster that Atlas would use…_

"Attack!" shouted Scully.

The powerful wind started again…

"Okay, time to make a choice!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around. "I activate… Half or Stop!"

As Strong Wind Dragon loomed over the facedown card, the intimidating form of Judge Man appeared to block its way. He held a plain woodsman's axe in his left hand, and a golden battle axe inlaid with gems in his right.

"Half or Stop?" asked Scully.

"Now you gotta make a decision," replied Gears. "First choice, you can end your Battle Phase right now. Second choice, you can continue your attack. But if you choose the second choice, all of your Monsters' Attack Scores will be cut in half.

"And in case you can't do the math, half of 3,400 is…"

"I get it!" shouted Scully.

He paused.

_I could hurt myself if that facedown Monster has a high Defense,_ he thought. _Ah, well… I doubt he could beat Strong Wind Dragon with any one-Tribute Monster anyway…_

"I choose to end my Battle Phase…" he said.

Strong Wind Dragon backed off, and Judge Man vanished.

"And I'll end my turn too…"

Gears drew a card. Both Speed Counters clicked up another notch, his to ten and Scully's to nine.

He set two cards on his console, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

He waved to Scully, and then switched gears, pulling ahead of him.

_He's toying with me…_ thought Scully, angrily, as he drew another card.

Both Speed Counters rose by one.

"Enough with Dragons," he said. "Let's get back to Dinosaurs. I summon Sabersaurus."

The portal opened behind him, and a large triceratops with red scales, and blades all over its body charged out. (1,900 ATK)

"Strong Wind Dragon, attack the Monster on the left!" he shouted.

The savage hurricane blew again. Mechanicalchaser appeared crouching on the card. Gears cringed a little as it exploded into shards, and his Speed Counters fell to nine.

"Finally, something normal," laughed Scully. "But I expected better. Face it, Gears, without being able to play Limiter Removal, Machines just can't cut it in Turbo Duels."

"That's your opinion," replied Gears.

Scully pointed, and Sabersaurus charged at the other facedown Monster. A small, furry, mole-like creature with metal bolts on its back appeared on the card. Sabersaurus stomped on it and flattened it.

"It's your move," laughed Scully. "I'm taking you out next turn."

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,900)**

Gears drew a card. His Speed Counters went up to ten, while Scully's went up to eleven.

"That's what you think pal," he said. "I activate my Trap…"

His facedown card flipped up.

"Birthright. Now I can bring one Normal Monster back from my Graveyard. So Claíomh Solais is coming back again."

Claíomh Solais appeared again, flying beside his D-Wheel. (2,300 ATK)

"Next," he said, playing a card, "you aren't the only one who took inspiration from Jack Atlas. I summon Dark Resonator."

He played another card, and the portal opened again. Flying out was a small imp, dressed in dark robes, a frilled collar, and a grey foolscap, holding a tuning fork and a small mallet. It had a big grin. (1,300 ATK)

"HEY!" shouted Scully. "That's no Machine!"

"Correct," replied Gears. "It's a Fiend. And remember that small creature you destroyed last turn? It was my Quillbolt Hedgehog. And when it's in my Graveyard, and I have a Tuner Monster on the field, like right now, I get to summon it back to the field."

Quillbolt Hedgehog appeared again, in a shimmering burst of energy. (800 ATK)

"All right… Quillbolt… Resonator… Let's give this duel a Tune-up!"

Dark Resonator grinned even wider, and then struck its fork with its mallet, causing a low-toned pitch to emit from it. It flew into the sky, with Quillbolt Hedgehog following, and they both dissolved into five shimmering stars.

"Synchro Summon…" exclaimed Gears, "Ally of Justice Catastor!"

Flying down was a Machine that was both intimidating and beautiful. It had platinum and gold plating, and was shaped like a horse with six spindly legs, with a faceless head shaped like an inverted teardrop with a diamond in the center. (2,200 ATK)

"Oh…" groaned Scully. "And how many Attack Points does this one gain when battling a Light Monster?"

"Zero," replied Gears. "Catastor has a far more powerful effect.

"You see, whenever Catastor battles a Monster that isn't Dark, it automatically wins, and damage calculation is skipped."

"You gotta be kidding!" shouted Scully.

"I'm not," replied Gears. "Catastor, destroy Strong Wind Dragon! Platinum prism blast!"

Catastor fired a beam of multicolored light from the gem on its face. Strong Wind Dragon roared, right before it was vaporized.

"Damn!" shouted Scully.

"Claíomh Solais!" shouted Gears. "Destroy Sabersaurus!"

Claíomh Solais swooped down on the Dinosaur, and dug its talons into it. The dino roared, and then shattered.

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)**

"Your move, Scully," said Gears. "Don't forget, Catastor simply can't lose a battle with any Monster that isn't Dark. And so long as DNA Transplant is on the field, you'll never be able to attack with a Dark Monster.

"And by the way, Vice Dragon may be Dark, but it's weaker than this Monster.

"Come to think of it, _are_ there any Dinosaurs that are Dark?"

"I'm drawing!" shouted Scully, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters went up to twelve, while Gears's rose to eleven.

Gears knew that Scully had now reached his limit. There was nothing beyond twelve Speed Counters.

And that, unfortunately, meant that Scully had access to the most powerful of Speed Spells, if he had any in his deck. Gears would have to win quickly.

He swerved down another alley again. Gears looked around. They were in the most rural areas of Neo Domino now, close to the more dangerous parts. DaPen's henchmen would be right at home here.

"All I have to do," said Scully, "is set two cards facedown."

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him, and quickly faded.

"That's all?" asked Gears.

He made a draw. His own Speed Counters went up to twelve. He was at his limit himself now.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"Catastor, attack…" he started.

"I activate…" said Scully, "another Fossil Excavation!"

One of his facedown cards spun around, and he quickly discarded a card. Dark Driceratops reappeared. (2,400 ATK)

"Sure, he loses his effect," said Scully, "but I get him back."

"You never learn, do you?" asked Gears. "Did you forget about Catastor's effect?

"Catastor, attack Dark Driceratops!"

Catastor prepared to fire its blast again…

"No, I didn't," replied Scully. "That's why I have this _other_ Trap Card!"

His other facedown lifted.

"Amber Pitfall!"

A stream of orange goo squirted out of the card, and splashed on Catastor. It retreated into Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"And that's not all," replied Scully. "It can't move back to Attack Mode until you get rid of my Amber Pitfall Trap."

Gears glared at him.

"Then I move Claíomh Solais to Defense Mode as well," he said.

Claíomh Solais landed, and folded its wings. (1,200 DEF)

"Then I set a Monster," he continued, as a facedown Monster appeared. "And I end my turn.

"By the way, Catastor's effect applies even when it's in Defense Mode. You attack it with a Monster that isn't Dark, and that Monster will be destroyed."

Scully growled, and drew a card. They were now moving faster than they usually were down the dark streets. A casual glance at the speedometer clocked them at about 120 MPH. Fortunately, D-Wheels were designed and built specifically to maneuver at such great speeds. Nonetheless, Gears would likely have to make himself scarce when Security finally caught up to them. (He knew that DaPen had likely sent Scully for some reason, and his other men were working to delay them, but they couldn't do it forever.)

Scully chuckled evilly as he saw what card he had drawn. He quickly set it facedown, and it appeared on his field.

_A facedown card…_ thought Gears. _That's bad news… I just know it…_

Dark Driceratops charged forward, and its claws came down on Claíomh Solais, smashing it to pieces.

"Your move," he snickered.

Gears drew a card. As he knew, neither Speed Counter could go any higher at this point.

"Activate Trap!" shouted Scully. "Dust Tornado!"

His facedown card flipped up, and a savage tornado blew across Speed World. Gears's DNA Transplant card was swept up into the air, and never came down.

"Looks like your Allies of Justice just lost their edge!" he laughed.

"Not all of them," replied Gears. "I'm about to summon one who doesn't need it. Funny that you just used Dust Tornado…

"I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator."

He played a card, and a new Machine flew out of the portal. It had bronze plating, and resembled, if anything, a large, mechanical robin or bluejay. (1,400 ATK)

"I'll explain this Monster's effect as simple as I can. Once per round, I can toss one card. Then, I can send one Spell or Trap Card back to its owners' hands for each Tuner on the field.

"And, Cyclone Creator itself is a Tuner, so…"

"You're going to bounce my Amber Pitfall!" screamed Scully.

"Yes, but why stop there?" asked Gears. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode."

His facedown card flipped up. The Monster that appeared was a Fiend that was vaguely shaped like a huge spider, with a fiendish old woman's face, holding sharp knives and small mallets in four of its eight arms. (1,000 ATK)

"UGH!" exclaimed Scully. "A spider! I _hate_ spiders!"

"You'll hate this one even more," said Gears, "because Dark Repairer is _also_ a Tuner. So with two Tuners on the field, I can toss one card to send _two_ of your Trap Cards packing. Like your Amber Pitfall, and your Fossil Excavation."

He threw a card into his discard slot, and Cyclone Creator's eyes glowed. A powerful wind blew across the field, and both Trap Cards were blown away.

"And when Fossil Excavation goes, so does the Monster you summoned with it."

Dark Driceratops let out a roar, and then shattered into pieces.

"Eep!" gasped Scully.

Gears gestured, and Catastor moved back into Attack Mode. (2,200 ATK)

"Time to finish you off!" shouted Gears.

His three Monsters charged. Catastor blasted its beam of energy. Cyclone Creator blew a more powerful gust of wind. And Dark Repairer shot a blast of venomous silk from its jaws. Scully screamed as all three attacks hit him…

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Scully skidded to a halt, and tumbled off his bike. He was very lucky he had been wearing his helmet. Thick steam poured from his engine.

He started to get up, only to be grabbed by the collar.

"Buddy," growled Gears, "I think we both just committed more traffic violations than a New York cabbie behind quota.

"_Talk!_ What's DaPen planning?"

"Heh, heh," chuckled Scully. "I had my fingers crossed!

"Get serious, Gears! Do you really think I'm gonna double-cross someone as dangerous as DaPen? Even if I'm in jail, he can still get me."

"Worry more about what I'll do to you now," said Gears, raising his fist. "Keep in mind, you can't sue _me_ for police brutality!"

And then Scully moaned, and slumped over.

_Huh?_ thought Gears. _I didn't even hit him yet…_

He set Scully down, and then reached into the crook's pocket, taking out a wallet. He looked through it.

Not much. A couple of five-hundred yen notes, a D-Wheel license that was clearly a fake (Gears knew that the name on it wasn't Scully's, nor was he an immigrant from Canada), a business card from a nightclub called The Bottom's Up Club ("Figures," said Gears), a credit card that looked legit…

Then there was something that was odd. It was another business card, but not one that he'd ever think a guy like Scully would have:

It read:

**Dr. Martin Fogg, MD**

**Psychiatry**

**Private Practice**

An address and phone number were also on the card.

_Well, Scully certainly needed to see a shrink,_ thought Gears, _but I doubt he could ever afford one…_

As Gears pocketed it, he heard sirens coming.

_Uh oh,_ he thought, _the boys in blue…_

As a Shadowchaser, he wasn't authorized to arrest humans who hadn't committed any crimes against Shadows, and he had no proof that Scully had done anything of the sort. The most he could do now was leave Scully for Security. They'd be confused when they found him here, but Gears had a feeling that Scully would take full advantage of his right to remain silent.

He was long gone by the time the squad cards showed up.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Morning came, and the sun rose, burning away the darkness of the night.

Ember stood outside the now-closed Italian restaurant at seven in the morning. She had woken up wondering if all that happened the night before had all been just some crazy dream, until she had called the bank and found that a bonus had indeed been deposited into her account. A generous one at that.

She was nervous. But she was more than willing.

She heard the D-Wheel coming long before she saw it. Shichiro pulled up in front of her.

"I knew you'd come," she said, as he lifted his visor.

"I knew you knew I'd come," replied Shichiro. "Hop on… It isn't that long a ride…

"And be sure to put that helmet on… The last thing I need is a ticket."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Last night aside, Ember had never even come close to a D-Wheel before, and even riding shotgun on one was a new experience. She held on tight to Shichiro, nervously looking ahead.

She got even more nervous when she saw where they were headed.

"Are you nuts?" she shouted. "We aren't allowed to go to the Tops without authorization!"

"We've got it," replied Shichiro. "Our headquarters is in the Tops."

Ember was speechless. The Tops was where the elite of Neo Domino lived. Only the richest members of the upper class ever went there. Just how much influence did the Shadowchasers have?

They seemed to have a lot, because Shichiro simply waved to the security guard at the entrance, and was let in with no problem. They drove past a series of luxurious mansions and tall residential buildings, before pulling up to the large townhouse nestled between two other buildings.

Ember took a long look at the townhouse. Something was odd about it. It was as if you would miss the place if you were not looking specifically for it. It was a well-built townhouse, for sure, but something about it made it unremarkable, seemingly making the other buildings around it stand out in contrast.

Ember didn't realize it at the time, but that was the whole point. Enchantments woven into the bricks and mortar made the townhouse easy to miss if you weren't Aware. It kept the occupants from being bothered by anyone who might accidentally discover the secrets hidden within.

The garage door opened, and Shichiro drove in.

"This way, Ember," he said.

"Lead the way…" she said, almost in a trance from the excitement.

They walked into the lounge, where a television was turned to the all-news channel. Gears and Jinx were watching, but Jinx quickly stood up.

Ember quickly noticed that both Jinx and Gears had the same mark on their right cheeks that Shichiro had.

_Now this is odd…_ she thought.

"Hello!" said Jinx, in a cheery voice. "Ember, right?"

"Uh huh…" said Ember, slowly.

"Well, Ember…" said Jinx, taking her hand. "Can I get you anything? Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Uhm, actually, no…" replied Ember. "I…"

Then she stopped short. Jalal appeared in holographic form, and looked at her. He rubbed his chin.

"Uhm, go into the kitchen and wait for me," replied Jinx. "I need to talk to the boss for a minute…"

Ember laughed nervously, and went in the direction she had pointed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember looked around. The kitchen seemed to be fairly normal at first.

Stove, refrigerator, microwave…

She looked towards the sink…

"Now _there's_ something you don't normally see in a kitchen," she said.

By the sink was a human skull, surrounded by several gloves.

Ember looked at it for about a minute. The sight of a skull wasn't enough to unnerve her, although it was odd…

Curiosity got the better of her. She reached over to pick it up…

"Hey, hey, hey!" shouted the skull, turning towards her. "You want me to make something, just ask, but hands off!"

Ember almost screamed. Fortunately, Jinx came in at that moment.

"Calm down, Ember," she said. "In here, a surprise lurks around every corner, but everything is completely harmless.

"I see you've met Boris…"

"Boris?" asked Ember in a frightened squeak.

"He's our chef," replied Jinx. "He'll make you anything you want."

"I know over three-hundred recipes," replied the skull.

"Boris, why don't you make Ember some pancakes while we talk," said Jinx.

Ember was still a little afraid of this taking skull. Still, the thought of homemade pancakes was rather tempting, when she would have been happy with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch.

Ember watched as several of the gloves levitated off the counter, forming hands. They floated to the refrigerator and cupboards, and started to take out ingredients and cooking utensils.

As Boris turned on the stove, Jinx and Ember sat down at the kitchen table.

"Don't let Jalal spook you either," said Jinx. "He'd give you the shirt off his back."

"That's Jalal?" asked Ember. "He… isn't human, is he?"

"He's half-human," replied Ember. "Shadow-Touched. His father was a dragon who's arrival on Earth predated the Shadowchasers by about six-hundred years."

"Half-dragon?" exclaimed Ember.

"Dragons are among the most powerful of Shadows," explained Jinx, "but also among the rarest. Dragons are driven to mate, like most living creatures, but dragons living on Earth rarely find another dragon of the opposite gender and with the same moral outlook. The one that does is incredibly lucky. Thus, powerful male dragons often use magic to assume human form, and take human lovers.

"Anyway, when Jalal's father died, roughly one-thousand years ago, Jalal inherited his sizable wealth, making him rich enough to found the Shadowchasers and keep it going strong for a very long time."

"He's that rich?" asked Ember.

"Wealth beyond compare," replied Jinx. "Dragons are legendary for collecting treasure, as you no doubt have read stories of, and his father had one of the largest of hordes. Jalal's money could likely pay off the national debt of certain countries, if it were all together in one place. After his father's death, he had more money than he ever knew what to do with… But unlike most actual dragons, he invested it wisely."

Boris slid a plate of pancakes on the table.

"Uh, thank you…" said Ember. "Uhm… Got any syrup?"

"So…" said Jinx. "Can I see your deck? If I'm going to show you the ropes, I'd best see how it works…"

Ember pushed her deck case across the table as Boris set a syrup bottle next to Ember.

_Interesting…_ thought Jinx, looking at the cards. _Not exactly what I'm used to, but well-balanced…_

_This might be worth my time…_

Ember heard a soft meow by her feet. She looked down as a large, black cat started rubbing against her legs. Jinx smiled.

"Sorsha seems to like you," she said.

"Is she yours?" asked Ember, reaching down to pet the cat.

"No," replied Jinx. "Sorsha is a familiar. You know, a witch's cat?"

"Her owner is a witch?" asked Ember, nervously.

Jinx nodded.

"A very powerful sorcerer who helps us on occasion," she replied. "He's a hellfire warlock. Hellfire is a very powerful, but very dangerous form of magic. Incredibly destructive if used the wrong way, because it channels the powers of the infernal regions.

"Anyway, a year ago, he told us he was going away to do some research on an important project, and he asked us to take care of his cat. He hasn't come back yet, and until he does…"

"How do you know he's still alive?" asked Ember. "If his magic is as dangerous as you say…"

"That's why he left his cat behind," replied Jinx. "If he died, his familiar wouldn't survive. And if he were in trouble, he'd send a message that his familiar could give us, one way or another. We're pretty sure he'll come back eventually."

Ember pet the cat, still a little nervous.

This was a lot to take in for one day…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Jinx and Ember walked back into the lounge, Jalal was still there, and Gears was at his laptop.

"Okay, people," said Gears, "I looked up this Fogg person. Seems he's not the average shrink. He runs a private practice, and most of his patients tend to be folks who have a lot of money. At least the ones I recognize.

"This list doesn't have Louis DaPen on it specifically, but he might have used an alias."

"I called the phone number on the card," said Shichiro. "I got some 'assistant' who refused to answer any questions. I have a feeling we won't get anything from that angle."

"If DaPen is truly a Shadowkind," replied Jalal, "he may be a dangerous one and this doctor may be a lead to finding out more…"

He turned to Jinx.

"Kaede, I want you to investigate this doctor," he said. "And take Michiko with you."

"Already?" asked Jinx. "But… She just started."

"True," said Jalal, "but I think she can handle observing you."

Jinx sighed, and looked at Ember.

She picked up a Duel Disk, and tossed to her.

"Just in case…" she said. "I take it you know how it works?"

Ember nodded.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember and Jinx walked to the door to the garage. One the way out, Jinx took her own sword off a hook on the wall and slung it over her back.

"So what's the deal with the swords?" asked Ember. "I thought we had to take care of Shadows by dueling them."

"Not all Shadows are smart enough to duel, Ember," said Jinx. "There are Shadowkind that lurk in the dark areas with no more smarts than beasts. Take trolls, for instance…"

"Trolls?" asked Ember, somewhat frightened.

"Large, very aggressive carnivores," replied Jinx. "And they have incredible regenerative properties that make them hard to kill. You cut off a troll's head, it will put it back on its shoulders and keep fighting.

"But dumb as a brick. They could never figure out how a Disk worked, much less understand any written language like the text on the cards. And some Shadows, much like animals, have nothing more than instinct to drive them."

She smirked at Ember.

"Best way to deal with trolls is with fire. They can't heal if you burn them, and they know it… Just ask Gears. He dealt with a really big one by cutting it apart, and throwing all the pieces into a bonfire."

Ember paused and looked at Jinx.

"Anyway," continued Jinx, "the Treaty only applies to sentient races. If a monster that isn't smart enough to understand becomes a problem, you have to take care of them the old-fashioned way."

"So am I gonna get a sword?" asked Ember.

"Oh yeah," replied Jinx, "once you learn how to use one."

They walked out to Jinx's bike.

"I dunno Jinx," said Ember. "What if I can't cut it? What if I turn out to be just a loser?"

"Loser?" asked Jinx. "A loser, Ember? You know what the definition of a loser is?

"Let me tell you about a guy who lived in the States a long time back…

"This was a guy who was born into a poor family. He only had about eighteen months of formal schooling, becoming what he was almost entirely by self-education. His mother died when he was young, and he was never close to his father.

"When he grew up, he tried to run for state assembly. He lost.

"He later opened a store with a partner. It failed, and went bankrupt.

"He became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was considered a failure as a member of that group, and didn't try to run for a second term.

"He tried to run for vice president. He lost the nomination to someone else.

"But this guy was smart, Ember. He knew something very important. He knew that he would never truly be a loser until he stopped trying.

"I wouldn't call Abraham Lincoln a loser, would you?"

Ember looked at Jinx.

"I understand…" she said. "But just one thing… You call me 'Padawan', and I'm gonna get violent."

Jinx smirked.

"Get on," she said, as she mounted her bike. "We might be going to take down a rogue Shadow… I hope you're ready to make that step…"

_**I had jumped in feet first, and there was no turning back. It was not even ten AM yet, and already I had seen a townhouse with enchanted properties, a talking skull who could cook, a witch's cat, and the one who was behind it all, someone whose dad was a monster who, just days earlier, I had believed only existed in fairy tales. And Duel Monsters, of course.**_

_**It was a strange and exotic world I had been thrust into, full of wonders. But I would soon learn that it also held great perils, and I was about to run headlong into them. My true tests were about to start…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE CATASTOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card battles a Monster that is not a DARK Monster, destroy the opposing Monster without performing damage calculation.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE ****Claíomh Solais**** (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Flavor Text:** _A Monster that inhabits the Valley of the Mist and an anti-outside invader melee weapon developed using __Claíomh Solais__ as the motif. It trifles with the enemy by using surprise attacks from above._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE GARADHOLG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** If this card battles a LIGHT Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 200 during the Damage Step only.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE RUDRA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** If this card battles a LIGHT Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 700 during the Damage Step only.

_Note: The proceeding "Ally of Justice" cards were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE CYCLONE CREATOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Discard 1 card from your hand. Send 1 Spell or Trap Card back to your opponent's hand for each face-up Tuner Monster on the field. This effect can only be used once per turn.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2" limited edition pack. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**STRONG WIND DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a Dragon-Type Monster, add half of the base ATK of the Tributed Monster to the ATK of this card. This card is not destroyed in battle with a Monster with equal ATK. When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Strong Wind Dragon" will be released in the "Raging Battle" set, due out for the OCG in February. (Slated for American release in June.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AMBER PITFALL (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A hand reaching out of a pit full of liquid amber.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Negate the attack and move the attacking Monster to face-up Defense Position. That Monster cannot change its battle position while this card remains face-up on the field.

_Note: "Amber Pitfall" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A Hassleberry Hounding". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – RAGE RECHARGE**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Goblin of Greed holding a Pot of Avarice and fleeing from a very angry Mad Sword Beast.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Pay 800 Life Points. Select four Beast, Beast-Warrior, and/or Dinosaur-Type Monsters in your Graveyard and return them to your deck. Then, shuffle your deck and draw two cards. If this card is the only card in your hand and you have no cards on the field, draw an additional card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**Jinx is lucky that Ember is tagging along, because at the office she goes to investigate, she finds not one, but two enemies, and she can't handle them both. Ember finally gets a chance to duel as her new mentor chases after the more dangerous foe, and starts on her path into the Shadowchasers in earnest. Can she make the grade? And what kind of deck does she have, anyway? Giving the name of the chapter would give it away, so you'll just have to stay tuned.**_


	7. Flame Manipulator

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Flame Manipulator**

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**0 0 0 0 0**

_**I'd like to make a little confession, just between the two of us. Now, I wasn't truly lying when I had told Jinx back then that I knew how to use a Disk… But knowing how to use one and knowing how to do so **_**well**_**, well, that was another story.**_

_**Yeah, I could use one. My cousin Akira, who I believe has already been mentioned, used to lend me his extra one when he came to visit, and let me use it. He was pretty much my only opponent for serious duels using holographic technology. Since he was a pro, and I wasn't, I almost always lost those matches.**_

_**I had never dreamed I would be using one against someone who played for keeps, as seemed to be the case in this new group I had reluctantly joined. I was certainly no expert at serious dueling.**_

_**And despite the fact that I was technically coming with Jinx to "observe", a small voice inside me told me that, inexperienced as I was, I had better become experienced… fast.**_

In a quiet residential area of Neo Domino, far from downtown, was an unassuming, one-story office building. It didn't have much to distinguish itself from the other similar buildings in the quiet neighborhood, and the only clue to its purpose was a plaque on the front door that said "Dr. Martin Fogg, MD".

Jinx slowly drove her D-Wheel up to the front, with Ember holding on.

"This is the address," said Jinx, as she parked the bike.

She got off, and hit the command on the dashboard. The Duel Disk disengaged from the console, latching onto her gauntlet.

"Uh, Jinx?" asked Ember. "Would you mind if I asked a question that may be personal?"

"I have nothing to hide," replied Jinx.

"Uhm…" said Ember. "Do all of you guys have… marks?"

Jinx looked strangely at Ember for a minute.

Then she laughed out loud.

"You afraid of this?" she laughed, pointing at the scar on her cheek.

She laughed softly for a minute.

"Forgot to explain that Ember…" she said. "It's no criminal mark… That's the Badge of the Shadowchasers. It's what tells a Shadow that we have authority.

"Normally, it's invisible to anyone but Awares and Shadows. Unless we want to show it to Mundanes. And let me tell you, the fact that it looks like a mark can be quite useful when dealing with Mundanes."

"How so?" asked Ember. "Because it makes you more intimidating?"

Jinx smiled and nodded.

"Someone sees a mark," she said, "he wonders what the person did to get it, and he wonders if he'll ever do it again."

"So, this Badge…" muttered Ember. "Am… I gonna get one?"

Jinx nodded again.

"And once you do, Ember," she said. "You'll realize that it's a badge of pride…

"Now, onto the business at hand… We gotta get in somehow, and the front door is likely locked."

They walked up to one of the windows.

To their surprise, there were bars on the inside.

"Very unusual for a psychiatrist," said Ember.

"Not gonna get in that way," replied Jinx. "Not without a hacksaw."

She took a cell phone headset out of her jacket pocket.

"Let's try the front door anyway…"

They turned around towards the front, and got another surprise. The front door was not only locked, apparently, but locked with a digital combination.

"Hmm…" said Jynx.

"Bars on the windows, digital locks on the doors," said Ember. "I get the feeling that there's something very important in there…"

"More than you know," replied Jinx, holding up her cell phone and dialing. "I've seen this before, it's a common trick used by technology-savvy Shadowkind. The digital lock is a ruse. If _any_ combination were entered, it would likely set off a nasty booby trap. Forcing it open would likely be worse. The real way to get in is most likely a verbal code, or something even more complex."

She turned on the headset.

"I suppose knocking is out of the question?" asked Ember.

"Not wise," said Jinx. "With a setup like this, I don't think he'd cooperate, and he'd know we were here too.

"Gears, are you there? Yeah, we're at the place, but it's pretty well-fortified. How long will it take you to hack into the grid?

"Okay, I'll keep track…"

She looked at her watch.

"What's Gears gonna do?" asked Ember.

"Hack into the power grid for this part of town and shut down the power for this block," replied Ember. "No power, no security system, and no lock. He says it will take him two minutes… Then we'll have at most ten minutes before an override system turns it back on.

"Now, once we get in there, be alert. The downside of getting in this way is, if someone's in there, we lose the element of surprise."

She looked at her watch as the seconds ticked away…

Then there was a loud hum, as the numbers on the lock faded away. Jinx grabbed hold of the door and pulled it open.

"Piece of cake!" she whispered.

Jinx and Ember walked in. Ember's first reaction was to look for a light switch, before she remembered.

They were in a long hallway, in what looked like a typical doctor's office. Jinx's attention turned to a door that had another digital lock on it, which was also dead due to the loss of power.

She opened it, and both of them looked in with surprise.

It clearly wasn't what you'd find in a psychiatrist's office. More like a pharmacy.

"Gears, are you still there?" whispered Jinx into the speaker.

"Yeah, I'm here, Jinx," came the reply. "You in trouble?"

"Are you sure this guy's a psychiatrist?" asked Jinx. "This place looks more like a chemistry lab."

"I did some checking on Fogg," replied Gears. "He's a real MD and he graduated from the Neo Domino University School of Psychology. Second in his class, in fact."

"He's got enough manaranil here for a hospital," replied Jinx, picking up a large container.

"Manaranil?" asked Gears.

"And a lot of zolomoloft," continued Jinx, looking at the containers. "Purmisic RD… Strynaztalan… And that's just the stuff I recognize. Aren't these all very powerful stimulants of some kind?

"Plus he's got a bunch of equipment here that I'm sure isn't psychiatric-issue. Flasks, Bunsen burners, measuring cups… There's a small refrigerator over there, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have soda in it…"

She looked at an odd machine on a table.

"I think this may be a medical incubator, in fact. Isn't that used for growing bacteria cultures? We're talking biochemistry here…"

"Yeah, and I can't explain that," replied Gears, "but you were right about those chemicals being stimulants. They're very powerful ones, and they haven't been approved for use as psychiatric medications yet."

"They're that powerful?" asked Jinx.

"They'd likely make The Unhappy Maiden stop crying," replied Gears. "As of right now, they can only be used for special experimental use. The average doctor can't legally prescribe them."

"Then what the heck is some private practitioner doing with them?" asked Jinx. "And all this other equipment?"

"Making breakthroughs in psychiatric science," said a voice from the other side of the room.

Ember and Jinx spun around. Standing at the door that they had entered were two people. One – the one who had just spoken – was a tall man with very dark skin, and no hair, wearing a white leisure suit. What got their attention was the fact that he was pointing a gun at them.

Behind him was a young woman about Ember's age, dressed in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, with long, strawberry blonde hair.

"Dr. Martin Fogg, I presume," said Jinx, looking up from the incubator.

"Yes," said the man. "And I'll have you know that this is a device that doesn't need to be plugged in."

"Put that away before you hurt someone," replied Jinx.

"That's the idea," said Fogg, aiming it at her.

"Jinx…" said Ember, nervously.

Then, as Fogg pulled the trigger, there was a loud snap, and he cringed a little.

"What happened?" shouted the woman behind him.

"It jammed!" shouted Fogg. "How could it have…"

Jinx laughed.

"I guess it was just bad luck!" she laughed.

Fogg turned to his assistant.

"Debbie…" he said.

Then the two of them turned and ran the way they came.

"After them!" shouted Jinx.

She followed them down the hallway, with Ember following. At the end of the hallway, their quarry fled in opposite directions, Fogg going right, and Debbie going left.

"Whoa…" said Jinx, motioning for Ember to stop.

She paused.

"Ember…" she said. "If that assistant gets away, we could be in trouble… There's no way I can chase after both of them.

"Let me ask you something…

"How committed are you?"

Ember looked at Jinx.

"I've come this far…" she said.

Jinx patted her on the shoulder.

"You handle her," she said. "I'll go get Fogg…"

Then she ran down after Fogg.

Nervously, Ember ran at a brisk pace down the hallway where Debbie had gone. The lights came back on as she did; clearly, that override system had kicked in.

She saw an open door.

She took off her Duel Disk, and poked it inside the entrance, waving it about.

"Oh, just come in!" snapped Debbie. "Even if I did have a gun, I wouldn't ambush you…"

Ember walked into a large, comfortable-looking office, and saw Debbie, holding a Disk of her own. She could see that Debbie didn't look as human as she did before, either. She had small horns on her forehead, and her eyes were an unnatural violet.

"You can see it, right?" asked Debbie. "Yeah, we learn early on to deal with the stares…"

"Pardon me?" asked Ember.

"What, are you new?" asked Debbie. "Never met a tiefling before? Well, now you have."

"You seem to have a lot of anger," replied Ember.

"You would too if you had the blood of fiends," replied Debbie. "How would you like growing up with evil in your genes? With everyone expecting that you'd turn out bad? Some people have relatives who were Italian, or Latino, or German… Mine? Mine were demons."

"That…" muttered Ember. "That's awful…"

"Don't feel sorry for me," replied Debbie, as her Disk activated. "You know the old saying… You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives.

"The way I see it, I'll either vent my frustration by beating you to a pulp, or you'll put me out of my misery. To me, that's a win-win situation."

Ember took a deep breath.

_Okay, Ember, deep breaths…_ she thought. _Deep, cleansing breaths…_

She activated her own Disk.

"Let's do this," she said.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Debbie: 8,000)**

"As you might expect, sister," said Debbie, making a draw, "I have a lot of pent-up aggression. And the gals in my deck don't play very nice either.

"I summon Amazoness Fighter!"

In a blast of energy, a feminine – sort of – Monster appeared in front of Debbie. She was a female Warrior that seemed far more muscular than most women should be, dressed in a blue bikini top and loincloth, two leather belts around her waist, and a lot of primitive jewelry. A headband held her bushy hair back, which was tied in a ponytail, and she didn't seem to have any weapon except her fists. (1,500 ATK)

_Ho boy…_ thought Ember, as she started to sweat.

She really wasn't used to her opponent using a Disk to summon a Monster that wasn't a Lightsworn…

"I'll throw these facedown for later," continued Debbie, as two facedown cards appeared behind the Amazon. "And that's all."

Ember hesitated. She froze for a second.

"Are you gonna move or what?" asked Debbie.

Ember quickly snapped out of it. She drew a card.

She looked over the six cards in her hand.

_What am I worried about?_ she told herself. _I've got someone here who's stronger than her Monster…_

"I summon… Molten Zombie!" she shouted.

A blast of flames shot up from the space in front of her, and a hunched over figure rose out of them. It was a humanoid made entirely of magma, with a zombie-like face, and flames leaking from its pores. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Ember.

Molten Zombie belched a cloud of flaming gas at Amazoness Fighter. She cringed, and then shattered into pixels.

"Not bad," replied Debbie. "But due to Fighter's effect, I don't lose any Life Points.

"And I also get to activate this…"

Her facedown card shot up.

"Pride of Tribe. Since one of my Amazons fell, I get to summon another one from my deck.

"So I summon Amazoness Swords Woman!"

In another burst of energy, another female warrior appeared. She wore a skimpy, blue bikini, and jewelry made of teeth. Her hair was fiery red, and worn long. She held a very large sword in her right hand. (1,500 ATK)

Ember looked at Swords Woman and put her hand on her hip. She was starting to get more confidence…

"You know," she said, "I'm no expert in Greek mythology, but I think that the Amazons had as much access to armor as male warriors."

"They weren't the smartest fighters in the world," replied Debbie. "After all, Hercules defeated their whole army by himself."

Ember sighed, and looked at her hand.

"I'll set a facedown card of my own," she said, "and I'll call it a turn."

A facedown card flashed into existence in front of her.

_Calm down, Ember…_ she thought. _Just pretend that Amazon is one big Barbie Doll…_

She looked closely at Swords Woman. Swords Woman glared back at her and grinned.

_Oh brother!_ she thought. _Why do I think of things like that?!_

Debbie made a draw.

"I summon… Amazoness Tiger!" she exclaimed.

With a roar, a savage-looking she-tiger appeared on the field next to Swords Woman. She wore golden bracelets on all four legs, and a golden collar with a chain leash. (1,100 ATK)

"Tiger is the Amazons' loyal pet and bodyguard," said Debbie. "While she's on the field, you can't attack any Amazon except her. And if you think that will be easy, she also gains 400 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field.

"She just loves having friends around."

(1,900 ATK)

"Attack her Molten Zombie!" she shouted.

Amazoness Tiger pounced. Ember froze for a second.

Then she remembered her facedown card.

"Chew on this!" she replied, as it lifted up. "I activate… Backfire! This Trap Card will hit you for 500 points of damage whenever one of my Fire Monsters is destroyed!"

Tiger made a swipe with her claws, and Molten Zombie groaned before being blasted into embers. Then, a blast of flames shot out of the Backfire card, striking Debbie.

"Okay, sister," replied Debbie. "You burned me… But now, Swords Woman wants a word with you…

"Direct attack! Savage sword!"

Swords Woman leapt at Ember, holding her sword aloft.

Ember cringed as the sword made a slash across her torso, and she fell on her behind.

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)**

"Aw, did that hurt?" asked Debbie.

Ember slowly got up.

Truthfully, the actual attack didn't hurt as much as falling on her behind did. But she wasn't going to tell her that.

"Your move," said Debbie.

_I'm off to a really bad start,_ thought Ember. _I gotta get rid of that Tiger before she brings out another Amazon._

She looked at her hand of cards.

_I got someone here who can do the job, but he's Level 6…_

She drew a card.

It was Monster Reborn.

Ember couldn't believe her luck. She had never gotten a draw that good exactly when she needed it.

She quickly played it.

"Go, Monster Reborn!" she shouted.

As she played it, the golden ankh appeared in mid-air.

"That's a pretty powerful Spell Card to be playing so early in the duel," said Debbie. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Molten Zombie appeared in front of Ember again. (1,600 ATK)

"I sure do," replied Ember. "Because, when Molten Zombie is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

_All right!_ she thought, looking at it. _I drew Infernal Flame Emperor!_

_Unfortunately, I'd need to swap two Monsters for it, and I don't have them… Best save it for later…_

"I sacrifice Molten Zombie…" she exclaimed.

Molten Zombie vanished.

"…to call forth Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

A bonfire erupted in front of Ember, and a ten-foot-tall giant rose out of the flames. He was clad head to toe in iron plate armor, and his hands burned with fire. (2,400 ATK)

"Now I activate his effect…" continued Ember.

The three cards in Debbie's hand glowed, and then three large cards appeared on the field, their backs to Ember.

Thestalos formed a fireball in his hands, and hurled it at the middle card. It turned around right before it hit, revealing itself to be a second Swords Woman. The card was burned to ashes.

"You not only lose that card," continued Ember, "but since that was a Level 4 Monster, you lose 400 Life Points."

Debbie groaned as a fiery aura surrounded her body.

"All right, Thestalos!" shouted Ember. "Attack her Tiger! Royal flames!"

Thestalos threw a second, more intense ball of fire. The Tiger roared before exploding in a flaming burst.

Debbie scowled at Ember…

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)**

"My move…" she growled.

She drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"Turn end," she said.

"Ah, ha!" laughed Ember. "Look at you! I made you so mad, you forgot to move Swords Woman to Defense Mode!"

Debbie looked at Swords Woman.

"Oh…" she said. "Well, well, well… So I did… How careless of me…"

Ember quickly drew a card.

"First I set a Monster!" she said eagerly, as a concealed Monster appeared.

"Thestalos, roast her Swords Woman!"

Thestalos hurled his ball of flame again. Swords Woman screamed before she went up in flames.

"Hey, sunshine!" said Debbie. "Look up…"

"Huh?" said Ember, looking up.

Then she saw that Sword Woman had apparently thrown her sword at her right before she was hit, because it was flying towards her…

Ember shrieked as it hit her.

"You're obviously a rookie," replied Debbie. "You clearly don't know that when Swords Woman loses a battle, she still wins, because my opponent takes the battle damage. Maybe you should have done research before becoming a duelist, let alone a Shadowchaser."

Ember sighed.

_That's what I get for being cocky,_ she thought. _I can't be careless… Letting my guard down at this point might spell disaster…_

"I end my turn…" she muttered.

**(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,600)**

Debbie drew a card.

"I'm taking that big lug down," she said, playing a card, "and my Amazoness Blowpiper is gonna do it."

Another Amazon appeared, this one wearing a green bikini top and loincloth, fur boots with knee guards made from skulls, and more of the same primitive jewelry, with black hair tied in a ponytail. She carried a long blowgun with a snake's skull mounted on the end. (800 ATK)

"How is she gonna beat Thestalos?" asked Ember. "He's three times stronger."

"I'll show you as soon as Flip-Summon my other Monster," replied Debbie. "Amazoness Chain Master."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and yet another female Warrior appeared, cut from the same cloth as the others. This one had white, platinum blonde hair, worn loose, wore a blue bikini top and loincloth, and carried a long chain with a grapple. (1,500 ATK)

"Now then…" continued Debbie, as a Spell Card appeared on the field. "I play Amazoness Spellcaster! This causes my Amazon and your Monarch to swap Attack Scores."

"HUH?" gasped Ember.

Seeing was believing. Thestalos fell to an Attack Score of only 800, while Blowpiper rose to 2,400.

"Seems that the tables are turned," said Debbie, as Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips.

Blowpiper took a breath, and blew into her pipe, shooting a dart right at the much larger Monster. Thestalos groaned, and keeled over… And then burst into an explosion of soot and smoke.

"Did you forget about my Backfire?" asked Ember.

Another blast of flames shot out of the Trap Card, hitting Debbie. She growled.

"Chain Master, attack her facedown Monster!"

Chain Master twirled her grapple above her head, and hurled it. On the card, a large turtle with a shell resembling a flying saucer appeared, right before the chain hit it, and it exploded into slag.

Backfire shot another wave of flames, hitting Debbie again.

"You destroyed my UFO Turtle," said Ember. "And when it gets totaled, I get to Special Summon a low-powered Fire Monster from my deck. Like another UFO Turtle."

Another of the odd Machines appeared in front of Ember. (1,400 ATK)

"Then that's all," replied Debbie, as Blowpiper's Attack Score fell back to 800.

**(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,600)**

Ember drew a card quickly. She looked at it closely. It was Sakuretsu Armor.

_Starting to get the hang of this…_ she thought. _Maybe it isn't as hard as I thought it would be…_

She placed it in her Disk.

"I set a facedown…" she said.

She took another card.

"Then I summon Tenkabito Shien!"

In another burst of fire, and the loud whiny of a horse, a mounted figure rose onto the field. He was dressed in the clothing of Japanese nobility, holding a long nodachi and riding a coal-black steed. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack her Blowpiper!" shouted Ember.

Shien galloped forward on his mount. Blowpiper screamed before she was cut down. Debbie cringed.

"I'll move UFO Turtle to Defense Mode, and end my turn," said Ember.

UFO Turtle retracted its limbs and head into its shell. (1,200 DEF)

**(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,900)**

"My move…" said Debbie.

She drew a card.

"And I play Pot of Avarice!" she shouted, playing it.

The nutty-looking jar appeared in front of her, and both Swords Women, Tiger, Fighter, and Blowpiper slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and then drew twice.

"I summon Amazoness Paladin!" she shouted.

In another flash of energy, yet another of the savage women appeared. She was dressed in a white bikini top and loincloth, and also a hood and tattered cape. Her long, blonde hair fell down to her waist from under it. She held a sword that wasn't as big as Swords Woman's, but looked more finely made. (1,700 ATK)

"And she gains 100 more Attack Points for each Amazon on the field," continued Debbie.

(1,900 ATK)

"Destroy Tenkabito Shien!"

Paladin made a graceful pose, and then leapt at Shien, sword first…

"I activate, Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up.

"Paladin!" shouted Debbie. "Escape!"

Paladin vanished.

"HUH?" said Ember. "Where did she go?"

Then she noticed that Debbie had triggered the Trap Card that she had set on her first turn, which she had almost forgotten about.

"It's called Dramatic Rescue," replied Debbie, holding up Paladin's card. "It saves my Amazon by sending her back to my hand.

"And it also lets me summon another Monster from my hand to take her place.

"Like another Swords Woman!"

In another burst of energy, Swords Woman appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Chain Master, move to Defense Mode," she continued.

Chain Master knelt, and shielded herself with her arms. (1,300 DEF)

"It's your move…" she said.

Ember drew, and looked at her hand.

_I have two Monsters on the field,_ she thought. _That's enough to summon my Infernal Flame Emperor…_

_But with her Swords Woman there, having a Monster that powerful on my side may well be too dangerous…_

_I'd better wait…_

"Shien, attack Chain Master!" she commanded.

Tenkabito Shien charged forward on his mount, cutting down Chain Master with one swipe.

Then Debbie laughed out loud.

"You fell right into my trap," she said. "It seems you really are a newbie.

"When Chain Master falls in battle, a powerful effect is activated… The Brink of Death Chain Dance!"

"I have a feeling I'm not gonna like this…" said Ember.

"I have to pay 1,500 Life Points," continued Debbie, "and then…"

A ghostly phantom that resembled Chain Master appeared next to Debbie. Her eyes glowed with eerie light, and then the cards in Ember's hand glowed with the same light…

Then, the images of the four cards in Ember's hand appeared in front of her.

"That one," said Debbie, pointing.

The ghostly Amazon threw her grapple, and it snagged the Infernal Flame Emperor card.

"HEY!" shouted Ember.

Debbie grinned as the card appeared in her hand and the phantom vanished.

"Nice," she said, looking at it. "This your best card?"

Ember frowned.

"You need two Monsters to summon it," she said with a scowl.

"I'm well aware of that," replied Debbie. "Any other moves you'd like to make?"

"Just move…" growled Ember.

**(E: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,400)**

Debbie drew a card.

"I summon another Fighter," she said, playing a card.

The incredibly muscular Amazon appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Then I throw a card facedown," she continued, "and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared with a flash.

"My move!" shouted Ember.

She drew a card.

_Oh, that does it…_ she thought. _I gotta get rid of that annoying Swords Woman, even if I have to take out Shien in the process…_

"Shien, attack her Swords Woman!" she shouted.

Shien galloped towards Swords Woman…

"Facedown card activate…" exclaimed Debbie.

"Hold up!" laughed Ember. "Shien is immune to Trap Cards!"

"Who said it was a Trap Card?" asked Debbie.

The Quickplay Spell revealed itself, showing itself to be Shrink. Ember's eyes opened wide.

Tenkabito Shien fell to an Attack Score of 750. Swords Woman made a swipe with her blade, and he burst into an explosion of flames.

"I activate the effect of Backfire!" shouted Ember.

The flaming blast shot towards Debbie, and she grunted again.

**(E: 2,950) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)**

"So what are you gonna do now?" asked Debbie.

"It's still my turn!" shouted Ember. "I'll set a Monster in Defense Mode…"

A defensive Monster appeared.

"Then, I'll remove one Fire Monster from play…"

Molten Zombie slipped out of her discard slot. Ember pocketed it.

"…to also summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

Another fiery Monster appeared in front of her. It looked basically like a small bonfire with two glowing eyes. (1,900 DEF)

"And _now_ I end my turn…"

Debbie drew a card.

"You remember Paladin, don't you?" she asked, as Amazoness Paladin appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"And guess what? I have three Amazons on the field now…"

(2,000 ATK)

"Paladin, destroy Inferno!"

Paladin slashed with her sword, and Inferno vanished in a burst of smoke.

The Backfire card blasted flames at Debbie again.

"Curse that infernal card…" growled Debbie. "Fighter, attack her mystery Monster!"

Fighter leapt at the facedown Monster…

A large, blocky construct that seemed to be made of burnt-out wood appeared on the card. Fighter struck it with her fist, but it only shivered a little. (2,100 DEF)

"Charcoal Inpachi is too tough for her to crack," replied Ember.

"True," said Debbie. "But due to her effect, I take no damage. But due to Swords Woman's effect, you'll sure take some…"

Swords Woman leapt at Charcoal Inpachi and struck it with her sword. Ember groaned as the force of the impact ripped through her.

**(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,400)**

"It's your move," said Debbie, with a grin. "And I must thank you… It really feels good to just let it out…"

Ember sighed, and drew a card.

She quickly placed it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That all?" asked Debbie, drawing a card.

"Well, it's about time… I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Backfire card to pieces.

"Boy, that was therapeutic," she said. "Now, let's see… I could just keep attacking your Inpachi with Swords Woman, and deplete your Life Points 600 at a time…

"But I think I'll go for the gusto…

"I sacrifice Fighter and Swords Woman…"

The two Amazons vanished into grains of light…

"I summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

With a roar, a huge Pyro rose onto Debbie's side of the field. It was just as big as Thestalos, and resembled a flaming centaur, with wings and a head shaped like a hawk. It burned with a fiery aura. (2,700 ATK)

"Bet you never expected I'd use your best card against you huh?" she asked. "But that's how it is, you know. When you grow up like I did, you learn early on that life can be so cruel…"

Ember just glared at Debbie.

"Attack Charcoal Inpachi!" shouted Debbie.

Infernal Flame Emperor threw a searing ball of flames, and Ember braced herself as her Monster was blown to shards.

"Now, Paladin attacks your facedown Monster!"

Paladin flew at the facedown Monster…

A third UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and she cleaved it in a half.

"A third one?" shouted Debbie.

"Yes, I had a third one," replied Ember. "And you're going to see just how cruel life can be. I use its effect to summon…

"…_Ultimate Baseball Kid!"_

In a blast of fire, a very unlikely Monster leapt onto Ember's side of the field. He looked like a ten-year-old, dressed in a red little league uniform, holding a metal bat covered with spikes. His eyes burned with fire, and the Kanji symbol for Fire was printed on his batting helmet. (500 ATK)

"Mmmph!" said Debbie, trying to hold back laughter. "You're kidding right?"

"Seems you're the one who didn't do any research now," said Ember. "Ultimate Baseball Kid is incredibly powerful when you use him right. He gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Fire Monster on the field, other than himself. I see two right now, UFO Turtle, and Infernal Flame Emperor."

Ultimate Baseball Kid took a few warm-up swings with his bat… (2,500 ATK)

"Uh…" said Debbie.

"And it's my move…" said Ember, drawing a card.

"I play MY Pot of Avarice," she said.

The jar appeared, and she took Tenkabito Shien, Thestalos, both UFO Turtles, and Inferno from her Graveyard. She shuffled them back into her deck, and made two draws.

"Next, I remove Charcoal Inpachi from play, to Special Summon Spirit of Flames!"

In another burst of fire, a muscular, fiendish-looking creature, with horns and flames in place of legs, appeared on the field. (1,700 ATK)

"Then, I Normal Summon Magna Drago!"

She played the card, and a small but vicious-looking Dragon with red scales appeared on her side of the field. (1,400 ATK)

"That's a Tuner Monster!" shouted Debbie.

"Exactly," replied Ember, with a smile. "You thought that Infernal Flame Emperor was my best card, but you were wrong… Allow me to introduce you to my best card…"

Magna Dragon breathed flames from its jaws. Then it and UFO Turtle flew to the ceiling, and split into six shimmering stars.

Then, a flaming meteor fell to Ember's side of the field.

"I Tune UFO Turtle and Magna Drago," she said, "to Synchro Summon… Flamvell Urquizas!"

The fireball burst, and a tall, intimidating Monster was standing there. He looked like a man in armor that suggested volcanic stone, decorated with fire-red crystal, with flames shrouding his hands. (2,100 ATK)

"Flamvell… Urquizas?" asked Debbie. "Uhm… How do you spell that?"

Ember sighed.

"Why do they always ask that?" she muttered. "For you, he spells trouble, because with three other Fire Monsters on the field, Ultimate Baseball Kid gets even stronger!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid burned with fire. (3,500 ATK)

"Sorry about this, pal," said Ember, looking at Infernal Flame Emperor. "Ultimate Baseball Kid, attack with home run slammer!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid formed a fireball in his hand, then threw it up, and walloped it with his bat, hitting a line drive that blew Infernal Flame Emperor to shards.

"Now my Spirit of Flame attacks your Paladin," continued Ember. "And during my Battle Phase, it gains 300 extra Attack Points!"

Spirit of Flames rose to an Attack Score of 2,000. It breathed a blast of fire, and Amazoness Paladin screamed before she was incinerated.

"All right, Urquizas!" said Ember. "Let's take this duel home! Attack directly with fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas burned like a blazing beacon. He flew at Debbie, and socked her in the stomach with his molten fist. Debbie screamed, and fell over.

**(E: 2,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)**

Ember watched as Debbie slowly got up.

_So now what?_ thought Ember. _Jinx hasn't finished with Fogg yet… And I never got that thing I need to make an arrest… I don't even think I'm authorized to do so yet…_

Debbie chuckled as she looked at Ember. She slowly got up.

"So you beat me," she said, reaching into her pocket. "Ah, well…"

Ember almost jumped when she saw that she was taking a switchblade out of her pocket.

"Seems I'm gonna have to deal with you another way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, Ember could hardly believe what had happened.

Right now, she was holding Debbie down by sitting on her, although Debbie was not fighting back. She was holding her eyes in incredible pain. Ember didn't know how to use a sword, but the pepper spray that she had carried long before she had ever met Shichiro had proven useful.

"I swear, bitch," cursed Debbie, "as soon as I manage to see you…"

"Yeah, yeah," muttered Ember. "By the way, gimme back my card…"

She reached down and took the card off Debbie's Disk.

_Hurry up, Jinx,_ she thought. _I'm really not sure how long I can hold her…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Satellite…

It was a place that could be summed up very simply: If you didn't live there, you hoped you'd never go there. And if you did, you dreamed of finding a way to leave.

Crumbling buildings stood astride ruined streets… Smoke and soot filled the air… Dirty water and other unidentifiable residue collected in ditches… If you only spent an hour here, the aura of despair would cling to you like an unpleasant rash.

Situated on a large island about eight miles from the mainland, Satellite was once the original Domino City, before a careless accident turned it into a ruin. Now, it was a run-down, crumbling berg, suffering from terrible urban decay, a slum where the lower class and the fallen-from-grace lived, and could only look up upon the utopia that was far out of reach.

Satellite was not without its uses. Neo Domino, like most large cities, generated a great deal of refuse, and the garbage was sent to factories in Satellite for recycling and processing. The residents of Satellite were in charge of this dubious task; to quote an old saying, it was a dirty job, but someone had to do it. They didn't do it willingly, but what choice did they have? They knew of no other existence. Even if they could somehow leave, they wouldn't be welcome in Neo Domino. The folk there tended to regard them as objects of pity at best, and as unclean lepers at worst. The term "Satellite scum" was a common phrase used to reference them.

Very few residents had actually escaped and managed to achieve a better life. Among the well-known residents who had were Jack Atlas and Yusei Fudo. One claim that only certain people made – in secret – was that Godwin himself was a native of Satellite. Supposedly, this secret was one that the Arcadia Movement knew, and was the reason Godwin's men didn't interfere with them. Of course, they were likely smart enough to know when to draw the line; if they used this knowledge to make an attempt at blackmail, they would likely be silenced.

Only a very small minority actually lived in Satellite by choice. You'd need a very good reason to. Satellite simply wasn't a very nice place…

…_if_ you were human, that is. To some Shadows, Satellite suited them just fine.

As the morning sun tried to burn through the smog in a remote area of Satellite, three urchins in worn clothing – two boys and one girl, the boys ages twelve and fourteen, the girl only ten – ran through the streets, the girl trying to keep up.

"Stop!" she shouted. "Wes! Stop!"

Wes laughed, and then did stop.

"What's the matter, Mira?" he asked. "Can't keep up?"

"Wes…" said Mira, nervously, looking ahead. "Dad told us never to come here…"

The three of them looked at a large building in front of them. It may have once been a factory at one time, but exactly what it had once manufactured could not be determined.

"Scared of an old, abandoned factory?" asked Wes, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm with Mira," said the other boy. "Dad said…"

"Wait!" said Wes. "I know why dad doesn't want us near here…

"I heard that Louis DaPen lives here…"

Mira shivered a little.

"Isn't that something?" said Wes, still grinning. "Know what I heard? I heard that if he doesn't like someone, he throws them in the bay wearing cement shoes!"

Mira cowered in fear.

"Wes…" said the other boy.

"I also heard," continued Wes, "that one time he locked a guy in his car, and then crushed the car in a compactor with the guy still in it!"

"I wanna go home!" squeaked Mira.

"Wes, that's a lot of bull!" snapped the other boy. "You've been using dad's laptop to download old gangster movies, haven't you? He told you not to waste download time doing that!"

Wes looked, and saw a door, an apparent entrance to the factory.

"You two scared?" he asked. "Heck, I'm not scared… Why don't we see if he's home?"

"WES!" shouted Mira.

"No, really," replied Wes, as he started to walk up to the door. "You two may be fraidy-cats, but I feel like meeting the old guy. I'm sure he's a nice guy when you get to know…"

Before he could finish the sentence, the door opened. They all turned to it.

Standing there was a huge, unsmiling man. He stood at least seven feet tall, and was hulking, with dark hair and skin, as well as piercing, suspicious-looking eyes. He was dressed in a black suit with a red tie.

He looked at them and frowned.

Three screams echoed from that part of the block as the three kids ran for their lives.

The thug watched until they were out of sight.

"Kids…" he said with a shrug.

He took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and transferred one directly from the pack to his mouth. He made sure they were gone, and then turned back inside, lighting it in the process.

Wes was a rotten kid who had been trying to scare his sister, but he had inadvertently been right; this was DaPen's home and office. The thug was one of his two most trusted bodyguards.

The door led to a long hallway, and once inside, you would see the difference immediately. The inside of this building was in much better shape than the outside. Everything was clean, and it had luxuries that most residents of Satellite only dreamed of.

The hallway led to a large, comfortable looking waiting room. This was where you went if you had business with DaPen and were considered a guest. However, there was no guarantee that this status would not change. Guests who annoyed DaPen or made him angry didn't last long. DaPen never actually drowned anyone by giving him cement shoes (too cliché) but he had other methods.

Opposite the door where the thug went in was another door, guarded by another thug who looked just like him. (They were brothers, actually.) The first thug went by, and opened the door, into the room that was the limit of what most guests saw:

DaPen's office.

The office was comparable to Draco's in terms of comfort. It had a large mahogany desk with a padded swivel chair, a television with a digital receiver (which was also equipped with receivers for viewing areas in Neo Domino that he had an interest in), a laptop computer, a fully stocked wet bar, and bookshelves, with some of the books held in place by locked chains (the contents of these books were a mystery to most). Doors in the back of the office led to the interior of the building, where only a select few were allowed to go.

DaPen was not what you would call handsome. To most viewers, he looked like a corpulent, unpleasant man who seemed to be in his mid-forties, dressed in a grey business suit, with incredibly pale skin that suggested he had not gotten any sun in months. He was bald on the top of his head, but he had a full, white beard. His beard seemed to constantly flow as if blown in the wind, even when there was no wind. He was fond of cigars, and was rarely seen without one in hand (Cuban, of course).

Even if you were an Aware, you'd likely never see any more than this. DaPen hid his true form behind multiple layers of disguise, keeping most from discovering what lay hidden underneath the veil. Only certain Shadowkind could see what he truly was, and even they kept mum about it.

It wasn't often that DaPen was seen by _anyone_ whom he wasn't well-acquainted with. Those who saw him would say that, despite his lack of morals, he was never rude, and tended to be formal in most matters. After all, his profession was just another business in his eyes…

The only difference was, when your business of choice is organized crime, there are ways of dealing with issues that aren't used in most other businesses…

"Did you scare away those kids?" he asked, as the henchman entered the room.

DaPen had one of those odd accents that made it impossible for a listener to tell exactly where he was from. Clearly, anyone he spoke to would realize he was not a native of this part of the world.

"Yeah, I got rid of them," replied the thug.

"Good," said DaPen. "Make sure they don't come back. There's going to be trouble in a few minutes, and I want to make sure I know all the details…"

He hit a remote, and the television came on. He took a drag on his cigar before leaning on his chin.

"So, they want to know me, huh?" he muttered. "Well… Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be a little more… social…"

_**Now, technically, Debbie was not a true Shadowkind. As a tiefling, she was Shadow-Touched. Since she had no idea what member of her family had actually been a Shadow, and how far in the past it had occurred, she was far more human than Shadow, even though she apparently had more loyalty to them.**_

_**Still, I didn't expect my first victory as a Shadowchaser to have a great amount of grandeur. Almost everyone starts small. Debbie mentioned Hercules, and his first Labor, the slaying of the Nemean Lion, paled in comparison with what came later. I mean, what's more heroic, slaying an overly vicious and hard-to-kill lion, or making a trip into the Underworld and subduing Cerberus himself?**_

_**Still, my first victory is one I remember better than others. The fact that I had done it alone, and with no help, doing something important for this new task that had been set before me… well, it gave me inspiration that I didn't have before. And it had helped give me the sea legs I needed to use the Disk better than I had in the past.**_

_**As I held Debbie down, waiting for Jinx to come, the thought that was at the forefront of my mind was, "What comes next?"**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PRIDE OF TRIBE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Amazoness Swords Woman striking a pose on a hill against the full moon.

**Card Description:** You can activate this card when an "Amazoness" Monster you control, or 1 that is named "Amazon Archer", is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Amazoness" Monster or an "Amazon Archer" from your deck.

_Note: "Pride of Tribe" was first used by Tanya in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duel Distractions (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL URQUIZAS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent's Life Points. When this card inflicts battle damage, increase its ATK by 300.

_Note: "Flamvell Urquizas" was released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States_.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Ember took down the assistant – now Jinx has to deal with her boss. As she confronts the mysterious Dr. Fogg, she learns clues as to the bigger threat they are facing. Meanwhile, DaPen continues to plot and scheme, and it likely won't be good. _

"_Science Soldier" is next._


	8. Science Soldier

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Science Soldier**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Now, you may be wondering, like I was at the time, what interest DaPen had with some psychiatrist, and what the deal was with all the experimental stimulants. I later did some research on those chemicals. Taking one milligram of some of that stuff would likely keep you alert longer than a whole six-pack of Red Bull.**_

_**You might be thinking of an American movie that I once heard of starring Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro that was called **_**Analyze This**_**. In the movie, a psychiatrist (Crystal's character) is having a lot of problems with his life. At the same time, a notorious mob boss (played by De Niro, who was no stranger to playing mobsters) was suffering from stress and anxiety attacks. After Crystal accidentally encounters one of De Niro's henchmen and business cards are exchanged, De Niro persuades (or rather forces) Crystal to take him as a patient, which leads to a lot of problems; most notably, how does a doctor treat a patient who usually solves problems with a gun?**_

_**The film was incredibly funny, and was a success at the box office, and traces of this plotline were seen in the HBO series **_**The Sopranos**_**, which debuted later the same year.**_

_**I only wish that this were the same situation we were encountering now. A much darker secret lay in that office than a mobster who had stress, and the key to discovering it rested in a doctor who was clearly not as innocent as the doctor in that movie…**_

DaPen was on the phone. His brow furrowed.

"Yes, yes," he muttered. "Uh huh… Well, keep watching…"

He hung up.

"Bad news, boss?" asked the bodyguard.

"Quite," replied DaPen. "We're more than likely going to lose that office…"

He pondered for a minute.

"Send him in, Albert," he said.

The bodyguard opened the door to the waiting room.

"Tell him he can come in, Vince," said Albert.

After a few seconds, a dark elf that seemed far better off than Malken entered the room. He was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, both of which seemed a far better quality than Shichiro's. His long hair was platinum blond, which was typical for dark elves.

"Mr. DaPen," he said, "this is an honor. I…"

"Listen, Mr… Ka'duren," replied DaPen, looking at a sheet of paper he had in front of him. "I'll tell you this once: I'm not overly fond of dark elves. You claim you can defeat the best Shadowchaser in Neo Domino, meaning you can defeat Shichiro. You have five minutes to get my attention and tell me how you intend to do that."

"Simple," said the dark elf, with a grin. "I specialize on defeating duelists whose strategy depends on Synchro Summoning. The best way to stop a Synchro Monster is to prevent it from ever showing up."

"And how do you intend to do that?" asked DaPen.

He leaned back in his chair.

"Royal Oppression? Vanity's Fiend? Both are dead-end strategies in Turbo Duels.

"Both cards stop both players from Special Summoning, meaning your own deck must avoid doing so. And such a deck could never succeed in a Turbo Duel. In a Turbo Duel, your opponent is armed to the teeth with Trap Cards, and one Sakuretsu Armor, one Dust Tornado, any Trap at all that can destroy the key card will lead to you being overwhelmed, and lead you to defeat."

The dark elf chuckled. He took a deck out of a case.

"I don't use either," he said. "I have a far more efficient method…"

He took a card from it, and showed it to DaPen.

DaPen carefully read the text on the card…

"Well…" he said. "I must say, you've successfully gotten my attention…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx ran down the hallway, after her target, hoping that there wasn't a back door that he could escape out of. She started to gain, and then saw him duck into a room at the end, leaving the door halfway ajar.

Jinx carefully opened the door, and saw him looking at her in the dim light.

As she slowly walked in, he hit a light switch, revealing the room to be what looked like a psychiatric examination room. He had gotten a Disk from somewhere (most likely the shelf behind him) and was placing it on his arm.

"So, do you even have a permit for that gun you tried to use?" asked Jinx.

"May I see your search warrant?" asked Fogg. "Or do you folks think you're above such…"

Jinx quickly reached into her vest pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. She held it up.

"Even the Shadowchasers have procedures to follow, Fogg," she said. "I've got the warrant I needed to search this place right here. It wasn't hard to get, seeing as your business card was found on someone who made an unprovoked assault on a Shadowchaser and admitted to being the henchman of a wanted criminal."

Fogg chuckled.

"I guess you got me…" he said, with a shrug.

Jinx looked at him carefully.

"You're snakeblooded, aren't you?" she asked.

Fogg frowned.

"Yes," he said. "So nice of you to notice. I'm snakeblooded. So were my father, and my grandfather. I have no idea how far back in my family I'd have to go back before I reached someone who was a true ophidia.

"I have no loyalty to them at all. In fact, I rather despise them."

"You realize that the ophidia will think differently," replied Jinx. "With their twisted view of the world, they expect all creatures with their blood to serve them eventually, whether they want to or not."

"I'm quite aware of that," replied Fogg. "They believe for some reason that loyalty is owed to them by anyone with their heritage. And that is exactly the reason why I work for DaPen.

"It's common sense. A certain book written a long time ago said it all. The title was, _All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten_,by a guy named Robert Fulghum. It was interesting reading. One thing you learn in kindergarten is, when you know that a bully is going to come after you, your only recourse is to make friends with a stronger bully. The ophidia are afraid of DaPen, so as long as I work for DaPen, they'll leave me alone. Some ophidia even get smart and work for DaPen, thinking they can become powerful faster."

"Yeah, we already kind of know that," replied Jinx.

"I've heard the goals of the more traditional ophidia, Jinx…" continued Fogg. "The ones who would refuse to work for anyone but their own kind. How they dream of ushering in the fabled Age of Serpents, how they will cover the Earth with their brood, and become the masters of the world, growing fat upon the flesh of humanity. Insane ramblings that make Nazi propaganda seem lucid. If they ever tried to make their dream a reality, working for them would likely be slavery. At least working for DaPen, I get a decent salary and the right to do as I please."

"Okay, that's the why," replied Jinx. "Now tell me the what. What do you plan to do with the chemistry set?"

"I was planning to perfect a formula that will enhance the powers of paranatural beings," replied Fogg.

Jinx glared at him.

"That's it?" she exclaimed. "You're not even gonna _try_ to lie to me?"

"What good would lying do?" asked Fogg, as he placed a deck into his Disk. "Common sense, remember? I know that this confrontation can only end one of two ways. The first way is, you'll defeat me, I'll be arrested, and everything in this building will be confiscated.

"The other way is, I'll defeat you. But even if you don't survive, your allies know you came here, and I'll be forced to abandon this building anyway. I can only take so much with me. For all I know, your partner already subdued my assistant and is calling them. Whatever I was doing here was ruined as soon as you discovered it, so there's no sense in not telling you.

"See, that's the problem with the ophidia. The fact that they actually believe that this Age of Serpents can ever actually happen proves that they're stupid. Not smart, like me."

"You're that smart, are you?" asked Jinx.

"Well, my IQ was last measured at 150," replied Fogg. "And if you doubt my mental prowess, duel me, and you'll see firsthand."

He activated his Disk. Jinx followed suit, and activated hers.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fogg: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Fogg, drawing a card.

"And I summon… Magnet Warrior Omega Minus!"

The floor seemed to crack open, and what looked like a large robot rose out of it. It clearly was not any Magnet Warrior that the great Yugi Mouto had ever used. It was blocky, colored purple, and its parts were shaped with a magnet theme. It held a shield on its left arm shaped like a magnet, and a sword in its right hand. (1,900 ATK)

"Heh…" chuckled Jinx. "Interesting…"

"That's enough to start," said Fogg.

Jinx quickly whipped a card off her deck.

"I summon, my Abare Ushioni!" she shouted.

In a blast of energy, the large, red, three-eyed, tattooed bull appeared. It bellowed, and steam blew out of its nostrils. (1,200/1,200)

"Now I get to toss a coin and call it," she continued. "I guess right, then you lose 1,000 Life Points. I guess wrong, then I lose 1,000 Life Points.

"So, what do you think my chances are?"

"Don't you know anything about statistics?" asked Fogg. "The chance of calling a coin toss right is _always_ a flat fifty percent."

"We'll see," replied Jinx, as a gold coin appeared in her hand.

She tossed it up.

"Heads!"

The coin spun in the air, and hit the ground. It was indeed heads.

A blast of energy shot out of Abare Ushioni's eyes, hitting Fogg. He grunted.

Two facedown cards flashed into existence behind Abare Ushioni.

"I'll set these," said Jinx, "and I'll end my turn."

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 7,000)**

"My draw…" said Fogg, drawing a card.

"And I summon Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus!"

Another large robot rose out of the ground. It looked similar to the first one, but it was colored orange, and held a long spear for a weapon. (1,800 ATK)

"So I'm assuming that Yugi's three Magnet Warriors were only the first three of a set of twenty-four?" asked Jinx. "All of them named after the letters of the Greek alphabet?"

"There's far more to these creatures than that," replied Fogg. "Omega Minus, attack her Abare Ushioni!"

Omega Minus lifted its sword, and flew towards the Beast-Warrior…

"I activate, Skull Dice!" shouted Jinx.

One of her facedown cards lifted, revealing a Trap. A small, grinning, winged imp flew out of it, holding a red die.

"Now, this die is gonna roll," she continued, "and the result is gonna multiply by 100. Then, both of your Monsters are gonna lose that many Attack Points."

The imp laughed, and then tossed the die. It bounced on the floor, and came to a rest on the four. Omega Minus fell to an Attack Score of 1,500, while Sigma Plus fell to 1,400.

"My Monster can still defeat yours," replied Fogg, as Omega Minus lifted its sword again.

"Well, I also have a Spell Card," replied Jinx, as her other facedown card lifted. "Graceful Dice!"

Then, a teddy bear with a red suit and a winged hat flew out, holding a blue die.

"Now, this guy is gonna roll another die, and once again, the result is gonna multiply by 100. That amount is gonna be added to the Attack Score of my Abare Ushioni.

"Go!"

The teddy bear tossed the die, and it skipped and bounced. It landed on the six.

"Bingo!" shouted Jinx, as Abare Ushioni's Attack Score shot up to 1,800.

Abare Ushioni snorted, and rammed into Magnet Warrior Omega Minus, smashing it to bits.

"Ergh…" muttered Fogg.

He took a card from his hand.

"I'll set a card of my own facedown, and that will end my turn…" he muttered.

A facedown card appeared in front of him. Sigma Plus returned to an Attack Score of 1,800, while Abare Ushioni returned to 1,200.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)**

Jinx quickly drew a card.

"I activate the effect of Abare Ushioni again!" she shouted.

She tossed the coin.

"Heads again!"

The coin spun in the air, and fell to the floor.

Then Jinx gasped as it came up tails. She groaned as Abare Ushioni glowed with a sickening green aura, which quickly spread to her.

Fogg simply smirked.

"You pride yourself on your luck, Jinx," he said, "but what would you do if it failed you at a crucial time? How would you survive?"

"By wit and skill," muttered Jinx. "I don't depend on luck alone…

"I sacrifice Abare Ushioni…"

The Beast-Warrior vanished.

"…to summon Maximum Six!"

With a roar, the blue-skinned, six-armed ogre appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Let's see if my luck is better this time, eh?" she asked.

Another die appeared, and skipped and bounced…

It came up a six.

"All right!" shouted Jinx.

Maximum Six let out a loud roar… (3,100 ATK)

"Go!" shouted Jinx. "Attack his Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus!"

Maximum Six charged at the droid.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Fogg, as his facedown card shot up. "Magnet Force Plus!"

Then, a wave of energy emitted from the center of the field, and Maximum Six was thrown backwards, falling on his behind.

"What happened?" asked Jinx.

"Simple," replied Fogg. "My Trap Card reconfigured the molecular structure of your Maximum Six, giving it a positive charge. Just like my Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus. And two positively charged Monsters cannot battle each other. Their similar charges repel each other."

Jinx just looked at him.

"Now," said Fogg, "if your Monster had a _negative_ charge, it would have no choice but to battle my Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus…"

"Because their dissimilar charges would attract each other," replied Jinx.

"Isn't science interesting?" asked Fogg.

"I have to end my turn," replied Jinx.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)**

Fogg drew a card, and looked at it.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said, as the holy ankh appeared on his side of the field. "Now, I'm bringing back Omega Minus."

Magnet Warrior Omega Minus appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"I seem to remember you saying that negatively charged Monsters have no choice but to attack positively charged ones," said Jinx. "That one has a negative charge!"

"I know how my own Monsters work," replied Fogg. "This Monster won't be staying for long. I send one Plus Monster and one Minus Monster to the Graveyard…"

Both Sigma Plus and Omega Minus dissolved into grains of light.

"…to special summon something much stronger…"

A blast of energy erupted on his side of the field.

"…my Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus!"

The Monster that appeared looked like a battle mecha of some sort, much bigger than the previous two Monsters, colored in gold and purple hues. It had armor plating, and two huge, high-tech cannons mounted on its shoulders. (2,700 ATK)

"Heh…" said Jinx, nervously. "That's gotta be the longest name for a Monster I've ever heard…"

"It is a mouthful," replied Fogg, "and a handful, because my Monster has a powerful effect. First, I can choose whether its charge is positive or negative, and I choose negative.

"In addition, it can absorb half the Attack Score of any positively or negatively charged Monster on the field. Since Maximum Six has a positive charge, and has 3,100 Attack Points, my Monster gains 1,550 more Attack Points."

Super Conductive Warrior glowed with energy… (4,250 ATK)

"Attack her Maximum Six!" ordered Fogg. "Pulverizing plasma blast!"

The huge robot fired twin beams of burning death from its cannons. Jinx shielded herself as Maximum Six was blown to atoms.

**(J: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,700)**

Fogg took the last two cards from his hand as his Monster's Attack Score returned to 2,700.

"I'll end by setting a Monster, and then a facedown card," he said.

A concealed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"My move…" muttered Jinx, drawing a card.

"I summon Twin-Barrel Dragon!"

She played a card, and in a small aura of energy, a small Monster appeared that looked like a robotic dog with two legs, and a double-barreled laser cannon for a head. (1,700 ATK)

"Here's how this one works," she said. "First, I choose one card on the field, and I think I'll choose your Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus.

"Didn't think I could say it, did you?

"Then, I toss two coins. If both coins come up heads, then I send that card packing."

Two coins appeared in her hand.

She tossed one coin. It spun, and fell to the ground.

Heads.

She tossed the other one. Once again, it spun.

Heads again.

Jinx grinned, as Twin-Barrel Dragon glowed, and aimed at the larger robot.

"I activate… Power Off!" shouted Fogg, as his facedown card lifted up. "Now, I get to sacrifice my Monster before your blast hits it…"

Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus vanished into grains of light.

"And since your Twin-Barrel Dragon's target is no longer here, its effect is ruined. And what's more, I now get to summon both of the Monsters I sacrificed to summon my Super Conductive Warrior."

Sigma Plus (1,800 ATK) and Omega Minus (1,900 ATK) both appeared on Fogg's side of the field.

"Well, so much for that…" muttered Jinx, looking at her hand.

She took a card from it, and set it in her Disk. A set card appeared.

"It's your move…"

"I draw one card…" said Fogg, making a draw.

"Perfect…" he said, playing it. "I activate Golden Sarcophagus."

With an eerie, glowing, magical aura, a golden chest with the Eye of Wdjat on it appeared in front of him. Fogg took his deck out of the holder and looked through it.

"Now, I get to take any card from my deck I desire, and seal it in the Sarcophagus…"

He chose a card, and it lowered into the golden chest. The chest vanished, as Fogg shuffled his deck.

"In just two turns, I'll be able to recover that card.

"For now, I flip my Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped, revealing the ceramic jar with the one-eyed creature inside it. It let out a nasty laugh. (700 ATK)

Jinx frowned. She discarded the two cards in her hand, and made five draws. Fogg simply made five draws.

"Now, I attack your Twin-Barrel Dragon with Omega Minus!" shouted Fogg.

Omega Minus charged at the small Machine.

"Activate… Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card lifted.

The whack-a-mole appeared, and loony music started to play.

"Another gamble card?" gasped Fogg.

"That's right!" said Jinx, as another coin appeared in her hand.

She quickly tossed it.

"Let's go for tails this time!"

The coin spun in the air once again.

It landed again, and was indeed tails.

Omega Minus's Attack Score fell to zero. Twin-Barrel Dragon blasted a bolt of energy, and it was blown to pieces.

"Ergh…" grunted Fogg.

He glared at Jinx. He took a card from his hand.

"I set a card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and I end my turn."

**(J: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)**

Jinx drew a card, and looked at the cards in her hand.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box," she said, "then I set a Monster…"

A set Monster appeared.

"Then my Twin-Barrel Dragon attacks your Morphing Jar!"

The Machine fired a blast of pure energy from its barrel, and the Jar was blown to dust.

"I end my turn."

**(J: 5,350) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,000)**

Fogg drew a card.

"First, I summon Magnet Warrior Sigma Minus," he said.

He played the card, and a new Magnet Warrior rose out of the ground. This one was even bulkier, colored blue and green, and held a steel, spiked club. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I activate 100,000 Gauss!" he shouted as his facedown card shot up. "This reduces your Monster's Attack Score by 800."

Twin-Barrel Dragon glowed with a red aura of energy. (900 ATK)

"Oh… Crud…" said Jinx.

"Then, I play Monster Reincarnation," continued Fogg, as a Spell Card appeared. "So I toss one card…"

He discarded a card, Final Attack Orders.

"And I get my Super Conductive Warrior back.

"Now, I send both my Monsters to the Graveyard again, to summon it!"

Sigma Plus and Sigma Minus vanished, and the much more powerful droid appeared once again. (2,700 ATK)

"Attack her Twin-Barrel Dragon!" he shouted.

Super Conductive Warrior's cannons glowed.

"I activate the effect of Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

She tossed the coin.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin landed.

She gasped as it came up tails.

"Looks like your luck just ran out," said Fogg, with a grin.

Jinx cringed in pain as Twin-Barrel Dragon was blown to bits.

**(J: 3,650) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,000)**

"My turn is over."

Jinx paused. She drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said, "just in case."

She looked at the card she had drawn.

"Check this out!" she laughed, as she threw a card on her Disk. "I summon… Time Wizard!"

In a puff of colored smoke, the famous Spellcaster that symbolized the bond between Yugi Mouto and Katsuya Jounouchi appeared in front of her. (500 ATK)

"_Time Wizard?!"_ shouted Fogg. "That's one of the riskiest gambles in the game!"

"And let's see if it pans out!" laughed Jinx. "Just watch the spinning arrow! Time Roulette now!"

Time Wizard gestured with his staff, and the arrow on the tip started to spin. Fogg started to sweat…

The arrow started to slow…

Then it stopped, directly on the crown on top.

"Seems my luck hasn't run out yet," said Jinx with a smile.

"_Time Magic!" _chanted Time Wizard, as a portal opened, and the whole room became a maelstrom of energy.

"What have you done?" shouted Fogg.

"Torn a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum," replied Jinx. "Causing everything on your side of the field to age millions of years within seconds. And in that time, even magnets lose their potency."

Fogg watched in horror as Super Conductive Warrior Linear Magnum Plus-Minus started to rust, rot, and decay, and then fall into a pile of dust.

"You haven't beaten me yet!" he shouted. "Next round, I'll get my ultimate Monster from that chest, and it will destroy you!"

"Next round…" chuckled Jinx. "Afraid there is no next round, Fogg…

"I flip my facedown Monster to Attack Mode… X-Saber Urz!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and a savage looking humanoid appeared, dressed in barbarian armor, with red skin, and a tusked mouth, holding two large scimitars. (1,600 ATK)

"Now I play… Polymerization!" she continued, as a Spell Card appeared. "I'll fuse Time Wizard with Baby Dragon in my hand…"

Baby Dragon appeared next to Time Wizard, and the two Monsters combined into two swirls of colors…

"…and summon Thousand Dragon!"

The swirl burst, and sitting there was a much bigger, elderly Dragon, with a serene smile on its face. (2,400 ATK)

"Uh…" said Fogg.

"Urz," said Jinx, "you first."

Urz lifted one of his swords, and flew at Fogg, slashing across his chest. Fogg gasped and took a step back.

"Thousand Dragon, finish him off! Noxious nostril gust!"

The Dragon roared, and blasted a stream of toxic gas from its nostrils. Fogg screamed, and collapsed to the ground.

**(J: 3,150) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)**

Jinx sighed as she took the sapphire out of her pouch.

She had won, and she had managed to do so before he had summoned his ace Monster.

But at the same time, she couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She was curious as to what it actually was.

She guessed she might never know. She had no time to search Fogg right now. She had to make the arrest, and get back to Ember.

Then she noticed a card lying on the floor. Apparently, Fogg had dropped it.

She picked it up. She looked at it and frowned. Clearly, it was _not_ the card he had put in that Sarcophagus.

She'd figure it out later.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, Ember was struggling to hold Debbie down, and not doing too well a job. Having fiendish blood in her veins made tieflings somewhat stronger than humans, it seemed.

Finally, Debbie threw Ember off of her with a snarl, and got up. She lifted her Duel Disk, as if to dash Ember's brains out with it.

"I'm gonna kill you, bitch!" she shouted.

And then she froze solid. A sword had just been placed against her throat.

Debbie slowly turned her head, and saw Jinx.

"A good general knows when she's outgunned," said Jinx. "I'm guessing you're not a good _anything_, but you'd better drop it."

Debbie dropped the Disk, and lifted her hands.

"You did good, kid," said Jinx. "Sorry I took so long."

Ember smiled nervously.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Later, at the townhouse, it had just turned one o'clock. Jinx and Ember were speaking with Shichiro and Gears, as Jalal silently stood in the background.

"Working on serums for 'paranatural beings'?" asked Shichiro. "You got me… Is that any different than _supernatural_ beings?"

"Indeed it is," replied Jalal, walking up. "It's difficult to explain.

"As you know, most Shadowkind possess extraordinary abilities, be it strength, speed, long life, the ability to breathe fire, or dozens of other possibilities. Most of their abilities are magical in nature. This sort of Shadow is supernatural.

"But there also exist rare Shadows whose extraordinary abilities aren't magical, but are derived from scientific sources. These rare Shadows are called paranatural.

"Now, from what little information we can gather, the world where Shadows come from is a world that is dominated by magic. As a result, paranatural beings are not only rare, but very limited in power there.

"However, when they come to Earth…"

"Then paranatural beings would be in Heaven," added Ember, "because here, science is dominant."

"This girl is a natural!" laughed Jinx.

"Paranatural beings tend to fit certain themes," continued Jalal. "Most of them focus on mental energy. There are Shadows who are telepathic, telekinetic, clairvoyant, pyrokinetic…"

"Psychic, in other words?" asked Shichiro, raising an eyebrow.

Jalal nodded.

"Masters of the mind," replied Jalal. "But finding these rare Shadows is hard, because humans tend to have these powers as well."

"There are certainly no Shadows in the Arcadia Movement…" muttered Shichiro.

It was no secret to them that the Arcadia Movement harbored psychics and individuals with similar powers. The Shadowchasers of Neo Domino had an uneasy agreement with them.

"Interesting card, Jinx?" asked Shichiro.

He noticed that Jinx had been looking at a card.

"Oh, Fogg dropped this," she said. "I don't know why the heck he had it… It clearly didn't fit his deck…"

She flipped it around. It was the card she picked up after she had arrested Fogg. It was Cloudian – Smoke Ball. A somewhat useful Monster in a deck that used Cloudians, but clearly not in one that used the Monsters he was using.

"I don't even think it was in his deck. I mean, what use would it have for a Magnet Deck?"

"You got me," replied Shichiro.

"Eh, maybe it was a keepsake of his…" replied Jinx.

She tossed it on a table.

Gears got up.

"Well, I don't know about any _actual_ psychiatric medications…" he said. "But I do know someone who knows a good deal about herbal remedies that are good for mental energy. She knows some stuff that helps the memory better than ginko biloba. I'll go ask her if she knows anything about Shadows who use it."

"Oh, come on, Gears," replied Shichiro. "This is just another excuse to go see your girlfriend again…"

Gears stopped short. He blushed.

"Mistle is _not_ my girlfriend!" he shouted. "She's just an… acquaintance."

He left the room.

"Denial is such a sad thing…" sighed Jalal, shaking his head.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the edge of Neo Domino, near the suburbs, was a large greenhouse. The sign out front said, "Evermeet Exotic Plants".

Inside the greenhouse, classical music was played on a sound system and a constant, warm temperature was maintained. Most of the workers in this greenhouse were not living beings. Around the whole large garden, watering cans, spades, trimmers, and other tools worked on the plants, directed by invisible hands. This was the work of Unseen Servants, magical constructs created by the spell of the same name. They would quickly make themselves scarce if a Mundane customer ever came in, but they were quite useful. The one living worker in the greenhouse could leave the place totally unattended, and they'd continue to work nonstop.

That one living worker, who was also the owner, was working right now. An incredibly beautiful woman, blonde, green-eyed, and busty, dressed in overalls and work clothes, tended the beautiful flowers and plants, specimens that were not found in this part of the world, and very hard to grow here. She was a Shadow herself – she was a nymph, an embodiment of the beauty of nature. An Aware who came here for flowers knew that the merchandise was raised with the loving touch of a nature spirit, which was better than any human horticulturist could do.

Several of the flowers she had raised decorated the townhouse, because she had known Gears for a long time. And she smiled broadly as she sensed his presence again.

"Mistle?" said Gears, walking in.

Mistle smiled, and turned to greet him.

"Hi," she said. "I don't think I can touch you now…"

She held up her hands, which were covered with work gloves that were caked with potting soil.

"That's okay, Mistle," replied Gears. "I was wondering, you know all those herbal remedies you have?"

"Why?" chuckled Mistle. "You need one?"

"No, no," replied Gears. "I was wondering if you knew of any that enhanced paranatural beings, and whether anyone had come in looking for any."

Mistle giggled a little.

"Nope," she said. "Can't say that I have… But I'll keep my eye out, in case I see any."

Gears sighed. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"You do that," he said. "We still on for Sunday?"

Mistle nodded, and then Gears turned and left.

Mistle bent over a large potted plant.

Then she looked up with a start. She smelled something.

_Cigar smoke?_ she thought. _What…_

She turned around, and saw three figures who had come in the other entrance. It was DaPen, and his two bodyguards.

And since Mistle was herself a Shadow, and one who was not easily deceived, she could see DaPen's true form quite plainly. It paralyzed her with fear.

"Your friend is on the right track," said DaPen. "And now it's time to knock him off it…"

_**Gears didn't know it, but his trip had not yet ended. It had taken a turn for the worst, and the ball had gotten rolling, seriously. DaPen had made his move.**_

_**I'll leave out the exact details of DaPen's encounter with Mistle, because it wasn't very pleasant, especially not for Mistle. Suffice to say, DaPen came, did what he had to do in about two minutes, and then he and his bodyguards left.**_

_**Mistle remained behind, but she was not the same. Whether she ever would be again was dependent on many issues, the first of which would be settled sooner than anyone thought…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER URZ (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can Tribute this card to send the destroyed Monster to the top of your opponent's deck.

_Note: "X-Saber Urz" was released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAGNET WARRIOR SIGMA PLUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** If this card battles a "Plus" Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one "Minus" Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAGNET WARRIOR SIGMA MINUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** If this card battles a "Minus" Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one "Plus" Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAGNET WARRIOR OMEGA MINUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** If this card battles a "Minus" Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one "Plus" Monster on the opposing side of the field, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SUPER CONDUCTIVE WARRIOR LINEAR MAGNUM PLUS-MINUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by sending 1 "Plus" Monster and 1 "Minus" Monster from your hand and/or field to the Graveyard. Select 1 face-up "Plus" or 1 face-up "Minus" Monster on the field (other than this card) and increase the ATK of this card by half the selected Monster's ATK for as long as the selected Monster remains on the field. You can activate this effect again if a new "Plus" or "Minus" Monster becomes available after the first selected Monster leaves the field. When this card is Summoned, designate it as a "Plus" Monster or a "Minus" Monster. You can change this designation during any of your Standby Phases. If this card battles a Monster whose name contains the same word as its designation, that battle is negated. If there is at least one Monster on the opposing side of the field whose name contains the same word as the designation that this card is not designated to, this card must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**100,000 GAUSS! (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A machine on tank treads with a giant magnet on top.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have at least one "Plus" Monster and at least one "Minus" Monster face-up on your side of the field. Target one opposing Monster. Switch the targeted Monster to Attack Position (unless it already is in that position), and decrease its ATK by 800.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**POWER OFF (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A large mechanical generator, connected to wires, but shut off.

**Card Description:** Send 1 "Plus-Minus" Monster that you control to the Graveyard. Special Summon from your Graveyard the Monsters that you sent to the Graveyard to Special Summon the "Plus-Minus" Monster.

_Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duel Distractions (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**MAGNET FORCE PLUS (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **Magnet Warrior Sigma Plus in a fighting stance.

**Card Description:** Upon activation, this card is treated as an Equip Spell that is Equipped to a face-up opposing Monster. The Equipped Monster is treated as if it had the word "Plus" in its name. If the Equipped Monster battles a "Plus" Monster, that battle is negated. If there is at least one "Minus" Monster on the Equipped Monster's opposing side of the field, the Equipped Monster must battle one of those Monsters during the next Battle Phase if it is able to.

_Note: "Magnet Force Plus" was first used by Bastion in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magnetic Personality". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Gears is forced into a peculiar match, one that he truly didn't expect. His opponent's deck hides creatures of an unusual nature, and he's completely unprepared. "Botanical Girl" is coming up next._


	9. Botanical Girl

_I'd like to thank fellow fanfic author Mystic Clown for the inspiration for an important part of this chapter. He designed the unique Monsters used here, and gave me the okay to use them._

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**CHAPTER NINE**

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**Botanical Girl**

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_**Now, I never came right out and asked Gears about him and Mistle. I mean, it was his business, and I had no right to pry. But I learned a few things here and there.**_

_**From what I found out, Gears and Mistle met about six years ago when a night hag tried to burn her greenhouse down. Night hags are incredibly ugly creatures, and they despise all forms of beauty – they hate most plant life, and they hate nymphs even worse. Some say that it's due to sheer jealousy, but there may be a deeper reason. Anyway, Gears saved the day, and I suppose that was when the mutual affection started. Although Gears repeatedly denied that she was a girlfriend, there was a great deal of chemistry between the two.**_

_**I don't know why Gears had not yet tried to take it to the next level. Maybe he was, like many men, afraid of commitment. I'd say that he was luckier than most men. Mistle was a nymph, after all, an embodiment of beauty, and like most nymphs, she didn't flaunt it, and never used it for personal gain. Any nymph could likely make a fortune as a model or any other professional who profited from her looks, but none ever did. Such things were simply not done. A man who was loved by a nymph had her all to himself. **_

_**So what DaPen did next probably hurt Gears more than anything that was yet to come…**_

Gears walked out to his bike, slowly. He had an uneasy feeling.

He'd been a Shadowchaser for almost a decade, and seen many strange things. He could tell when there was a bad feeling in the air.

As he reached for his helmet, his cell phone rang. He answered it.

"Gears?" said Mistle's voice. "You haven't left yet, have you?"

"No," replied Gears. "Is there a problem?"

"I need to see you again," replied Mistle, in an odd tone. "I found something that you were looking for… Come quick…"

Gears frowned as she hung up. He didn't like this…

He hit a command on the console of his D-Wheel.

"_Disengaging Duel Disk,"_ said the computerized voice.

The Disk separated, and clamped to his gauntlet.

Thunder rolled in the distance. A few drops of rain started to fall. Gears frowned. He didn't even bring a raincoat.

He slowly walked back towards the greenhouse, and saw that the lights had been turned off.

_Funny,_ he thought, opening the door.

He walked in, past the Unseen Servants who were still watering the plants and trimming dead leaves. The rain started to fall harder, falling against the glass walls of the greenhouse.

"Mistle?" he called.

"Behind you, lover," said a voice that sounded like Mistle's, but far more sinister.

Gears spun around, and saw Mistle standing there with an evil grin on her face. Her eyes were different – cold and inhuman. Thunder rumbled again.

"So nice of you to come back, lover," she said, in that same, sinister voice.

She lifted a Duel Disk of her own.

"In regards to paranatural, I did find out something… People with such powers can be quite strong… Stronger than anyone we know…"

"Mistle!" shouted Gears. "You're being controlled! Snap out of it!"

"Oh, I've never felt better!" said Mistle.

Her facial features twisted into an evil smile.

"So, what say we shuffle and then throw down? Unless you want everyone to know that you couldn't beat your girlfriend?"

Her Disk activated.

"DaPen is doing this, right?" asked Gears.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," said Mistle.

_What do I do?_ thought Gears. _Someone is clearly pulling her strings… And if I just leave, I'll leave her at this 'someone's' mercy…_

He activated his own Disk.

_I'll… I'll try to end this quick… After all, how hard can it be?_

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mistle: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Mistle, drawing a card.

"I'll have this defend me," she said, as a facedown Monster appeared. "Then I'll set a reversed card, for later."

A facedown card appeared.

"And it's your move, lover…"

She looked at Gears with a come-hither look that Gears did _not_ like. Gears drew a card.

"All right…" he said. "If that's how it's gonna go down…

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg."

In a dark aura, Garadholg appeared, ready to pounce. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack her Monster!" he shouted.

Garadholg growled, and then pounced. A large seed with a face, and a small sprout on the top appeared on the card, and was shredded to pieces.

"You just destroyed my Seed Pod," said Mistle with a chuckle.

She took her deck from the holder.

"And when that happens, I get to Special Summon a Plant-Type Monster from my deck, so long as it's Level 4 or less. So… I summon Floral Knight Lily!"

In a burst of green energy, a young woman appeared in front of her, dressed in green armor that seemed to have a floral pattern. She had long, brunette hair, and carried a longbow made of mahogany. (1,800 ATK)

Gears sighed, and took a card from his hand.

"I'll throw a card of my own facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and I end my turn…"

_Her Monster's Attack Score is 1,800,_ he thought, _and mine is only 1,600…_

_But, if I trigger my DNA Transplant right when she attacks, and turn every Monster on the field to Light-Attribute, Garadholg's effect will activate, and the battle will be a draw. I might be able to gain the advantage…_

"My draw…" chuckled Mistle, drawing a card.

She looked at it and added it to her hand.

"I set a new reversed card," she said, as another facedown card appeared.

"Then I attack with Lily!"

Lily fitted an arrow into her bow, and drew back the string…

"I activate my Trap!" shouted Gears.

"Actually, you don't," replied Mistle.

"Huh?" asked Gears.

"Trap Cards can't be activated in response to Lily's attack," said Mistle, "as you're about to find out the hard way…"

Lily's arrow fired, and it impaled Garadholg. Gears shielded himself as his Monster was blown to scrap.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Mistle. "Your move…"

**(G: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"Mistle, please," said Gears. "This isn't like you… You can beat this… Look at me. Don't you know who I am?"

"You're my opponent," replied Mistle, "and I've been told to crush you. Now, are you gonna make a move, or are you going to leave yourself wide open to Lily?"

Gears sighed, and drew a card.

"I activate my own Trap Card!" shouted Mistle. "Dust Tornado!"

Her facedown card lifted, and a tornado tore across the field. Gears' DNA Transplant card was blown to pieces.

Gears frowned. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

_I can use this one…_ he thought.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and a new robot appeared, levitating in the air. It was roughly spherical in shape, with a skull-like face in front, with several spindly limbs, each one ending in a sharp blade. (1,850 ATK)

"Attack her Floral Knight!" he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser's blades started to spin like a large weed whacker, and it flew at Lily. Lily screamed as the blades cut into her, and she shattered into bits.

"I activate… Floral Arrangement!" exclaimed Mistle, as her other facedown card lifted. "Since one of my Plants was destroyed, I get to Special Summon as many of them from my hand as I want, so long as I pay 100 Life Points times their Levels.

"So, I pay 400 Life Points to bring out Floral Knight Tulip."

In another verdant burst, another armored figure appeared. It was a teenage girl with white hair, wearing pink armor of floral design, and a pink helmet. She had a pouch on her hip, and a sword of the same floral design. (1,600 ATK)

"I end my turn…" muttered Gears.

**(G: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,550)**

Mistle grinned as she drew a card.

"I activate Tulip's effect," she said. "During my Standby Phase, she sows a seed, and I get a Seed Token."

Tulip reached into her bag, and dropped a seed on the ground. (0 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice my Token…"

The Seed Token vanished.

"…to summon Floral Knight Petunia!"

Another feminine figure in armor appeared. This one was an older woman with blonde hair, purple floral armor, and a sword in each hand. (2,300 ATK)

"Petunia, attack his Mechanicalchaser!" she shouted.

Petunia flew at the Machine hunter, and made a swipe with her left blade, cleaving it cleanly in half. The two pieces shattered.

"Of course, no damage calculation is done when Petunia attacks a Monster in Attack Mode. That means you take no damage right now… But it also means that Petunia can defeat anything in Attack Mode, so long as she attacks first.

"Tulip, give Gears a kiss for me… Direct attack!"

Tulip leapt into the air, and slashed at Gears with her sword. Gears clutched his side, and fell down.

Mistle laughed again.

"Make your move, lover…" she said, now in an even more sinister voice.

**(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,550)**

Gears slowly got up. He drew a card.

"You think I didn't know what your pathetic Allies of Justice could do?" asked Mistle. "I watched you duel so many times… I know all of your moves."

_This isn't fair…_ thought Gears. _I've never seen her duel… I've never even heard of these… Floral Knights. I really don't know what to do…_

He looked at the Equip Spell he had just drawn.

_But this should help…_

"I summon Robotic Knight!" he exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, the android soldier appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Petunia is stronger than that hunk of tin," replied Mistle.

"Not if I help it," replied Gears. "I toss two cards facedown…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Then, I play the Equip Spell, Mage Power! This gives Robotic Knight 500 more Attack Points for each Spell and Trap I have. That's an extra 1,500."

Robotic Knight glowed with eldritch energy… (3,100 ATK)

"Attack Petunia!" he shouted. "Gatling blast!"

Robotic Knight pointed with its left arm, and fired a round of bullets with the speed of a machine gun. Petunia screamed, and exploded into shards.

"Ergh…" muttered Mistle.

**(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,750)**

"I end my turn…" said Gears.

Mistle frowned, and made a draw.

"Your toy soldier is about to be disarmed," she said, holding a card up. "I play Heavy Storm!"

A fierce wind started to tear through the greenhouse. The Mage Power card shattered, and so did the facedown Half or Stop and Rare Metalmorph. Robotic Knight fell back down to an Attack Score of 1,600.

"Ain't it a shame," replied Mistle, taking a card from her hand. "I summon Floral Knight Sunflower!"

She played another card, and yet another Floral Knight appeared. Unlike the previous ones, this one was male, although he looked very effeminate, with armor resembling a dress. He had shaggy, blonde hair, and odd symbols painted on his dark face. He carried a nasty-looking weapon – a large, circular blade that he held with both hands. (2,000 ATK)

"Ho boy…" said Gears.

"Get 'im," said Mistle.

Sunflower rushed at Robotic Knight, and with one slash, cut it in two.

"Don't feel too bad," said Mistle. "Whenever Sunflower attacks, you gain 500 Life Points afterwards."

Sunflower blew a small cloud of pollen on Gears, and he winced as he started to glow with energy.

"But I still have Tulip!" continued Mistle.

Tulip leapt at Gears, and slashed at him with her blade again. Gears held his chest.

**(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,750)**

"Kind of powerful for a bunch of pretty flowers," asked Mistle, "wouldn't you say, Maurice?"

Gears glared at Mistle, and looked her in the eyes. The cold, cruel eyes that had replaced Mistle's soft, gentle ones.

He quickly drew the top card off of his deck.

"I don't know who you are, demon," he snarled, "but now I _know_ that you're controlling Mistle! There's no _way_ she'd ever call me that! Even in our worst arguments, she never called me by my real name…

"I play the Spell Card, Silent Doom! Now, I get to bring Robotic Knight back from the Graveyard in Defense Mode!"

Robotic Knight appeared again, kneeling and shielding itself. (1,800 DEF)

"And now…" he said, taking the last card in his hand, "I sacrifice it…"

Robotic Knight vanished.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!"

In a blast of dark energy, the robotic condor appeared, hovering over Gears's side of the field. (2,300 ATK)

"Mistle!" shouted Gears. "I know you're in there somewhere, and I'm going to drive this demon out if it kills me!

"Attack Floral Knight Tulip!"

Claíomh Solais breathed a blast of dark flames from its beak. Tulip groaned, and then burst into pixilated remains.

**(G: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)**

Mistle chuckled evilly.

"Want to play rough, do you?" she asked. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing…"

She drew a card.

"I set one Monster, and then move Sunflower to Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared. Then Sunflower knelt, holding his large blade in front of him. (1,200 DEF)

"And I end my turn…"

_Okay, deck,_ thought Gears, looking at his deck. _All I have right now is __Claíomh Solais … __You gotta give me a good card here…_

He made a draw. He looked at it.

Machine Duplication.

_CRUD! I was hoping for something better than THAT!_

"Claíomh Solais, attack Sunflower!" he shouted.

Claíomh Solais spewed flames again, and Sunflower was burned to ashes.

"That's all I can do…" he muttered.

"Got a bad draw?" asked Mistle, drawing a card. "And I thought you Shadowchasers prided yourselves on your drawing skills…"

She looked at the card, and the other two in her hand.

"Tell you what, I'm going to pass this turn… Maybe you'll be luckier now…"

Gears snarled, and made a draw.

_Well, that isn't a Monster,_ he thought, _but it is something…_

"I set this facedown," he said, placing it in his Disk.

"Then I attack with Claíomh Solais!"

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame again, and Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, right before it was blown to paste.

"I activate Mystic Tomato's effect!" laughed Mistle, taking her deck from its holder again. "Someone who likes Dark Monsters as much as you certainly won't need me to explain it…

"I Special Summon Regenerating Rose!"

In a burst of shadowy energy, a small creature appeared, that looked like a rose with a thick, thorny stem, and four thorny branches that suggested arms. (0 ATK)

"I have to end my turn…" muttered Gears.

Mistle grinned again, as she drew a card.

Regenerating Rose shielded itself with its branches. (1,500 DEF) Then a defensive Monster appeared next to it.

"Go ahead, Gears," said Mistle.

_All right, let's go!_ thought Gears, looking at his deck.

He drew a card.

_That'll do!_

"I summon Nanobreaker!" he exclaimed.

In a flash of light, a coldly beautiful woman with long, dark hair, dressed in cybernetic armor, holding a sword with a wavy blade appeared next to Claíomh Solais. (1,600 ATK)

"Claíomh Solais, destroy the facedown Monster first!" he ordered.

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame again. An incredibly ugly creature that seemed to be made out of algae appeared on the card, and exploded into flaming pieces.

"You just destroyed my Lord Poison!" laughed Mistle. "And when it loses a battle, I get to Special Summon any Plant from the Graveyard. Except for Lord Poison itself.

"You remember Tulip, right?"

Floral Knight Tulip appeared again, kneeling and shielding herself in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

Gears frowned.

"Nanobreaker, destroy her Rose!" he shouted. "Nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker flew at the blossom, and beheaded it with one stroke. The remains shattered.

"Thank you!" laughed Mistle. "When Regenerating Rose is destroyed, I get a bonus… Two Regenerating Rose Tokens!"

Two roses sprouted out of the ground in front of her. (1,200 DEF x2)

"Don't you see, Gears?" she said. "Attack my Monsters all you like… My plants will grow back, growing stronger and fuller, until your Allies of Justice are overgrown and broken.

"Technology comes and goes, and while it may cut down the shrubs and flowers that stand in their way, nature grows back, long after Machines are rusted and falling apart."

"_Most_ Machines," replied Gears. "The Allies of Justice were built in divine forges to repel a deadly threat from beyond the stars, and the beings who built them, built them to _last_!"

Mistle chuckled again.

"Then I'll make sure they last longer than you do!" she cackled. "I draw!"

She drew a card.

"I sacrifice my two Tokens…" she exclaimed.

Both Rose Tokens vanished.

"…to summon Floral Knight Rose!"

In an explosion of verdant energy, a new Floral Knight appeared. It was a woman with long black hair, brown eyes, dressed in crimson floral armor, carrying both a sword and a shield. (2,500 ATK)

"Attack Nanobreaker!" commanded Mistle.

Floral Knight Rose charged at Nanobreaker, and with one swipe of her sword, cleaved her in twain.

"Activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, the damage from your attack is reduced to zero, and I get to draw one card!"

He made a draw. He looked at it.

"Then it's your move…" chuckled Mistle.

Gears made another draw, and added it to his hand.

_Claíomh Solais is clearly her next target…_ he thought, _but I have to get rid of Tulip before she manages to summon something worse…_

"Claíomh Solais, attack Floral Knight Tulip!" he ordered.

Claíomh Solais screeched. It turned its weapon towards Tulip.

"Nice try, lover!" laughed Mistle, "but you didn't take Rose into account. Whenever you make an attack against one of my Floral Knights, Rose draws the attack to her!"

Claíomh Solais breathed its flame at Tulip, but Rose stepped in front of her, and swatted the blast aside. The flames fell back on Claíomh Solais, and it screeched again before it exploded.

"Ergh…" muttered Gears.

**(G: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)**

He took two cards from his hand.

"I'll set a Monster, and one facedown card," he said.

A set Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"…and I end my turn."

Mistle quickly drew a card.

"I activate my Trap!" exclaimed Gears.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Soul Resurrection. This lets me bring a Normal Monster back from the Graveyard in Defense Mode."

Robotic Knight appeared again, crouching and shielding himself. (1,800 DEF)

"HIM again?" laughed Mistle. "Well, he's a lightweight compared to who I'm bringing out next…

"I use Tulip's effect to get a Seed Token…"

Tulip took a seed out of her pouch, and dropped it on the ground. (0 DEF)

"…then, I sacrifice Tulip and my Token…"

Tulip and the Seed Token vanished into light particles.

"…to summon the Templar Knight of the Floral Knights! I summon… _Floral Knight Chrysanthemum_!"

Lightning flashed, and a tall, intimidating figure appeared on Mistle's side of the field. This Knight was definitely male, handsome with long, white hair. Like the others, he wore armor with a floral design, and it was pure white. He carried a long, gleaming Zweihänder in both hands. (2,500 ATK)

"Destroy that rust-bucket!" shouted Mistle.

Chrysanthemum leapt at Robotic Knight, and cleaved it right down the middle with his blade. The android sparked violently, and then exploded.

"And Chrysanthemum has a powerful effect," continued Mistle. "Whenever he destroys a Monster, my other Floral Knights get to attack directly, so long as I cut their Attack Scores in half."

Rose lifted her blade, and leapt at Gears. Her Attack Score fell to 1,250…

Gears grunted in pain as the sword slashed across his chest.

**(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,050)**

"Well…" said Mistle. "That's enough for one turn…

"So then, Gears… I've got two strong Monsters on my side of the field, and all you have is one card in your hand and a set Monster… It's Dekoichi, right?"

Gears looked at her.

"Even if it is," she said. "I doubt it would get you anything that could beat _both_ my Floral Knights. Why don't you just put the Disk away, and come up here and give me a little kiss?"

Gears wasn't going to fall for _that_. He knew that if he did, whatever happened to Mistle would likely happen to _him_.

He looked at the one card in his hand, which was Machine Duplication.

He closed his eyes, and reached for his deck…

He grunted, as he drew a card.

He slowly looked at it.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked Mistle.

"You are, Mr. Mind Control," said Gears. "You were exactly right about this facedown Monster…

"And I just drew the perfect card…

"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and a large freight car with a fiendish face on the front appeared in front of him. (500 ATK)

"Lucky…" said Mistle. "Ah, well… That only means Dekoichi will let you draw two cards instead of one…"

"Want a bet?" asked Gears, taking the last card in his hand. "I play Machine Duplication! Since Bokoichi only has 500 Attack Points, I get to summon two more of them!"

Two more Freightening Cars appeared. (500 DEF x2)

"But that means…" gasped Mistle.

"It means I'm back in this!" exclaimed Gears. "I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the diabolical steam engine appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"With three Bokoichis on the field when Dekoichi is flipped, I now get to draw four times!"

He made four draws. He quickly looked at them.

"And I'll just keep on going!" he continued. "By playing Double Summon! This Spell Card allows me a second Normal Summon this turn.

"So I'll sacrifice Dekoichi and one Bokoichi…"

Dekoichi and the Bokoichi in Attack Mode vanished into grains of light…

"…to summon the Monarch of Machine Life… The Perfect Machine King!"

In an explosion of flames and energy, a fifteen-foot-tall robot loomed over Gears's side of the field, crackling with electricity, covered with armored, seamless plating. (2,700 ATK)

"And for each Machine on the field, other than himself, Perfect Machine King gains 500 more Attack Points. I count two others."

(3,700 ATK)

"ATTACK!" shouted Gears. "Annihilate Floral Knight Rose with mega missile assault!"

Twin hatches on Perfect Machine King's shoulders opened, and a barrage of missiles blasted at Rose. She screamed and was blown to atoms. Mistle shielded herself from the impact.

**(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,850)**

"Feel better?" asked Mistle, with a frown.

"A little…" said Gears. "I'll end by setting this."

A facedown card appeared behind Perfect Machine King.

Mistle quickly drew a card.

"I move Chrysanthemum to Defense Mode…" she said.

Chrysanthemum knelt, and held his sword in his lap. (2,000 DEF)

"Then, I summon Arcane Archer of the Forest."

In another burst of verdant energy, a young man with blonde hair, dressed in leather armor, holding a shimmering, silver bow, appeared. (900 ATK)

"I know what you're thinking," she said. "You're thinking, what is she, nuts, summoning a weak Monster in Attack Mode when there's a giant goliath to deal with?

"Well, you can't attack my Archer so long as I have at least one Plant on my side of the field. But he can still attack your Bokoichis…"

Arcane Archer drew back his bow, and fired a burning arrow at the Bokoichi on the left. The Freightening Car's eyes bugged out, and it exploded into shards.

Perfect Machine King fell to an Attack Score of 3,200.

Mistle took another card from her hand, and set it in her Disk. It appeared facedown.

_A Trap Card…_ thought Gears. _I have to be careful here…_

He drew a card.

"Perfect Machine King," he said, "attack Chrysanthemum!"

The huge Machine aimed its missiles again…

Then a mass of thorny vines sprung out of the ground, seizing it and wrapping around its limbs.

"What's happening?" shouted Gears.

"I just activated my Trap Card!" laughed Mistle. "Thorn Wall! You try to attack one of my Plants when I have this, and it wipes out all of your Monsters in Attack Mode!"

The vines constricted, and Perfect Machine King exploded into slag.

Gears chuckled a little.

"What?" asked Mistle.

"I kind of figured that your facedown card was something like that," he said. "That's why I waited to summon this…"

He played a card.

"Machine King Prototype."

A man-sized, much less advanced version of the previous Machine appeared in front of Gears. (1,600 ATK)

"And it gains 100 more Attack Points for every other Machine on the field," he continued.

(1,700 ATK)

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

Mistle drew a card.

"I forgot to tell you about my Archer's other effect," she said. "He can destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards if I simply sacrifice a Plant Monster."

"But the only Plant you have right now is Chrysanthemum," replied Gears, "and I'm willing to bet that he's the strongest Monster in that deck. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?"

"Oh, I sure am," replied Mistle.

_She's nuts!_ thought Gears.

"I sacrifice Chrysanthemum," continued Mistle, as the Floral Knight vanished. "Archer, destroy the facedown card on the left!"

Arcane Archer of the Forest drew back his bow, and fired a bolt of energy at the facedown card…

"I chain it!" shouted Gears. "Threatening Roar!"

A loud bellow echoed over the field.

"I see," said Mistle. "Well, I can still play this…"

A Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"Miracle Fertilizer. Since I haven't Normal Summoned this turn, I can Special Summon a Plant Monster from my Graveyard. Guess who it is…"

Chrysanthemum appeared again, holding his Zweihänder aloft. (2,500 ATK)

"No wonder you were willing to sacrifice him," said Gears. "Wait… That card is a Continuous Spell…"

"That's right, Gears," replied Mistle. "I can continue to use the effect of Miracle Fertilizer, turn after turn, and continue to bring my Floral Knights back from the Graveyard, so long as I don't make any Normal Summons and none of the Monsters I summon with it leave the field. In a few turns, Chrysanthemum is going to be leading an army against your Machines. Assuming you last that long.

"Make your move…"

Gears drew one card.

He looked at it. It was Pot of Avarice.

_It all comes down to this…_ he thought.

"I activate Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing it.

Garadholg, Claíomh Solais, Dekoichi, Nanobreaker, and Robotic Knight fell out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and shuffled. Then he drew twice.

_Nice…_ he thought.

His last facedown card lifted.

"I activate Birthright!" he shouted. "I'll use it to bring one of my Bokoichis back from the Graveyard."

Another Bokoichi appeared beside the other one. (500 ATK)

"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!"

A windstorm erupted on the field, as the large, brass, robotic bird appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune it and Bokoichi together! Go!"

Cyclone Creator and the Freightening Car flew towards the ceiling. The two Machines split into five shimmering stars.

"Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!"

Catastor landed on Gears's side of the field, glowing with shimmering energy. (2,200 ATK)

"I'm not done…" continued Gears, taking the last card in his hand. "I play… Monster Reborn! Now, I can bring back Perfect Machine King!"

The glowing ankh appeared on his side of the field, and the huge robot appeared once again. (2,700 ATK)

"Now, let's add them up!" he continued. "I have a total of four Machines on the field. That means Perfect Machine King gains 1,500 more Attack Points, while Machine King Prototype gains 300."

Perfect Machine King rose to an Attack Score of 4,200, while Machine King Prototype rose to 1,900.

"And that's not all," said Gears. "Since I'm guessing that Floral Knight Chrysanthemum is certainly not a Dark Monster, that means that Catastor can defeat him in battle, even though its Attack Score is lower.

"So it's time to end this! Catastor, eradicate Floral Knight Chrysanthemum with platinum prism blast!"

Catastor blasted its beam of energy at the Floral Knight, and Chrysanthemum screamed, right before he was vaporized. Then the Miracle Fertilizer card shattered.

"Machine King Prototype, attack her Arcane Archer with plasma blast!"

The Prototype's eyes glowed. It blasted a beam of energy from them, and Arcane Archer of the Forest exploded in a fiery blast.

"Argh!" cried Mistle, reeling in pain.

**(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,850)**

"Perfect Machine King…" said Gears.

The hatches on the huge robot's shoulders opened.

"Gears, stop!" screamed Mistle.

Gears paused. That was Mistle's normal voice.

He looked at her.

"Please…" she begged.

She held out her hand.

Gears looked at her. He looked in her eyes.

For a brief moment, he saw the eyes he was familiar with, the soft, gentle ones that truly belonged to Mistle…

Then, a flash of lightning illuminated the room, and he saw those cold, inhuman eyes once again.

His own eyes narrowed…

"You almost fooled me…" he growled.

"Attack directly!"

Perfect Machine King blasted its rockets, and the thing with Mistle's face laughed evilly as they honed in on her, striking her, and finally causing her to collapse.

**(G: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Gears breathed a sigh of relief.

He walked up to Mistle, who was out cold.

He bent down, and felt her pulse. Fortunately, it was strong.

He noticed the card she had dropped, the last card she had in her hand.

_Lightning Vortex!_ he thought. _She didn't use it on her last turn because it would have meant tossing her Miracle Fertilizer…_

_If her ruse had worked, she would have wiped out my whole side on her next turn…_

_When I catch whoever did this to her, he's gonna be very, very sorry…_

"Hang in, there, Mistle," he said, as he hit a number on his cell phone. "I'm calling for help…

"Shichiro? It's me… You'd better come with the station wagon… And tell Jinx to ready the infirmary.

"Yeah, it's kinda an emergency… Come quick… I'll explain on the way…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The rain continued to pour, and not even the luxury of the Tops could shield its residents from the downpour. Somewhere behind the clouds, the sun must have gone down, because night started to creep over the city.

The infirmary of the townhouse was rather small. It only had one bed, as the residents didn't expect to treat more than one injured member of their own at once. Usually when a Shadow was injured, a normal hospital would suffice. Not even a doctor could see through the veil unless he was Aware, and if a Shadow needed special help that human medicine couldn't provide, the Shadowchasers were allied with several doctors who were indeed Aware.

But right now, Mistle was clearly a special case.

Gears was beside himself with worry as Jinx mopped Mistle's brow. She was lying on the infirmary's bed, securely strapped down.

Shichiro checked a readout on a screen.

"Her blood pressure is fine," he said. "In fact, it's better than mine."

"Very funny!" shouted Gears, angrily. "Do we HAVE to restrain her?"

"Gears, we know you're upset," replied Shichiro. "But she attacked you… She's dangerous.

"And if DaPen is truly controlling her, do you realize the risk we're taking by even letting her into the townhouse?"

"A risk that must be taken if there is any hope of saving her," said Jalal's voice, as he appeared in holographic form.

"Can she be cured, boss?" asked Gears.

"There's no sign in her system of demonic possession," replied Jalal, "or spiritual malevolence, or enchantment magic."

"So what does that leave us with?" asked Jinx.

"Psionic enslavement," replied Jalal. "Clearly, our hunch about paranatural beings was correct. We're opposing someone with mental powers who can not only read minds, but control them. This is similar to how Marik enslaved humans using the Millennium Rod, only it is using psychic abilities rather than sorcery."

"Man…" muttered Shichiro. "If the Arcadia Movement ever found someone this powerful, they'd likely be running the city…"

"The Arcadia Movement?" said a voice they hadn't heard before. "Pardon me for being blunt, but I've seen circus carnies with better mental abilities."

They all turned to Mistle. Her eyes had opened, and were cold and inhuman again.

"Louis DaPen, I presume?" asked Shichiro, angrily.

"So pleased to make your acquaintance," replied DaPen, through Mistle's mouth. "Nice townhouse you have… Could use a few things… Maybe some new wallpaper. I know someone who's in the interior decorating business. I'd give you his card, if I were here in person."

"I demand that you release Mistle!" ordered Jalal.

"And what will you do if I don't?" asked DaPen. "My true body is in Satellite, in a heavily fortified compound, protected by psionic wards, and dozens of armed guards. And by the way, in regards to those guards, I _didn't_ do to them what I did to Mistle. They work for me entirely by free will.

"It is incredibly easy recruiting henchmen from the residents of Satellite. I mean, almost none of them when would prefer to work as slave labor in the recycling plants when I offer them far better food, medicine, and clothing than Godwin ever does."

"So what are you planning to do?" asked Jinx. "Form the population of Satellite into an army to overthrow Godwin?"

DaPen chuckled.

"If I am," he replied, "that would certainly be a long-term plan."

"Listen, DaPen," said Gears, "Mistle is worthless to you as a slave now. She's strapped down to that bed, and she isn't nearly strong enough to break free. And I'm pretty sure that controlling her is costing you energy that you'd rather be using elsewhere."

"Hmm… A valid point," replied DaPen. "But I still could benefit from her in other ways… After all, you folks owe me, I would think. Security impounded Scully's D-Wheel when they arrested him. Those things aren't cheap, you know. Not to mention all the money I spent on those expensive chemicals and medical supplies in Fogg's office."

"You seem more concerned over the loss of money than the loss of henchmen," replied Shichiro.

"Henchmen are easily replaced, as I've already noted," said DaPen. "Things like D-Wheels are harder.

"Still, I'm not heartless… Since you Shadowchasers handle everything by dueling, I'll wager Mistle in a duel…

"Against you, Mr. Osaka."

"Just tell me when and where!" answered Shichiro.

"Midnight," replied DaPen. "At the Pandemonium Arena. Bring your D-Wheel. My representative will be waiting.

"And one more thing, Mr. Osaka… If you want me to ante up the mind of this nymph, you're going to have to wager your own…"

Then Mistle fell unconscious again.

Shichiro reached for his coat.

"The Pandemonium Arena," said Jinx. "I heard about that place… It was one of Godwin's… Business failures."

"What do you mean?" asked Gears.

"Some architect who worked for him figured that fans would pay more to see Turbo Duels where the arena was rigged with hazards," replied Jinx, "making the track harder to circumnavigate. So Pandemonium was built, a Turbo Duel track full of dangerous booby traps.

"But soon after opening, something went terribly wrong. The hazards were too dangerous. A duelist crashed because of one, and he lost a leg because of it.

"An editorial in the _Daily Duel_ called it 'the biggest mistake in dueling since the Monster Con Invitational'…"

"What was that?" asked Ember.

"Oh, I remember _that_," said Gears. "It was a charity event that a club called the White Blades held five years ago. Eight winners of major tournaments were invited to compete in a tournament where a special house rule was in play – their decks could contain only Monsters."

"That… sounds interesting…" said Ember.

"Yeah," said Gears. "Interesting until every one of them decided to use Monarchs. With eight contestants using the same basic strategy, the tournament became as interesting as watching paint dry."

"Anyway," said Jinx, "getting back to the main topic… Godwin ended up paying a great deal of money in compensation, and after that, no duelist would go near Pandemonium.

"He closed the place down, intending to renovate it into a safer arena, but work hasn't started yet."

"Shichiro, be on your guard," said Jalal. "Most likely, DaPen has stacked the odds in his favor for this duel, if he intends to play fair at all."

"Don't worry," said Gears. "All it will take is a little hacking, and we'll be able to keep tabs on the duel from here."

"But the hard part falls on me…" said Shichiro.

He put his hand on Mistle's forehead.

"Rest easy, Mistle," he said.

_**If you want to know exactly what I was doing during this whole conversation, I was just making myself scarce, sitting in a corner and listening. I didn't feel it was my place to voice my opinion. But if I had made it, I would have said that I thought this was a fool's gambit. DaPen was likely leading Shichiro into a trap, and a duel that he had total control over. And I also realized that even if Shichiro won, there was no guarantee that DaPen would keep his word.**_

_**Shichiro likely realized it too, but he knew that it was likely the only way they could possibly save Mistle from the grim hold that DaPen had on her. As the rain continued to pour down on Neo Domino as midnight approached, Shichiro felt only one thing: determination…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SEED POD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type Monster from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT LILY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** Trap Cards cannot be activated in response to this card's attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT TULIP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** During your Standby Phase that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may Special Summon 1 "Seed Token" (Plant/Earth/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position. "Seed Tokens" cannot be used as a Tribute except for a Tribute Summon of a Plant-Type Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT PETUNIA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card attacks a Monster in Attack Position, destroy that Monster without applying damage calculation. When this card is attacked while in Defense Position, it is destroyed without applying damage calculation.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT SUNFLOWER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card attacks, after damage calculation, increase your opponent's Life Points by 500.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT ROSE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** If a "Floral Knight" Monster you control is selected as an attack target when this card is face up on your side of the field, you may switch the target to this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL KNIGHT CHRYSANTHEMUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, all other "Floral Knight" Monsters you control may attack directly for the remainder of the Battle Phase with their Attack Scores halved.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLORAL ARRANGEMENT (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** An extravagant bouquet of exotic flowers.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a Plant-Type Monster you control is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon any number of Plant-Type Monsters from your hand. Pay Life Points equal to 100 x the combined Levels of the Special Summoned Monsters.

_Note: The proceeding eight cards were created by Mystic Clown for his fanfic "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Six Avatars". Creative credit goes to him._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_In the condemned, but still working arena, Shichiro is forced into a dangerous Turbo Duel against the dark elf __Kor'mal, with poor Mistle on the line. And Kor'mal is not going to give him an easy time, using a deck that he believes can destroy the strategy of any duelist who depends on Synchro Monsters, while preserving his own power. Can Shichiro possibly defeat this powerful lock? "Flame Dancer" is coming up next._


	10. Flame Dancer

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Flame Dancer**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Pandemonium…**_

_**Any duelist would recognize the name. It's the Field Spell that you need to safely use Archfiend Monsters. Of course, when you thought about it, the name didn't fit an arena that was built exclusively for Turbo Duels. That card would never be played within its walls. Even if a duelist in such a duel was willing to take 2,000 points of damage to activate a Spell that wasn't a Speed Spell, Field Spells would be **_**completely**_** worthless, as there was no way to displace Speed World.**_

_**Whoever named the place likely took inspiration from the original source that the word came from, which is what inspired the name of the card. In Milton's **_**Paradise Lost**_**, it was a city that served as the capitol of Hell. In later years, it also came to mean Hell in general, and when not capitalized, a state of chaos and uproar.**_

_**It was a fitting name for the place Shichiro was now driving to, a dueling arena rigged with booby traps that had cost one poor duelist his leg… And we had no idea at the time just how dirty DaPen was planning on fighting…**_

Shichiro sped through the dark streets, with the rain still coming down. He casually glanced at the digital clock on his dashboard. He'd be there with time to spare.

As the Pandemonium Arena came into view, one would instantly notice the difference between it and other arenas in the city. It was dark, without even street lights nearby, and the entrances were boarded up.

Most of them, that is.

A sign out front said "No Trespassing; Building Under Renovation". The front door had been boarded up once, but someone had recently torn the boards off.

Shichiro got the idea. Whoever he was supposed to meet was already there.

"Well, at least he won't keep me waiting," he muttered.

He shifted gears, and drove his bike up the steps and into the entrance. From there it was a quick ride to the stadium.

The place was dark. He turned his D-Wheel's headlight to max intensity and looked around. The seats were empty, and the whole place had a dark, hellish theme. It looked like a cross between a race track and the actual Pandemonium Spell Card.

"All right, DaPen!" he shouted. "I'm here! Let's get this over with!"

Then every light in the place came on at once. Shichiro shielded his eyes.

"Right on time," said a voice coming from the center. "Afraid DaPen couldn't make it. You'll have to settle for me."

Shichiro looked up, and saw the dark elf, standing beside his own D-Wheel. He casually lit a cigarette.

"That's a filthy habit," said Shichiro.

"Oh, c'mon," replied the Shadow. "Someone like me doesn't exactly have to worry about stunting his growth."

That was true enough. Elves of all sorts tended to be slim and almost petite. This one was about five-foot-ten, which was tall for a male.

"Name's Kor'mal Ka'duren," he continued. "I imagine you've heard of me?"

"You're right," said Shichiro.

"So you've heard of me?" asked Kor'mal.

"No, you're imagining it," replied Shichiro. "Who are you, some sort of assassin?"

"Well, let me put it this way," replied Kor'mal. "Ever hear of Glass-Eyed Eddie?"

"No," replied Shichiro.

Kor'mal looked at him funny.

"How about Sid the Snail?" he asked.

"No," replied Shichiro.

Kor'mal shrugged.

"Well, I guess it's for the better…" he said. "I have to keep a low profile, after all…"

"Listen, you glorified house-husband," growled Shichiro, "I just want to duel you, and get this done with…"

Kor'mal glared at Shichiro. A look of pure rage appeared in his eyes. He took the cigarette in his fist and clenched it, crushing it into dust.

Shichiro had hit the right pressure point. Calling a male dark elf a "glorified house-husband" would hurt him a lot. Dark elf clans were always strictly matriarchal, and males had almost no say in their governing. A male dark elf's status always depended on how high-ranking his mate was, but no matter how high the rank he had, it was never more than a symbolic one. The only way a male dark elf could ever truly become anything more than a servant was to leave his clan. And that wasn't a very good idea, because very few Shadows were safe outside of their clans.

Then he closed his eyes.

"Fine…" he said. "We'll duel…

"And I'll take you through Hell before it's over…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the infirmary of the townhouse, both Gears and Jinx had set up two laptop computers. (They weren't going to leave Mistle, in case DaPen decided to communicate through her again.) With Ember watching, Jinx viewed what was happening with Shichiro, as Gears looked something else up.

"Think Shichiro can beat this guy?" asked Ember.

"Oh, please," replied Jinx. "Shichiro has taken down dark elf priestesses. This guy is likely nothing more than some exile and gun-for-hire."

"Well, if what he said is true, he's a good one," said Gears.

"Huh?" said Jinx.

"I looked up those two names he mentioned," replied Gears. "Glass-Eyed Eddie and Sid the Snail. Those were pseudonyms for Edward Coppleman and Sidney Lorenge. They were two mob bosses who had considerable power a few years ago, but were murdered via the order of a rival gang. According to this, the assassin dueled both of them before killing them, using special equipment."

"So this guy is a gangland assassin?" asked Ember.

"A gangland dueling assassin," replied Gears.

"If this guy handled 'hits' that big, he must be at least somewhat dangerous…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro and Kor'mal faced each other at the starting point.

The card flashed into existence on both dashboards, transforming the Pandemonium Arena into the shimmering realm of Speed World.

"_Duel Mode; autopilot stand by," _said the computerized voice of Shichiro's D-Wheel.

"Oh, one more thing…" said Kor'mal. "DaPen was able to turn the 'special' features of this arena back on. Just so you know…"

"Terrific…" muttered Shichiro, sarcastically.

The two D-Wheels sped off from the starting point.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Kor'mal: 8,000)**

_Sooner I get this over with,_ the better, thought Shichiro, drawing a card. _Hang on, Mistle…_

"I summon Axe Raider!" he shouted.

A shimmering portal opened in Speed World, and Axe Raider leapt out, holding his weapon aloft. (1,700 ATK)

"That will do for now…"

Kor'mal drew a card, and both Speed Counters clicked up to one.

Under his helmet, the dark elf smiled slightly when he saw what the card was. He quickly chose another.

"Not bad," he said, "but I have a better one… I summon Berserk Gorilla!"

Another portal opened, and another man-sized form flew out, a very angry gorilla with dark red fur. It beat its chest and roared with rage. (2,000 ATK)

"Attack! Flatten his Warrior!"

Berserk Gorilla bellowed like, well, an ape, and flew at Axe Raider, smashing its fist into him. The Warrior was blown to shards.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)**

"Know what I don't get about this guy?" asked Kor'mal. "He's an Earth Monster, but on the card art, he's breathing fire."

"You don't say?" replied Shichiro.

"Yeah, I kinda feel cheated…" said Kor'mal.

He hit a button on the side of his dashboard.

"So let's start some fires some other way, eh?"

Before Shichiro could question what he meant, two steel nozzles protruded from the wall slightly ahead of him…

He got the idea quickly. He swerved his bike, riding as low as possible, as two flamethrowers shot fire over him from both sides.

"Isn't that a gas?" asked Kor'mal. "I'll set two facedown cards, and then you can go…"

Two reversed cards flashed into being before fading from view.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx got up with a start.

"That dirty…" she started.

She turned to Gears.

"He's cheating!" she shouted. "He's got a set of controls on that D-Wheel that lets him control the booby traps in that arena!"

"I noticed," said Gears, bringing something up on his screen. "DaPen clearly hacked into the system… Godwin must have let the security for that arena lapse.

"Well, we'll see about that…"

He opened a case that contained several CD disks.

"DaPen," he said, typing in something on his screen. "If you think you impress me with this outright attempt at foul play, you are sadly mistaken…

"You're not the only one who can hack a system…"

He placed the disk in the computer's CD drive.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro quickly drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to two.

_I gotta crush that ape before it goes bananas,_ he thought.

"I summon Marauding Captain!" he shouted.

In a flash of energy, the battle-worn Warrior appeared, holding his twin swords aloft, his cape flying in the wind. (1,200 ATK)

"Next, I use his effect to bring out Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in Defense Mode!"

In another flash of energy, Warrior Lady leapt out onto the field. She shielded herself with her arms. (1,200 DEF)

"And that's all for now…"

Kor'mal chuckled and drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to three.

"I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf!" he shouted.

In another aura of energy, another bestial Monster appeared. It looked like a humanoid wolf, with silver-white fur, four arms, strange tattoos on its fur, and wearing a leather kilt. (2,000 ATK)

_Another Level 4 Monster with 2,000 Attack Points?_ thought Shichiro. _This guy isn't fooling around…_

"Berserk Gorilla," ordered Kor'mal, "crush his Captain!"

The Gorilla bellowed again, and flew at Marauding Captain, throwing a punch that blew him to pieces.

"Now, my Warwolf attacks as well! Warped rage!"

The Warwolf howled, and made a slash at Warrior Lady, tearing her to shreds.

**(S: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)**

"I use her effect!" shouted Shichiro. "I Special Summon Millennium Shield!"

In a glowing aura of energy, Millennium Shield appeared in front of Shichiro. (0 ATK)

Kor'mal smirked again.

_Perfect,_ he thought, looking at one of his facedown cards. _He's doing just what I expected…_

_Boy, is he gonna be surprised…_

"My move!" shouted Shichiro.

He drew a card. Both Speed Counters clicked up to four.

"I send Noisy Gnat to the Graveyard," he continued, "to boost the Level of Millennium Shield from 5 to 6."

He discarded the card, and the Insect with the blaring boom box appeared behind him. Millennium Shield glowed with a pale light.

"Next, I summon Jutte Fighter!"

He quickly played the card, and Jutte Fighter materialized next to Millennium Shield. (700 ATK)

"Well, what do you know?" asked Kor'mal. "A Tuner! Sorry, pal, but this time, I'm gonna leave you cold…"

One of his facedown cards flipped up.

"Or hot… Depends on your point of view… I activate Flickering Sea Fire!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro. "A Trap Card?"

"A Continuous Trap Card," said Kor'mal. "A very powerful one. As long as it's in play, neither player can send Monsters to the Graveyard unless they're destroyed."

Shichiro stopped short.

"Seems I just threw a wrench in your machinery," said Kor'mal. "Big time…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I… don't get it…" said Ember.

"I certainly do," replied Jinx. "Sending Monsters to the Graveyard is required for both Tribute Summoning _and_ Synchro Summoning!

"With that card in play, Shichiro's usual strategy is shut down. He won't be able to summon anything more powerful than Level 4 aside from that Shield."

"But…" said Ember. "That Trap Card affects both duelists, right?"

"Just look at the two Monsters Kor'mal has, Ember!" replied Jinx. "His deck is likely full of the strongest Level 4 Monsters in the game! He doesn't _need_ to send Monsters to the Graveyard to win, so long as he can prevent his opponent from doing so!"

"Don't count our boy out yet," said Gears, who was busy typing. "He took down an F.G.D. once, remember?"

"How could I forget?" asked Jinx. "He reminds us all the time."

"Well, he can certainly get around some little Trap Card," said Gears. "Just keep supporting him. And say a good luck prayer for me while you're at it. Much as I hate to admit it, DaPen is clearly a genius. He must have hacked into Godwin's own system to insert some sort of program into that arena's features… I don't know if I even _can_ shut it down!

"C'mon, Maurice, you idiot… Think! There must be some way into this system…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So…" said Kor'mal. "I've completely cut you off from your Synchros… What are you gonna do now?"

"It's still my turn, pal!" shouted Shichiro. "You forget, Jutte Fighter is not only a Tuner, he's an Effect Monster.

"And I'm using his effect… To shift Berserk Gorilla to Defense Mode."

Jutte Fighter jabbed with his jutte. Berserk Gorilla seethed with rage, and shielded itself with its arms. (1,000 DEF)

"Aw, _crud_!" shouted Kor'mal. "Berserk Gorilla can't defend! If it tries to…"

A massive blast and a plume of flame erupted around Kor'mal's bike as Berserk Gorilla exploded.

"Was _that_ what you were trying to say?" asked Shichiro. "I'll move Millennium Shield to Defense Mode…"

There was very little change in Millennium Shield's appearance, but it was now defending. (3,000 DEF)

"…and then I'll set one card facedown…"

A reversed card flashed into existence in front of him.

"You are gonna go down in flames, buddy," said Kor'mal, hitting another button on his bike.

Quickly, Shichiro braced himself. A weapon appeared in the ceiling in front of him, and fired a round of rivets like a machine gun at his bike. They bounced off the windshield of the D-Wheel, leaving one crack. If Gears hadn't used reinforced glass, it would have shattered and flown into his face.

"My move!" shouted Kor'mal, drawing a card.

The two Speed Counters rose to five apiece.

"I summon Vorse Raider!"

In another blast of energy, the savage Beast-Warrior carrying a nasty axe appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack his Jutte Fighter!" he shouted.

Vorse Raider snarled, and flew at the small Warrior.

"I don't think so!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card spun around. "Go, Negate Attack!"

Vorse Raider's axe slammed against an invisible shield. Kor'mal growled.

He took another card from his hand and set it in his console. A second facedown card flashed into play.

"Your move…" he growled.

Shichiro drew a card, as the two Speed Counters rose to six.

"I activate another Trap Card!" shouted Kor'mal, as the one he had just set lifted.

"Skill Drain?!" gasped Shichiro.

"That's right!" laughed Kor'mal. "I just have to pay 1,000 Life Points, and this Trap Card nullifies the effects of all Effect Monsters."

"And I'm guessing that most of your Monsters don't even have any Effects to lose," replied Shichiro. "Well, I can still hurt you…

"Since my Speed Counters are at least four, I can play Speed Spell – Dual Vortex!"

The Speed Spell flashed onto the field in front of him.

"This requires us each to trade a Monster. And I'm choosing Jutte Fighter."

Kor'mal sneered. He hit another button on his console.

Shichiro didn't have time to react this time. A series of explosions went off under his bike, and he struggled to keep it steady.

_He's still standing…_ thought Kor'mal. _He must have dwarven blood…_

"If I must trade," he said, "I choose Vorse Raider."

The two Monsters vanished, and then switched places.

"I always wanted to give one of these guys a spin," said Shichiro. "Vorse Raider, attack Jutte Fighter!"

Vorse Raider flew at the small Tuner. Jutte Fighter simply closed his eyes as it stuck, blasting him to pieces.

Kor'mal groaned, and his bike teetered as his Counters were knocked down one.

**(S: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,800)**

"My move!" he shouted.

He drew a card. His own Counters rose to six, while Shichiro's rose to seven.

"Eh…" he said, looking at his hand.

His facedown card lifted up and spun around.

"I activate Common Charity," he said. "Now, I get to draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

"…so long as I then remove a Normal Monster in my hand from play…"

He took a Charcoal Inpachi from his hand, and deposited it in a special slot in his console.

"I summon a second Gene-Warped Warwolf!" exclaimed Kor'mal. "Two times the terror!"

In a burst of energy, a twin of the first Warwolf appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"First Warwolf, attack that treacherous Beast-Warrior!"

The Warwolf flew at Vorse Raider, and with one slash, blew it to bits.

**(S: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,800)**

"Did you just call that Monster 'treacherous'?" asked Shichiro. "Wow, talk about the pot calling the kettle black. I've heard that treachery and dark elves are two peas in a pod. A dark elf would betray anyone if she'd benefit from it, and almost all of your leaders got their positions by assassinating their predecessors."

"I know!" shouted Kor'mal. "My old clan leader was the sister of the previous one, but that didn't stop her from confronting her during a holiday festival and challenging her for leadership via mortal combat. It was the bloodiest spectacle I ever saw!

"We have a crazy system! Why do you think I left?"

"Hey, don't blow a fuse," said Shichiro.

"Not a bad idea," replied Kor'mal.

He hit the button on his console again, and Shichiro braced himself as an electric surge shot through his bike. He screamed.

He panted to catch his breath, and checked the controls. His D-Wheel was still holding together, but he'd have to win this fast…

…somehow.

Kor'mal set a card, and a new facedown card appeared.

"End!" he shouted.

Shichiro quickly made a draw. His Counters clicked up to eight, while his opponent's went to seven.

He looked at the three cards he had.

"Pass…" he said.

"You think you can hide behind that Shield forever?" shouted Kor'mal.

"Well, how the heck are you gonna get by it?" asked Shichiro. "You're bound by those two Trap Cards as much as I am, and there's no Level 4 or lower Monsters that can destroy it without using effects."

Kor'mal growled as he drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose by one again.

_Oh, I'll show you…_ he thought, looking at it.

His facedown card lifted.

"I activate Wasteland Tornado!" he shouted. "Now, I can destroy one of my own Spell or Trap Cards."

A very large tornado, similar to a Dust Tornado, but far bigger, formed on Kor'mal's side of the field. Skill Drain was blown to pieces.

_What is he up to?_ thought Shichiro.

"Then, I'm discarding these three Monsters…"

He quickly tossed three cards into his discard slot – Mad Dog of Darkness, Mystical Elf, and Gladiator Beast Andal.

"…to summon my ultimate beast!"

An explosion of pure energy blasted from behind his bike.

"I summon Montage Dragon!"

With a hellish roar, a huge, winged Dragon, with a dull grey hide and three vicious heads, rose behind Kor'mal's bike.

"And guess what, Shichiro? His Attack Score is 300 times the combined Levels of the three Monsters I just tossed… Since all three of them were Level 4, well… You seem to be pretty good at math…"

(3,600 ATK)

"I _hate_ math…" muttered Shichiro.

"Shatter his Shield!" ordered Kor'mal. "Attack with Power Collage!"

Montage Dragon's three heads roared again, and blasted three bolts of pure energy. The Millennium Shield was blown to bits like it was glass.

"Both of you, direct attack!" he ordered.

Both Gene-Warped Warwolves leapt at Shichiro, and leveled savage punches at the front of his D-Wheel. Shichiro strained, and struggled to hang on. His Speed Counters fell by four, going down to five.

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,800)**

Kor'mal gained speed, and sped ahead of Shichiro.

"Well, you've had the appetizer and the main course…" he said. "Guess I'll serve dessert too…"

He hit the button on his console again…

Then a shock came that he didn't expect. The flamethrowers emerged like before, but they didn't aim for Shichiro.

They aimed at him. And they didn't miss. He screamed as the flames seared at his clothing.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx and Ember looked up.

"Gears!" shouted Jinx. "Did you do that?"

"I did my best," replied Gears. "Godwin's system is far too secure to hack into. Without being able to do so, I can't override any programs in that arena, so I can't shut those traps down…

"But, jamming the signal on Kor'mal's bike that he was using to control them was much easier. The Pandemonium Arena isn't going to play favorites from now on."

"Let's hope it isn't too late," said Ember. "Shichiro is facing the nastiest Monster I ever saw, and he's not gonna last another round unless he thinks of something…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Kor'mal angrily activated a communication device hidden inside his helmet.

"DaPen!" he whispered. "My controls aren't working! You have to shut down the system!"

"I'm afraid that would be too risky," came the reply. "Hacking into Godwin's system was dangerous enough in the first place. If I do anything new at this point, someone might discover my intrusion, and I might be traced. I simply can't have that. You're going to have to make due."

"Listen to me, you fat bastard…" cursed Kor'mal.

He didn't get a chance to finish. DaPen hung up on him.

"All right, fine!" he shouted to Shichiro. "Your friend may have evened up the playing field, but you still can't defeat me! Why don't you just give up? You'll never summon a Monster stronger than this with my Trap Card on the field! I end my turn!

"I'll still beat you…" growled Shichiro.

_Dwarf blood nothing,_ thought Kor'mal. _If he had a beard, I'd swear he was a true dwarf. He's just as stubborn as they are…_

Shichiro closed his eyes. He made one draw. His Speed Counters rose up to six.

He looked at it.

_Got it!_ he thought.

"You're dead wrong, pal," he said. "Summoning that Dragon was a very, very big mistake. I had a feeling for a while that Flickering Sea Fire had a weakness. And that Dragon confirms that it does."

"Weakness?" replied Kor'mal.

"Yes, a weakness," replied Shichiro. "It only prevents me from sending Monsters to the Graveyard from the _field_.

"But, sending them there from my _hand_ is another story."

"What?" shouted Kor'mal. "Big deal! You can't Synchro Summon that way!"

"Whoever said I was _Synchro_ Summoning?" asked Shichiro.

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"I play Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!"

_A Fusion Summon?!_ thought Kor'mal, as his eyes opened wide.

Shichiro quickly discarded his remaining three cards into his discard slot. Then, all three cards, Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight appeared in front of him, and started flying around his D-Wheel.

"I fuse together Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight!" shouted Shichiro, as the cards vanished.

Then a sound like a celestial choir sounded over Speed World, and a gate of pure gold appeared behind him.

"Descend from your lofty heights, Royal Knight of the Higher Plane!" he shouted. "Descend… _Arcana Knight Joker_!"

Then the gates burst open, and Speed World was flooded with light. A Warrior appeared inside an aura of divine flames; clad in masterwork armor colored royal purple and gold, decorated with hearts, clubs, spades, and diamonds, and holding a massive sword. (3,800 ATK)

"Thirty-eight-hundred Attack Points?!" screamed Kor'mal. "Wait! Time out! Hold on!"

"Joker!" commanded Shichiro. "Destroy his Dragon!"

Arcana Knight Joker let out a roar, and leapt at Montage Dragon, holding his blade in both hands. He cleaved right down its center. The Dragon bellowed, and then burst into shards.

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 5,600)**

"I end my turn…" said Shichiro.

Kor'mal's hand trembled as he drew a card.

He gasped as he saw what it was. It was his second Flickering Sea Fire. The card that had helped him so many times before, and it was a dead draw now.

"No choice!" he shouted. "I'll move both my Warwolves to Defense Mode, and hang on!"

Both Warwolves shielded themselves with all four arms. (100 DEF x2)

Shichiro drew a card, as his Speed Counter clicked up a notch, to seven.

"Seems you're about to discover that Monsters that are high on offense tend to have a weakness," he said.

"They tend to be lousy on defense. I summon Hayabusa Knight!"

The portal opened again, and another Warrior flew out of it. He was slim, wore shining, decorated plate armor, and held a long rapier. His most distinguishing feature was his head, which was that of a falcon. (1,000 ATK)

"Attack the Warwolf on the left!" ordered Shichiro. "Peregrine saber slash!"

Hayabusa Knight flew at the first Warwolf in a blur, and cut it in half with a slash of his blade.

"And guess what?" continued Shichiro. "Hayabusa Knight gets to attack a second time!"

Hayabusa Knight made another slash, cutting the second Warwolf in twain.

"Now, Joker, attack him directly!"

Joker flew at Kor'mal's D-Wheel, and Kor'mal screamed as the massive Warrior made a flyby slash with his blade. Kor'mal's Counter fell three places, to seven.

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 1,800)**

"Oh, Kor'mal?" said Shichiro. "Heads up…"

"Huh?" said Kor'mal.

Apparently, Pandemonium's special features had kicked in again, and conjured up a wall of fire this time, right in the path of the two duelists. Shichiro shielded himself as he drove through it, and he had conditioned himself to pain long ago, but his foe hardly had time to do the same. Kor'mal screamed again.

Shichiro's two Monsters effortlessly flew through the flames, seeing as they were immune to any hazards that the arena could create.

"By the way, buddy," said Shichiro, once they were finally past it, "it's your move…"

For a brief instant, Kor'mal considered turning himself in…

Then he decided against it, and drew a card.

Then he grinned evilly, as he saw what it was.

He placed it in his console, and a reversed card appeared.

"That's all!" he said.

"I draw!" shouted Shichiro.

He looked at the card.

"All right Joker, time to rescue Mistle!" he said. "Finish him off!"

Joker nodded, and lifted his sword. He flew at Kor'mal again.

"Hate to disappoint you," laughed Kor'mal. "Activate… Magic Cylinder!"

His facedown card lifted.

"Sorry, but it won't work!" replied Shichiro. "When Joker is targeted by any card at all, I can discard the same type of card to negate it."

He discarded the card he had just drawn.

"So I'll toss my Birthright, which is a Trap Card, to negate your Trap Card!"

Kor'mal watched in horror as his Trap was blown to pieces and Joker closed in again.

He screamed one last time, as the huge sword slammed into him…

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 0)**

Kor'mal's D-Wheel skidded to a halt, with steam pouring out of its engine. Kor'mal fell limply to the ground.

Shichiro quickly got off of his own bike, and grabbed him by the collar.

"Okay pal," he said. "Talk! I won the duel, now where's DaPen!"

Then Kor'mal's eyes opened, and he laughed. Shichiro recognized those eyes… They were the same cold eyes that he had seen in Mistle.

"Why I'm right here, Mr. Osaka," he said, in a voice that clearly wasn't Kor'mal's.

"DaPen?" asked Shichiro.

"Yes, Mr. Osaka, it is I…" said DaPen. "Kor'mal really should have known better. I really don't like people who resort to name calling… It's simply not polite.

"What can I say? He had a sound strategy… But even when you prepare for every contingency, go over everything a hundred times, I guess that no plan is truly foolproof."

"Listen, DaPen…" growled Shichiro. "I won the duel, so let Mistle go, or I'll…"

"Eh, very well…" replied DaPen. "Never let it be said that I didn't keep my word… Your friend was right, after all. She's useless to me as a slave now anyway…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the infirmary at the townhouse, Mistle suddenly woke up, and screamed.

"Mistle!" shouted Gears.

He ran over to her, and held her by the shoulders. Mistle screamed again.

"Easy, easy!" said Gears.

He looked in her eyes, and was relieved to see that they were Mistle's true eyes, her soft, beautiful ones, even thought they were now full of fear.

He hugged her.

"Calm down Mistle…" he said. "It's all right… He can't hurt you now…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro had not relaxed his hold on Kor'mal's body that DaPen was speaking through, even after Jinx had called him on his cell.

"Thanks Jinx," he said.

He hung up.

"Why?" he asked DaPen. "Why keep your word when you didn't have to?"

"To show you I could," replied DaPen. "To keep you guessing as to the limits of my power. After all, I might have lost tonight, but no big deal. I enjoy a challenge.

"Do you think my climb to the top of the world of organized crime was easy?"

"Well…" said Shichiro.

"I'll answer you," continued DaPen. "It was. It was _too_ easy. Outwitting and dominating the other crime bosses was so easy, it was almost laughable. Of course, being a Shadowkind with my unique abilities helped a great deal.

"Some other crime bosses often speak of me and say, 'It's as if he can read my mind or something'. They have little idea how close to the truth that statement is."

"Who are you?" asked Shichiro. "_What_ are you?"

"I'm someone with big plans," said DaPen. "I've grown tired of running rackets and contraband trades, and the other stuff that the mob usually limits itself to. I've decided to expand. Take things to a much grander scale.

"Ever see _The Untouchables_ Mr. Osaka? You can consider yourself Eliot Ness, and me Al Capone. Just without Prohibition. And I assure you, before we reach the conclusion, Neo Domino is going to be shaken up… A lot…"

"I got news for you, DaPen," growled Shichiro, "at the end of that movie, Capone loses."

"That tends to be the case with most villains in movies, isn't it?" asked DaPen.

"It was based on Ness's autobiographical account," replied Shichiro.

"You are clever," replied DaPen. "But will that be enough?

"I'll be seeing you again… But whether you see me or not… That depends on how alert you are…"

Then Kor'mal went slack, his eyes still open.

Shichiro snapped his fingers in front of his face a few times.

No good. DaPen had clearly taken offense at "fat bastard".

"Lovely…" muttered Shichiro.

Then he noticed something in Kor'mal's front pocket. A game card.

He took it out and looked at it.

Cloudian – Sheep Cloud.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now two in the morning.

Ember had volunteered to go home, but Jinx had quickly offered her a bed, saying that the townhouse had room for six members of a team if it ever got that big. After seeing how big and comfortable the room looked, Ember could not resist.

Gears was hugging Mistle tightly and feeding her some hot broth with medicinal herbs in it. Jalal watched, and slowly went over Mistle's condition with a device that he could use through his projected image.

"Mistle…" he finally said. "I know it has been traumatic for you… But when you saw DaPen, did you happen to see his true form?"

Mistle paused.

"Yes, I…" she said.

Then she stopped short. She shuddered in fear. Sweat poured down her brow.

"Mistle?" asked Gears.

"Easy, Mistle," said Jalal. "Go to sleep now…"

Mistle reclined, and fell fast asleep.

"Boss, what happened?" asked Gears.

"Mistle saw DaPen's true form," said Jalal, "and the image of it exists somewhere in her memory. But trying to access that memory fills her with horror for some reason."

"So DaPen is _that_ terrifying to look at?" asked Gears.

"Either that," replied Jalal, "or his species is one of such legendary infamy that the mere mention of them is enough to cause fear in the average Shadow. There are many Shadowkind that fit the profile…

"Beholders… Aboleth… Avolakia…"

"All of them would have a hard time hiding behind the veil," replied Gears.

"True, but it isn't impossible," said Jalal. "Give Mistle time, and perhaps once she gets over this terrible encounter completely, she can identify DaPen's species for us.

"Until then, DaPen has clearly thrown the gauntlet… We must remain… Ever vigilant…

"You'd best get some sleep as well…"

Gears sighed, and walked out of the infirmary. The first thing he saw was Shichiro, who was waiting in the hall.

"How is she?" he asked.

"Sleeping soundly," replied Gears. "But we have more problems. I wasn't able to get into Godwin's system, but I did learn something when I tried to. The program that did manage to, which hijacked control of the arena, was clearly the work of a shadowjack."

"Shadowjack…" muttered Shichiro. "I've heard Jalal use that term before…"

"Shadowjacks are computer hackers who use supernatural aid to trespass where they shouldn't over the network," replied Gears. "They can literally cast spells through a computer in order to bypass firewalls and computer defense systems, getting into them far easier than the average computer hacker.

"Clearly, this is how someone managed to hack into a system as secure as Godwin's."

"So DaPen is a shadowjack?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, him or someone who works for him," replied Gears. "With mental powers like his, he's certainly smart enough to be one.

"So what do we do now?"

"Dunno," replied Shichiro. "Maybe tomorrow I'll call our… contact regarding psychic powers."

Gears sighed.

"Why, so he can insult you again?" he asked. "Shichiro, talking to that guy never gets you anywhere."

"There's a first time for everything…" replied Shichiro. "But first and foremost, I need a shower…"

_**Thus ended my first day as a Shadowchaser. I had seen a lot in one day, and Jinx would later tell me that it was a lot for an apprentice to take in. She recalled her first day as an apprentice, when the most exciting thing that happened was going with her mentor when he went to be the mediator in a negotiation session between the most prominent high elf and dwarf clans in Neo Domino. (Well, "mediator" was putting it nicely. He was actually supposed to beat the crud out of them if it turned into a fight. Elves and dwarves are notorious for not playing nice with each other.)**_

_**I couldn't complain about the room I was given. As I lay on the queen-sized bed that was softer than any mattress I had ever owned before, I thought I might get to like this… If I moved out of my old apartment permanently and into this nice place, not having to pay my lease would do wonders. Of course, sharing a townhouse with three others would have been new to me, but I wouldn't even have to pay a share of the rent!**_

_**All seemed good for now… Of course, with this benefit, I knew that there came responsibilities, and more would come, along with the rising of the sun…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLICKERING SEA FIRE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** The ocean with fires burning among the waves.

**Card Description:** Neither player can send Monsters from the field to the Graveyard unless they are destroyed.

_Note: "Flickering Sea Fire" was first used by Misawa in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WASTELAND TORNADO (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A huge tornado of sand raging in a desert.

**Card Description:** Destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card that you control.

_Note: "Wasteland Tornado" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Second-Round Showdown (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARCANA KNIGHT JOKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 3,800  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** _"Queen's Knight" + "King's Knight" + "Jack's Knight"_

This card can only be Fusion Summoned using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. Once per turn, if this card is targeted by the effect of a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster, you can discard a card of the same type (Spell, Trap, or Monster) to negate the effect.

_Note: "Arcana Knight Joker" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Ember's path continues, with Jinx showing the way. As Ember slowly learns how to fight and other necessities she needs, investigations are done towards DaPen's true motives and identity. And to top it off, Jinx takes Ember on a trip into the decrepit berg of Satellite, where a challenge awaits that will set the Shadowchasers on a new path. "Legendary Sword" is coming up next._


	11. Legendary Sword

_Author's note: The events of this chapter occur in the mid-point of episode 28, some time after Yusei's duel with Dick Pitt, but before the events of the next episode. The Dark Signers have made their first true move, and the forces of Evil wait with eager anticipation. However, the balance of power is still evenly distributed in Neo Domino._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Legendary Sword**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**As excited as I was, it may have not been the best time to join the Shadowchasers, at least not in this part of the world. You see, Godwin was more on the ball than Shichiro thought. He was entirely correct about a group of Demon Lords – who as I later found out were more properly referred to as "Earthbound Gods" – being imprisoned under the Nazca Lines. To make things worse, their minions were preparing to strike, in a conflict that would rattle the streets of Neo Domino.**_

_**As a result, supernatural activity was at an all-time high. Shadows could sense it, and they were very nervous. Jalal knew about the threat posed by the Earthbound Gods, but he knew that the Shadowchasers could not combat them, at least not at first. Only their true enemies, the group known as the Signers, could properly stand against them. (The Signers were a group that consisted of Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, and a few others.) Jalal was in discussion with a few other powerful individuals about making backup plans that would be enacted should the Signers fail.**_

_**Some very powerful Shadows were also making plans. As we later learned, DaPen was not choosing sides for now, but he was keeping careful track of this hidden threat. Was he watching like a vulture in order to strike at the weakened victors once it was over? We didn't know… But we knew that any uneasiness in Shadow was an opportunity for any powerful and morally corrupt Shadowkind. When folks become afraid, they look for someone who they think can protect them… That's how Hitler came to power in Germany, after all.**_

_**And it's no different for Shadows…**_

Shichiro found it very hard to rest that morning, even as he tried to sleep. Sometime before he woke up, he had an odd dream…

He was on a dark street, surrounded by run down buildings. He wanted to go forward, that he knew…

Unfortunately, in front of him were four Duel Monsters blocking his path, whom he knew were not going to let him.

Three of them were Synchros, and all four were very rare: Junk Warrior, Explode Wing Dragon, Blackwing – Armored Wing, and Archfiend General. They seemed very upset at him for some reason.

Shichiro held up his hands in protest, showing that he was unarmed. But they simply crossed their arms and shook their heads. They weren't going to budge.

Shichiro's head drooped. There was no reasoning with them…

"Tell him I'm sorry," he whispered.

He turned around and started to walk away.

Then Shichiro woke up with a start.

_The dream…_ he thought. _You'd think I'd be used to it by now…_

He sighed.

He wondered if he'd _ever_ be used to it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The rain had stopped early in the morning, and the sun rose over Neo Domino, just as it had so many times before.

The residents of the townhouse slept late, as no alarms called them to duty, and they were all tired from the night before. As fate would have it, at ten o'clock, Ember was the first one to take initiative.

Mistle slowly woke from her slumber in the infirmary, roused by the smell of blueberry waffles.

"Good morning!" said Ember, walking in with a breakfast tray. "Uh… Boris said these were your favorite… I'm Ember, by the way…"

"Uh, thanks…" said Mistle, with a smile. "You're the new recruit, right?"

"Yeah, I'm the newbie," said Ember, putting the tray next to the bed. "I'm glad you're awake. You had us all worried for a while…"

"It's so much to take in…" said the nymph. "It's all a blur…"

"Take it easy…" said Ember. "He can't hurt you any more…"

Outside the room, Shichiro was watching, and sipping from a bottle of orange juice. Gears walked up to him.

"I just got off the phone with the doctor at the infirmary at the Prison," he said. "Kor'mal is alive, but… There's just no-one home."

"Trust me," replied Shichiro. "He's oatmeal."

"DaPen is clearly a dangerous…" started Gears.

He stopped short.

"I was about to say 'man', but I don't think that would describe him."

As Ember talked to Mistle, Jinx walked into the infirmary.

"So, how's my student this morning?" asked Jinx.

"Great," said Ember, with a sigh. "So, what's on the docket today?"

"Well, no Shadowchaser business for us until nine o'clock tonight," replied Jinx. "Until then, I'll meet you downstairs.

"Ember… I'm going to teach you how to fight."

Ember gulped.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was more nervous than she had been in a long time.

She was dressed in a martial arts _gi_ that Jinx had given her, and standing in the main room of the lower level of the townhouse, which was made up to look like a dojo. Mats covered the floor, and weapons – both real and practice versions – hung on the walls.

Jinx walked in, wearing a _gi_ of her own.

"Ready, Ember?" she asked.

"Look, Jinx," said Ember, "I gotta tell you, I've never really sparred with anyone before…"

Jinx chuckled.

"Ember, that is exactly what I told my mentor when I first started," she replied. "And that's what I'm here for. By the time you're ready to take the oath, you'll be able to take on a minotaur in a fistfight.

"Now… The first thing we're gonna do is find out what you need the most help with, so we can concentrate on that."

She looked at Ember.

"Come at me."

"Pardon?" asked Ember.

"Come and get me," replied Jinx. "Attack me. Don't hold back."

Ember gave Jinx a strange look. She took a deep breath.

Then she leapt at Jinx, aiming a punch at her face.

Jinx quickly reacted, grabbing Ember's arm and throwing her. Ember landed on the mat on her back with a thud.

Ember closed her eyes. She kind of expected that Jinx would do that.

"Hmm…" said Jinx. "Offhand, I'd say you need the most help with balance…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later in the kitchen, Boris was looking at a grocery list. (Like most residents of the Tops, the residents of the townhouse had groceries delivered.)

Boris had been a gift from Maskent to Jalal, who had given him to the Shadowchasers in Neo Domino, and the residents of the townhouse didn't know exactly what he was. Whether he was an arcane device granted intelligence by magic, or a living (or once-living) spirit of some sort that inhabited a skull, it was hard to tell. They didn't dwell on it too much. When all was said and done, he was the cook, and he was a good cook, most of the time.

"What to make…" pondered Boris. "What to make…"

Then Gears came in and opened the refrigerator.

"Hey, Gears," said Boris. "Any suggestions for dinner?"

Gears looked at him.

"Let's see…" he replied. "Steak, spaghetti, sushi, meatloaf, pork chops, lasagna, chicken, ribs, pizza…

"Cheeseburgers, chili, curry, Swedish meatballs, stir fry…"

"In other words," said Boris, "you'll eat anything that isn't on fire."

"Pretty much," said Gears. "Just use your best judgment. And make sure it isn't your infamous three-cheese chowder…"

He took a banana out of the refrigerator.

"Make one little mistake with a pressure cooker, and they never let you forget it…" muttered Boris.

"Don't forget to make a vegetarian dish for Mistle," continued Gears. "And don't make anything with pecans in it. Ember says she's allergic to those."

"Where is the newbie anyway?" asked Boris.

"Downstairs sparring with Jinx," replied Gears, "I stopped to watch for a minute, but I couldn't stand the noise."

Meanwhile, Shichiro was sitting at a desk in the living room, making a call on a video phone.

After it rang five times, someone answered it. A young man with an odd coif of hair.

"What is it, Shichiro?" he asked, in an annoyed tone. "I'm not having the best day…"

"Stuff it, Divine," replied Shichiro. "You know the terms of our agreement. Whenever we help you guys with information, you have to return the favor. We got you that stuff from the _Daily Duel_ media morgue that you needed last week, so you owe us one.

"We're having problems with someone who most likely has psychic abilities, and I was wondering if you knew anything about him."

Divine chuckled.

"Shichiro," he said, "my group is a haven for gifted individuals. That alone does not make me the region's resident authority on psychic activity…"

"Yeah, well," said Shichiro, "it was either you or the psychic hotline, and they charge by the minute. Do you know anything about Louis DaPen?"

Divine looked at him with an even more annoyed glance.

"Like I said…" he growled, "the Arcadia Movement is a haven for gifted individuals… Not for criminals…"

"I take it from your tone that you do know something about DaPen," said Shichiro.

"If you must know, yes," said Divine. "About five years ago, a member of my group made what he thought was an agreement with him, only to be blatantly double-crossed, and severely hurt. I confronted him, personally, only to find out that he couldn't be swayed by threats. Nor did he have any intention of playing by any rules. I was lucky to escape that confrontation with my skin intact. And I learned nothing.

"I later tried to find background information on him that I could blackmail him with, but I found none. None of my contacts would share their information about him with me, saying that they would sooner break off their relation with me than do so. Folks I dealt with who were normally easy to… coerce said they would turn themselves in to Security before they revealed anything about DaPen. The only thing I found out for sure about that man is that he's a lunatic."

"Some might say the same thing about you," replied Shichiro.

Divine glared at him.

"We're all a little crazy, aren't we, Shichiro?" he said. "I don't usually give away advice for free, but I'll give you some right now. I recommend staying as far away from DaPen as possible. Dealing with him is like playing Russian roulette.

"Come to think of it, given the choice between the two of them, Russian roulette is preferable. You'd likely suffer a lot less.

"And thank you so much for bringing back such an unpleasant memory. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice knife wound and rub salt on it?"

Then the screen went dark. Shichiro sighed, as Gears walked in, eating the banana.

"I take it Divine just hung up on you again?" he asked.

"That man is impossible to deal with," replied Shichiro. "Remind me again why we made that deal with him in the first place."

"Because he finds out things that we need to know that our other contacts can't," replied Gears. "Know what his problem is?"

"His hairdresser flunked out of beauty school?" answered Shichiro.

"Maybe," replied Gears. "But he has a much bigger problem.

"You see, the powers above gave him a gift. But the thing was, when he realized he had this gift, he came to the conclusion that because he had it, it made him better than people who didn't have it. It made him egotistical, and condescending to others."

"Awares often have that problem…" muttered Shichiro.

"Mmm," said Gears. "And we know what happens to them. My advice regarding Divine is, unless he does something where we have to intervene, we leave him to his machinations. I guarantee that sooner or later, he's going to make a big mistake, and take on someone who's too powerful for him to handle. Then, he'll realize that he isn't as great as he thinks he is… But the realization will come too late…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Come on, Ember!" shouted Jinx. "No pain, no gain!"

It was about two hours later, and Ember's progress had improved greatly. Whether she was a good student, Jinx was a good teacher, or a little of both, was hard to tell, but Ember was taking to this fast.

Jinx aimed a flurry of punches at Ember, but she quickly avoided them with a series of blocks. Jinx's concern that Ember needed to work on balance was not as accurate as she thought, because Ember effortlessly avoided her floor sweep.

Finally, Jinx stopped. As Ember caught her breath, she went over to a cooler and took out two bottles of water.

"You absolutely certain you never sparred before?" she asked. "Not even in a previous life?"

"Certain," said Ember, taking the bottle. "Maybe I just learn fast…"

She slowly swallowed the water.

"So, I'm a little curious… Where are we going at nine tonight?"

"We got some info on a possible contraband delivery at a docking bay in Satellite," replied Jinx. "Shadowkind may be involved."

"We're going to Satellite?" asked Ember.

Jinx nodded.

"Hold on…" said Ember. "Aren't residents of Neo Domino greatly discouraged from visiting Satellite?"

"Because of stories they tell you about how the residents are unclean," said Jinx, "and how they can pollute our city… Ember, when you're with us, you'll quickly learn how to distinguish myth from reality. Satellite has no terrible plagues that would kill you if you went there. After all, Security goes there all the time."

"But how would we even get there?" asked Ember. "We'd need a helicopter or something…"

"Not a problem," replied Jinx. "You'll see then how a trip across the bay can be done quickly by using a special optional extra on a D-Wheel that only Shadowchasers have.

"Now, let's get back to work. Do well, and I know some traditional massage techniques that some high elves taught me that are great for sore muscles…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember found it hard to believe how much had been built into this townhouse. It even had a sauna that the two of them were able to use once Ember had pushed herself to the limit. Jinx had not been lying either. The elven massage technique that she used quickly healed the soreness in Embers muscles; Ember commented that whatever elves invented the technique could make a fortune as masseuses, but Jinx was quick to point out that they rarely used any of their traditions for commercial purposes.

The day wore on. Gears stayed by Mistle for most of it, while Shichiro was on an errand, acting as a translator for an ettin who needed to speak to an Aware store owner who only spoke Japanese, which the ettin didn't speak. Ettins were rare Shadowkind who had two heads, and they were hard to understand by anyone, seeing as one head would often start a sentence and the other would finish it. They tended to be friendly, however, unless you used the expression "two heads are better than one". (All ettins have heard that one a million times.)

After a late dinner (Boris had finally settled on Mandarin chicken), Jinx made a few adjustments to her deck, and then motioned to Ember to follow her out to the garage.

"I still don't know how we're gonna drive to Satellite," muttered Ember, as she got on the D-Wheel behind Jinx. "I mean…"

Jinx punched some commands into her console, and an eerie sound emitted from the engine.

"_Trans-dimensional system engaged,"_ said the D-Wheel's computerized voice.

Then a shimmering portal of light appeared about twenty feet in front of them.

"Short-range teleportation," said Jinx. "A simple means of travel using magic. We make a very short detour via another dimension, taking us several miles in the span of a second, enabling us to easily cross over a body of water into an area we aren't supposed to go.

"Hang on…"

Ember was dumbstruck. She hung on as Jinx started the D-Wheel, and drove through the portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Almost instantly, they emerged on a dark street.

"Welcome to Satellite…" said Jinx, pulling to a stop. "The other side…"

"Good lord…" said Ember, looking around. "It's like…"

"I know," said Ember. "You have to be here a few times before you get used to the stench.

"The humans here are a sorry lot. They rarely smile, they don't know how to laugh… Fate dealt them a bad hand…

"But some clans of Shadows actually prefer to set up shop in Satellite than in the big city."

"Why?" asked Ember, still shocked.

"It fits them," replied Jinx. "They may have lost their memories when they arrived on Earth, but their old instincts remained. The old buildings and abandoned tenements are like the subterranean lairs that they had in their previous lives. Plus, Shadowkind that are tribal and primitive in nature tend to prefer places like this over places where there's too much hoi-polloi…

"But anyway, onto business… Watch your back here…"

She started up again, and drove down the dark street of Satellite.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At a large docking bay at a costal part of Satellite, not far from the legendary Daedalus Bridge, Jinx and Ember watched as an unassuming ship slowly approached. Two men were waiting for it.

"So what is this place?" whispered Ember.

"Godwin is smart enough to know he can't let the folks in Satellite starve," said Jinx. "This is one of many places where supplies are shipped into Satellite by boat. During the day, that is.

"But tonight, someone's bringing in contraband, and a Shadow might be involved."

They watched as the boat docked. Then, someone on the boat started lowering a crate down.

"So what's in the crates?" asked Ember. "Weapons? Drugs?"

"Possibly either, possibly both," replied Jinx. "We might find out soon…"

"Shouldn't we go get them?" asked Ember.

"Not yet, Ember," replied Jinx. "Those guys are just humans. We have to make sure there is indeed a Shadow involved. If there isn't, then this is Security's problem. Once we have proof that they're working for a Shadow, then we move in…"

One of the two workers handling the crates shivered.

"Man, this place gives me the creeps," he said, looking around. "Why do we gotta move this stuff at night?"

"Beats me," said the other. "I don't even know where this stuff is goin'…"

Then they were startled as a third man stepped out of the shadows.

He was dressed in a jacket and wool pants, and a hat, but his face looked like that of a foreigner, possibly Middle Eastern. He had shifty eyes and a sharp goatee. Ember could see that his face had a tan that was far more pronounced than even most Arabs.

Then she looked at him closer, and saw that it wasn't a tan. It was almost as if his skin were bronze.

"Geesh, you scared us, boss!" said one of the men.

"Perhaps you clowns would prefer moving smuggled goods during the day," he replied, "when Security could more easily notice?"

"Naw, we weren't saying that!" said the other one.

"Just get these crates onto the truck!" ordered the strange man, "and be quick…"

"Bingo," said Jinx. "That's our target…"

"He's definitely a Shadow," replied Ember. "But what?"

Jinx nodded.

"A janni," she said. "A minor elemental spirit, related to the more powerful genies. They usually work for more powerful Shadows."

"So what do we do now?" asked Ember.

"We take the direct approach," replied Jinx.

She leapt out of their hiding place, and onto the floor of the docks. The two humans drew back in shock.

"Evening, gentlemen…" she said.

"Aw, crud," said the janni.

"Boss…" said one of the humans.

"Beat it, you two," said the janni. "I'll handle this doll…"

"But boss, we can…" said the other.

The janni glared at them.

"I said beat it," he said. "You have no idea what you're dealing with…"

The two men didn't need any more prompting. They were gone in an instant.

"No idea what they're dealing with…" laughed Jinx. "You say that as if you were some elemental lord."

"The best part about dealing with Mundanes is," chuckled the janni, "they have no idea just how powerful you are. I could impress those losers by pulling a rabbit out of my hat."

"So…" said Jinx. "Mind telling me who you're working for?"

"Who says I'm working for anyone?" asked the janni. "Maybe I'm just a free agent who's gonna sell this stuff to the highest bidder."

"Please," said Jinx. "You guys never take initiative on your own. You're always working for someone."

"Not for the same person all the time," said the janni.

He gestured, and a Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

"Ask anyone in Satellite, and they'll tell you that if you want something brought in secretly, Al-Akba Rasul is the guy to do it. I can handle the transition of anything into this place. Just show me what needs to get in, and I'll get it in. No muss, no fuss."

"Seems to me you just got a good deal of fuss," replied Jinx, as Ember walked up behind her. "And you don't care about the legality of the goods, I assume."

"Like I said, I just handle transition," replied Rasul. "Not my business what a customer does with it. And since I'm on a schedule, I'm gonna have to handle you do-gooders fast."

Jinx activated her Disk.

"Yeah?" she said. "Just try…"

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Rasul: 8,000)**

"I'll go first," snapped Rasul, drawing a card.

"How rude," muttered Jinx.

"I summon Lord of the Lamp," he continued.

A cloud of pink smoke formed in front of Rasul, and a genie with purple skin and a moustache, wearing a turban and holding a scepter appeared. (1,400 ATK)

Jinx almost laughed.

"You want to try a little harder than that?" she asked.

"I end my turn," said Rasul.

Ember looked a little worried.

_Careful, Jinx,_ she thought. _There has to be a reason he played that weak Monster…_

Jinx drew a card. Then she quickly fit one of them into her Disk.

"First, I'll conjure up my Dangerous Machine Type-6!" she exclaimed.

With a rumble and a shower of electrical energy, an intimidating-looking machine rose behind her. It looked like a huge generator, with the numbers one through six on its face.

"We'll get to that later," she said. "For now, I'll summon Roulette Barrel."

She played a new card, and a laser cannon on a circular pedestal appeared in front of her. (1,000 ATK)

"Here's the deal," she said. "Once per turn, I can roll two dice. Then I can choose one result, and one Monster whose Level matches the result gets zapped.

"Go!"

Two dice shot into the air. All three of them watched, and they tumbled onto the ground. One of them came up a six, and the other a four.

"Think I'll choose the four," she said. "And since Lord of the Lamp is Level 4…"

Roulette Barrel shot a blast of energy at Lord of the Lamp, and the genie was atomized.

"Nuts…" said Rasul.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Jinx.

Roulette Barrel fired its beam at Rasul, and he cringed as it hit him in the chest.

"I'll set three cards facedown, and end my turn," said Jinx.

Three facedown cards flashed into existence behind Roulette Barrel.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

"My move!" shouted Rasul.

He drew a card.

He set a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all," he said.

Jinx looked at him closely, and then drew a card.

"Now, my Dangerous Machine chooses a number at random," she said, as the Dangerous Machine Type-6 started to flash. "Each number has a different result…"

Then the three lit up.

"Three," she said. "That means I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

"Next, I switch Roulette Barrel to Defense Mode…"

Roulette Barrel lowered its gun. (2,000 DEF)

"…and then summon X-Saber Anabelera!"

A new Warrior leapt onto the field. This one was a female fighter, a beautiful woman with long, blonde hair, dressed in black and crimson plate armor with a coat of arms on her shin, bearing the X-Saber insignia. She held a decorated longsword. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" she shouted.

Anabelera leapt at the facedown Monster…

An odd object appeared on the card. It was an old-fashioned oil lamp, perched on four spindly legs. (1,400 DEF)

"That's my Ancient Lamp!" laughed Rasul. "And due to its effect, I can send your warrior maiden's attack back at your other Monster!"

Anabelera turned around in mid-swing, and slammed her sword into Roulette Barrel. Jinx twitched a little.

"I end my turn…" she muttered with a frown.

**(J: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

Rasul drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled, when he looked at it.

He chose another one.

"I use Ancient Lamp's other effect," he said. "Which lets me Special Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp. Attack Mode!"

A cloud of green smoke poured out of the lamp, and the large, green-skinned genie appeared next to it. He let out a deep, throaty laugh. (1,800 ATK)

"But I'm not done… I sacrifice Ancient Lamp…"

Ancient Lamp vanished into an orb of light.

"…to call forth Ushi Oni!"

A large, ceramic jar appeared where Ancient Lamp had been. Then, another genie burst out of it, this one with the head of a monstrous bull and fiendish tentacles sprouting from its back. (2,150 ATK)

"But I'm still not done… I sacrifice Ushi Oni…"

Ushi Oni vanished into another globe of light.

"…to Special Summon my most powerful beast! The Giant Ushi Oni!"

The creature that appeared next, looming over the field, was the stuff of nightmares. It looked similar to Ushi Oni at first glance, but the most obvious difference was that it had the lower body of a monstrous spider. Its face combined the worst aspects of bull and spider, with sharp fangs. (2,600 ATK)

"The bull demon…" muttered Jinx.

She was beginning to think that this guy was a bit more well-connected than she had at first thought.

"You got it," said Rasul. "Attack Anabelera! Specter bite!"

Giant Ushi Oni lunged forward, and with one mighty chomp, bit Anabelera in half. Jinx cringed from the mighty blow.

"And when Giant Ushi Oni crushes one Monster," continued Rasul, "it gets to attack a second time! So smash that Roulette Barrel!"

The huge Fiend lunged forward again, and punched the Roulette Barrel, smashing it to pieces.

"You're wide open!" shouted Rasul. "La Jinn, attack her directly!"

Jinx braced herself, as the genie breathed blue fire, covering her with flames.

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 7,000)**

"JINX!" shouted Ember.

"It's okay…" gasped Jinx. "What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger… I've still got a few tricks…"

One of her facedown cards lifted.

"Like the Trap Card, Damage Condenser!" she shouted. "Now, I toss one card…"

She discarded her X-Saber Passiul.

"And I get to Special Summon from my deck any Monster, so long as its Attack Score isn't higher than the amount of damage I just took.

"So, I'll summon X-Saber Axel in Defense Mode!"

Another of the X-Sabers appeared in front of her. This one looked fully human, dressed in furs and leather armor, with the X-Saber insignia on his belt buckle. He held a large sword with a serrated blade. He knelt in defense. (100 DEF)

Rasul chuckled.

"You could have done better than _that_," he said. "I end my turn…"

"Then I draw!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card. "And my Dangerous Machine goes to work again!"

The numbers on the Machine flashed, and eventually came up on the two. Jinx grinned.

"That means you have to toss a card," she said.

Rasul frowned. He discarded The Shallow Grave.

"Next," she said, "I activate another Trap Card."

One of her other facedown cards lifted up, showing the image of a man in heavy plate armor, holding a sword forward.

"It's called Gatmuz's Urgent Orders. Since I now have an X-Saber Monster on the field, I get to Special Summon not one, but _two_ of them from my Graveyard.

"So, first I'll summon back Anabelera."

In a flash of energy, Anabelera reappeared. (1,800 ATK)

"And then, the Tuner Monster, X-Saber Passiul!"

Passiul appeared, holding his large sword in front of him. (100 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three of my Monsters together! Go!"

Anabelera, Axel, and Passiul all leapt into the air and flew into the sky, turning into seven shimmering stars. The stars collided in a burst of energy…

With a roar, X-Saber Urbellum landed in front of Jinx. (2,200 ATK)

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Rasul. "Talk about _stupid_. You wasted three Monsters to summon something that can't even do the job!"

"Oh no?" asked Jinx.

Her last facedown card lifted.

"I activate Synchro Strike!" she shouted. "Now, my Synchro Monster gains 500 Attack Points this round for each Monster I Tuned to summon him."

Urbellum glowed with energy… (3,700 ATK)

"Uh oh…" said Rasul.

"Attack Giant Ushi Oni!" shouted Jinx. "Mystical rage!"

Urbellum drew his two blades, and leapt at the bull demon. The Fiend roared as he slashed with the weapons. Giant Ushi Oni burst into an explosion of blue stones.

"Ergh…" muttered Rasul.

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 5,900)**

"I throw one card facedown," she said, as a facedown card appeared behind Urbellum. "Your move…"

Rasul drew a card, and looked at it.

"I'll move La Jinn to Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.

La Jinn squatted, and shielded himself with his arms. (1,000 DEF)

"Then look out!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

The Dangerous Machine started to flash again. Eventually, it landed on a four.

"Ugh…" said Jinx. "That means you get to draw a card…"

Rasul smirked. He made a draw.

Then he smirked again when he saw what it was.

"I summon X-Saber Urz!" shouted Jinx.

In a burst of energy, the bestial-looking barbarian Warrior holding twin sabers appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack that genie!" shouted Jinx.

Urz leapt up, and made a savage slice at La Jinn. The genie was smashed into bits.

"Now I use Urz's effect," continued Jinx. "I sacrifice him…"

Urz vanished into grains of light.

"…and instead of going to the Graveyard, La Jinn goes to the top of your deck."

Rasul frowned as the card appeared on the top of his deck.

"And I'm not done with you! Urbellum, direct attack!"

Rasul screamed loudly as the barbarian lord's blade struck him. He tumbled over backwards.

"And since you have four cards in your hand," continued Jinx, "Urbellum's effect activates, sending one of _them_ to the top of your deck!"

Rasul frowned again, as one of the four cards in his hand vanished, and appeared on the top of his deck.

"I end my turn…" chuckled Jinx.

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,700)**

"Laugh while you can," sneered Rasul, drawing the card again. "I know just what to do…

"If Urbellum's effect had sent this card to the top of my deck _first_, you probably would have won. Luckily for me, it didn't.

"I play Monster Reincarnation! So, I toss one card…"

He discarded his Cost Down.

"…and I get a Monster back from my Graveyard."

Giant Ushi Oni slipped out of his Graveyard slot.

"Oh?" asked Jinx. "That Monster is a NOMI. How are you gonna summon it?"

Rasul quickly played one of his remaining two cards, and Silent Doom appeared on his side of the field. The regular Ushi Oni quickly appeared in Defense Mode. (1,950 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice him," continued Rasul, as Ushi Oni vanished, "and guess who's back?"

Giant Ushi Oni appeared once again. (2,600 ATK)

"Crap…" said Jinx.

"Attack X-Saber Urbellum!" ordered Rasul.

Giant Ushi Oni shot a mass of venomous webbing from its jaws, and Urbellum screamed before exploding into pixels.

"Now, attack her directly!"

Jinx herself couldn't help but scream as the same webbing was sprayed on her.

**(J: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,700)**

Jinx stopped to catch her breath.

"Jinx, you okay?" asked Ember.

"I'm fine…" muttered Jinx. "No pain, no gain, remember?"

She looked at Ember. Truthfully, she was more worried than she let on.

_I can't lose this duel in front of my apprentice…_ she thought. _I'd be humiliated!_

She drew a card.

Dangerous Machine Type-6 whirred again.

Then it landed on the four again.

"_Another_ four?" shouted Jinx in disbelief.

Rasul laughed, and then drew another card.

"Gambling _is_ gambling, Shadowchaser…" he said. "Luck can't hold you up all the time… Eventually, it runs out…"

Jinx looked at the card she had just drawn.

"Show me a deck that doesn't rely on luck," replied Jinx. "No matter how well-built a deck is, there's never a guarantee that you're gonna draw the card you need. Each draw can be good or bad, it's all up to chance.

"My cards having effects that rely on luck is just taking the nature of the game further."

She played the card.

"I play Roll of Fate," she said, as a new Spell Card appeared in front of her. "Now, I get to roll a die again."

Another die flashed into existence, and started to roll. It came to rest on the four.

"That means I get to draw four cards," she said, making four draws.

"Of course, having done that, I gotta get rid of the next four cards."

She took four more cards off her deck, and placed them inside her jacket.

She looked at her new hand.

_Seems I have only one option now…_ she said, looking at her facedown card on the field. _And it's pretty risky…_

She took two cards from her hand, and placed them on her Disk. A defensive Monster and a new reversed card appeared.

"That's all," she said.

"Then I draw!" laughed Rasul, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

He quickly played a card, and La Jinn appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"I don't really need him," he said, "but what the hey…

"Giant Ushi Oni, crush her Monster!"

The huge Fiend leapt forward. Abare Ushioni appeared on the card, and was squashed flat.

"You're through!" he shouted. "Attack her dir…"

"Hold up!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up.

"Huh, a Trap?" gasped Rasul, in shock. "What is it?"

"The Paths of Destiny!" exclaimed Jinx. "Here's how it's gonna go… Before your Fiend can attack me, we both have to toss a coin.

"Whoever gets heads gains 2,000 Life Points. But whoever gets tails _loses_ 2,000 Life Points.

"Exciting, isn't it?"

Two coins fell into each of their hands.

"Bah!" shouted Rasul. "If you get tails, this will be even easier!"

Jinx tossed the coin, and it flew upwards into the air…

It fell to the ground. It was heads. She grinned as a golden glow of energy surrounded her.

"Eh, what works for the goose will work for the gander…" said Rasul, tossing his card.

The second coin fell to the ground.

Then he was shocked to see that it was tails.

A blast of electricity shot out of the Trap Card, hitting him. He grunted in pain.

"And I'm not done!" shouted Jinx, as her second facedown card lifted. "I chain-activate Emergency Provisions, to gain 1,000 more Life Points!"

The Paths of Destiny vanished, and Jinx glowed with energy again.

Rasul scowled, and then looked at Giant Ushi Oni.

"What are you waiting for?" he shouted. "An engraved invitation?"

The giant Fiend shot its venomous silk at Jinx again, and she grunted as she was entangled by it again.

"Seems La Jinn is pretty useful after all," growled Rasul. "Attack!"

The genie breathed his dark flames again, and Jinx reeled from the impact.

**(J: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 1,700)**

Jinx took some deep, gasping breaths.

Ember saw the purpose of Jinx's strategy. She took a chance, and managed to gain 3,000 Life Points before losing 4,400, and was thus able to keep herself from losing.

Still, she'd need a lot of luck now, with only 800 Life Points left…

"My move!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

The Dangerous Machine started to hum and shake again. Finally, it landed on the five.

"Oh, look!" said Jinx with a laugh. "A five! That means I get to send one of your Monsters packing!"

"Hey, wait a minute…" said Rasul.

A bolt of lightning shot out of the Machine, and struck Giant Ushi Oni, blowing it to shards.

"You'll pay for that…" growled Rasul.

"Just send me the bill," said Jinx, taking a card from her hand. "I play Monster Reborn."

The holy ankh appeared on the field, and in a burst of light, X-Saber Urbellum appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

"Next, I summon X-Saber Palomlo!"

In another burst of energy, the small, lizard fighter holding a battle axe appeared. (200 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both Monsters together!"

The two X-Sabers leapt into the sky, and then split into eight shimmering stars. A beam of light fell from the heavens.

"Synchro Summon… Jalal the Dragonborn!"

Ember couldn't believe it as the Synchro Monster appeared. This was the same one that Shichiro had used… The knight Warrior that looked like Jalal in armor holding a sword. (2,600 ATK)

"Erk!" grunted Rasul.

"Now I use Jalal's effect," said Jinx, as she started to glow with a red aura. "I have to pay half my Life Points, but since I only had 800 left, that's no big deal.

"Then, I can remove one Spell or Trap from either Graveyard to enchant his sword with a Rune that holds its effect. Like your Silent Doom."

The Spell Card fell out of Rasul's Disk, and a rune appeared on Jalal's sword.

"Now, I'll expend that Rune to use it," continued Jinx, "and summon a Monster from my own Graveyard."

Jalal held his sword up high, and it shone in the moonlight. Then, Anabelera appeared next to him, shielding herself in Defense Mode. (1,100 DEF)

"Now…" continued Jinx, taking a card from her hand, "remember my Trap Card, Gatmuz's Urgent Orders? Were you wondering just who Gatmuz was?

"Well, I sacrifice Anabelera to summon him… The field commander of the X-Sabers…"

Anabelera vanished…

"…Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

A huge, hulking figure appeared where Anabelera had been, a bulky fighter clad completely in plate armor, his entire face covered by a steel helmet with wing designs on the forehead. He wore a flowing, red cape, and carried a large, two-handed sword. (2,100 ATK)

"Okay, Commander," said Jinx. "Take out that genie!"

Gatmuz let out a roar, and made a mighty cut with his sword. La Jinn screamed before shattering into shards.

"Look, can't we talk this over?" gasped Rasul.

Jinx didn't answer. She simply pointed, and Jalal struck the janni with his blade. He screamed, and fell backwards.

**(J: 400) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

"Whoa, that was awesome, Jinx!" shouted Ember.

Jinx took the gemstone out of her pouch to make the arrest.

"Thanks," she said. "He was stronger than I thought he'd be. Clearly, someone didn't want anyone to get to that stuff he was bringing in…"

She pointed the gemstone, and Rasul vanished.

"Just one question, Jinx…" said Ember. "That Synchro Monster… Isn't it Shichiro's card?"

Jinx chuckled.

"Every Shadowchaser has one, Ember," she replied. "Once a Shadowchaser is initiated, Jalal gives him or her a card in his image, which was made using a small portion of his immortal spirit. That card defines a Shadowchaser's role more than anything else.

"Once you pass all the tests and get one of your own, you'll see that it's more valuable than anything else that comes with the position…"

Jinx looked at the crates that Rasul and his men were loading.

"Let's take a look," she said. "Something important is in these crates…"

She walked over to the truck where one crate was loaded on, and picked up a crowbar that was provided.

"Hold it steady…" she said, as Ember held onto the crate.

After a few tugs, she managed to pry open the crate, revealing straw padding inside.

Jinx lifted out a statue of some sort. A gilded bust of a man's head with a crown.

"Hey, I recognize this," she said. "This was stolen last month from a museum in Riyadh."

"Riyadh?" asked Ember. "Wait… That's the capital of Saudi Arabia, right?"

Jinx nodded.

She pulled out a decorated bronze urn.

"So this was all about a few stolen museum pieces?" she said. "Doesn't make sense… This is Satellite… There isn't much of a market for stolen artifacts here… The few residents with large amounts of money tend to spend it on more practical things…

"Something strange is… Huh?"

She looked into the crate. Something was glowing slightly.

She reached deep inside.

Then she pulled out a long sword in a sheath. The part of the blade not covered by the sheath was glowing with a dim, red light. The hilt was golden, surrounded by a large hand guard covered with odd symbols.

Jinx slowly unsheathed it. The sword was deep violet near the tip of the blade, which gradually changed to warm red at the hilt. It glowed with a warm light.

"This is not Middle Eastern design…" said Jinx, in awe. "This looks more like a dwarven blade…"

She looked at the runes on the blade and the hilt.

"But this writing is not dwarven… Nor is it any Shadowkind language I've ever seen before…"

"Is it magic?" asked Ember.

"I would count on it," replied Jinx.

She looked at the blade.

"I'll make sure Security claims the Saudi artifacts," she said. "But this sword… We have to talk to Jalal about it… Whoever Rasul was going to deliver it to likely had sinister plans for it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jalal didn't say much when he came to look at the sword. He told Jinx he would look into it, and to send it to Soelma in the morning. Soelma, as Ember found out, was a high elf who owned an antique book store downtown – at least that's what it was to Mundane customers. To Awares and Shadowkind, Soelma was an expert on magical artifacts who spent a lot of time researching them, and her shop had a very secure vault for storing them.

Midnight came in the city, with a feeling of dread hanging in the air. The two elf clans of Neo Domino (not including the one dark elf clan) danced under the moonlight to music that had been written long before humans knew how to compose it. A dwarf mechanic worked late in a garage that catered to humans and Shadows alike, trying to fix the transmission on a stubborn vehicle. The ophidia lurked in their hidden lair, preaching their dogma about the Age of Serpents that their legends assured them would someday come…

And an unlikely threat lurked in the city park. She looked around for any unsuspecting duelists…

She found none, but she knew one would eventually come. While she waited, she sat on a park bench and burst into tears.

She was always depressed. Any happiness she ever came across was quickly taken away. Hers, and that of her victims…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As the sun rose at six in the morning, Gears was up with it. He jogged though the park, checking his heart rate on occasion.

He stopped short when he heard crying. Someone was sobbing his eyes out.

At first he thought it might be a lost child, but he saw that it was a teenage boy, about sixteen. He was sitting down, with a Duel Disk in his lap, crying like the world was ending.

"Hey," said Gears. "Hey, sport… What's wrong? What happened to you?"

The teenager looked at Gears through tearful eyes.

"I… uhm…" he said sadly. "I dueled someone…

"And I lost…"

He started to cry again. Gears looked at him.

"And?" he said. "What did you lose?"

The youth cried some more.

"Nothing…" he sobbed. "I lost…"

This was strange, and Gears knew it. Losing a duel with no conditions was no reason to cry like this.

_Oh, don't tell me…_ thought Gears.

He took a small device out of his pocket and turned it on. A small, pink light on it started to flash.

"Look, sport," he said. "This duelist who beat you… Was it a girl about fourteen years old, with large eyes, long black hair, pale skin, and wearing something that looked like Peter Pan's outfit?"

The youth looked at him in surprise.

"Uhm, yes…" he said. "How did you…"

"Call it a hunch…" said Gears.

He helped him up.

"Go eat something," he said, "that might make you feel a little better…"

He watched the youth leave, and then hurried back to his bike, turning on his cell phone in the process.

"Shichiro, it's me," he said. "We have a problem…

"There's a joystealer loose…"

_**Another day was dawning, and already a problem had presented itself. What was a joystealer? I didn't know. There were so many things about Shadow I didn't know about.**_

_**I was about to learn that in the history of Shadow, opposing forces existed, Good and Evil being one of the biggest. And despite several religious and philosophical beliefs that say that Good will always defeat Evil, the existence of the joystealers is proof positive that some conflicts are won by Evil, and that their repercussions can last a very, very long time. The conflict had happened, several had suffered because of it, and the Shadowchasers were working hard to undo it, which they could only do one victim at a time. And because the victims of this conflict were an entire race, they had been doing so for centuries.**_

_**Gears was about to continue the centuries-old task of correcting the tragedy caused by this conflict, and I had a front row seat… Let me tell you, it wasn't pretty…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER AXEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 100

**Card Description:** When you control this face-up card, when an "X-Saber" Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, draw 1 card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLSWORD COMMANDER GATMUZ (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all face-up "X-Saber" Monsters by 400.

_Note: "X-Saber Axel" and "Allsword Commander Gatmuz" were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER ANABELERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,100

**Flavor Text:** _A female soldier of the X-Sabers, she gracefully moves through the battlefield using magnificent attacks and calm judgment. The enemy fears her cruel attack._

_Note: "X-Saber Anabelera" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GATMUZ'S URGENT ORDERS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Allsword Commander Gatmuz pointing his sword forward.

**Card Description:** Activate when there is a face-up "X-Saber" Monster on the field. Special Summon up to two "X-Saber" Monsters from either Graveyard.

_Note: "Gatmuz's Urgent Orders" will be released in Japan for the Starter Deck 2009, due out in March (American release date not yet known)._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ROLL OF FATE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A split scene, with a beautiful, blonde woman on the right side, a dark-hooded man on the left side, and a dice between them.

**Card Description:** Roll 1 die. Draw from your deck a number of cards equal to the result. Then, remove from play an equal number of cards from the top of your deck.

_Note: "Roll of Fate" was first used by Jonouchi in the original anime episode "Fighting For a Friend (Part 3)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GIANT USHI ONI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,100

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by offering 1 "Ushi Oni" as a Tribute. If this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, it may attack once again in a row. This effect may only be used once during a Battle Phase.

_Note: "Giant Ushi Oni" was first used by Himuro in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Facility". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Not all stories have happy endings. The most you can do when a great tragedy happens is try to make amends, no matter how long it takes. Next chapter, Gears accepts a challenge that is part of a long-term Shadowchasers goal to undo a great injustice that happened centuries ago, and it's not going to be easy. "The Unhappy Girl" is coming soon._


	12. The Unhappy Girl

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

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**The Unhappy Girl**

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_**Monster Cards are divided into many Types. You have your Spellcasters, Warriors, Machines, Fiends… And Fairies.**_

_**The last one tends to be misnamed nowadays. The celestial beings that make up this group don't often resemble what we often perceive as "fairies". Who would call Splendid Venus or Archlord Zerato fairies? It sounds kind of insulting when you think about it. **_

_**Fairies exist among Shadowkind, and this is where the word makes more a little more sense. Among Shadows, there are brownies, pixies, leprechauns, and nymphs like Mistle, among others. They are embodiments of nature and spirits of the Earth itself, immortal keepers of secrets that she holds in secluded places. However, these Shadows don't like the word "fairy" either when used to describe them. They prefer the term "fey". **_

_**Now, most fey are benevolent towards humans, and any danger they usually pose is limited to simple mischief. But that is not true all the time. Not all fey are nice… There are also dark fey. And as you might expect, "regular" fey hate dark fey with a passion.**_

_**I was about to witness the results of one conflict between a race of regular fey and a race of dark fey, and it clearly didn't turn out well for the side of Good…**_

In a building under renovation near the Daimon Area, a man sat at a makeshift table, waiting.

He was a short (about five feet tall) but very stocky and robust man, wearing work clothes. The hair on his head was grey and thick, and he had a thick, full beard. Even if you were Aware, you wouldn't see much of a difference – dwarves were Shadows who could pass for humans most of the time. This particular dwarf was a mountain dwarf, a type known for being even hardier and dourer than the more common hill dwarves.

He was very depressed. Up until three weeks ago, he had worked as a designer at Godwin's weapons R&D division, but an unexpected budget cut had caused many members of his department, including him, to be laid off. He needed work now, and the job market for weapons designers wasn't very hot right now. Nor was he willing to take a job as a menial laborer. Dwarves had a lot of pride.

In fact, pride, most of it _stubborn_ pride, was the primary reason he was here. Another reason was the anger he had at the system he had given so much to, only to be cast aside.

He watched as three people entered the room – Louis DaPen and his two bodyguards. One of the two thugs was carrying a briefcase.

"Welcome, Mr. Irons," said DaPen, as he sat down. "So glad you could make it…"

"Pardon me for being so blunt," replied the dwarf, "but you promised me half a million yen for simply coming to listen to you."

"I keep my promises, Mr. Irons," said DaPen. "Albert…"

The bodyguard put the briefcase on the table and opened it, revealing several stacks of yen notes. He pushed it towards Irons.

"Count it if you desire," said DaPen. "You can consider this an advance payment for the services I hope to get from you.

"Now then, Max… Do you mind if I call you Max?"

The dwarf made no objection, so DaPen continued.

"I know what it's like for people in your position… You work hard every day, trying to do an honest job… Then some bean counter brings up the budget, and figures out things that your company can do without… Before you know it, your whole department is eliminated, and you get the short end of it."

"Technically, my department wasn't eliminated," replied Max. "It was 'de-prioritized'. I don't even know if that's a real word."

"I guess it was a fancy way of saying that they had more important things to spend the budget on," said DaPen. "Nonetheless, I'm aware of some of the projects you worked on in Godwin's employ, including the one you were working on just when your department was… 'de-prioritized'…"

Max looked at him.

"I believe it was called, in jest, an 'immobilization beam'," continued DaPen. "A portable device weighing only ten pounds, capable of emitting an energy field that could paralyze not only the nervous systems of living beings, but the circuits of computerized machinery as well. Able to render virtually anything helpless. The ultimate in non-lethal weaponry."

"Yes, in theory," replied Max. "I was laid off before I could perfect it…"

"Well…" said DaPen. "I'd be willing to pay a great deal if you'd perfect it, working for me instead."

Max sighed.

"It's not that easy, Mr. DaPen," he said. "Godwin owns the rights and patents to everything I invented while on his company time."

DaPen shrugged.

"If you were to re-invent it," he said, "I wouldn't have to bother with such things."

Max sighed again.

"It'll be hard," he replied. "I'd have to break into my old labs and steal the blueprints… And then do the same to get the prototype…"

"I'm sure you can handle it," replied DaPen. "You have a few things lying around that Godwin doesn't own, I'm sure.

"And if you can deliver the completed project to me eventually, I would pay more than he ever would… It may not be a priority for him, but it's a big one for me…"

Max rubbed his chin hard as he thought about it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the townhouse, Gears was going over his cards.

"Uhm," said Ember. "If I may be so bold as to ask, what exactly is a joystealer?"

"A victim," replied Shichiro.

"I'll explain, Shichiro," said Gears. "I know more about this…

"You see, Ember, usually whatever brings the Shadows to our world takes them here one at a time, but sometimes it gets greedy. There have been times in history where a whole race has made an unwilling exodus to Earth. So it was with the Eoshee.

"They were a fey race, similar to nymphs, who were full of life and joy… The name means 'fairy nightingale' in the fey language. They loved to dance, and sing, and it was almost impossible for anyone who wandered into a group of dancing Eoshee to hang a frown…

"The only time they ever became serious was when they were facing their mortal enemies, the Unseelie. They were a race that also made an exodus to Earth at the same time… Five-hundred years ago. Both races are immortal, as most fey are, and had been fighting for millennia.

"Unseelie are incorporeal, bodiless creatures who nourish themselves by feeding on negative emotions. To get negative emotions in other races, they did their best to cause them. They caused sadness as fast as the Eoshee drove it away. The two races despised each other.

"Eventually, without even consulting the Shadowchasers, the two races made a wager to settle their feud… Sadly, the Eoshee lost."

"What happened?" asked Ember.

"At the time," continued Gears, "the populations of both races were equal in number. Possibly, some strange link had existed between them from the start. The Eoshee were forced to become slaves, each one serving one Unseelie. It twisted them, as the Unseelie forced them to steal emotions for them, making their meals much easier to obtain. They became known as joystealers, as they caused sadness and depression in everything they came across.

"But shortly after this occurred, one incredibly wise and resourceful Shadowchaser looked closely into the wager itself, and found that the Unseelie had cheated in order to win. The Unseelie race was thus declared an outlaw race, and Jalal ordered the terms of the wager reversed.

"However, dealing with this particular outlaw race was tricky. The Unseelie had no clear ruler. They were a very chaotic race, their government best described as anarchy. Their only rulers were the ones with enough power to bully the weaker ones. Each Unseelie did as it pleased, and each joystealer traveled constantly, going wherever the winds would take her. And when each joystealer was approached, the Unseelie refused to bargain, saying that the Shadowchasers would have to _make_ them give back their slaves."

"So what did they do?" asked Ember.

"They decided they'd have to make them," replied Gears. "Unfortunately, the joystealers numbered in the thousands at that point, and the Shadowchasers could think of no way to free a whole race from the yoke of another. The ruler of the Unseelie couldn't be brought to trial, because there wasn't one, and the Shadowchasers couldn't invade the Unseelie's homelands, because they didn't have any.

"The joystealers would have to be hunted down and freed one at a time… It was going to be a rather long-term project…"

He sighed.

"It didn't take long before the Shadowchasers learned how their enslavement worked," he continued. "Since the Unseelie were bodiless phantoms, each one inhabited a sympathetic object that it forced its slave to carry. When dealing with a joystealer, a Shadowchaser would simply have to restrain her, take the object, and destroy it.

"It got harder as the Unseelie got smarter. One famous story is told about a joystealer who hid the object so well, a Shadowchaser had to tie her up, strip her of everything she was wearing, and throw it all into a bonfire in order to get the right object."

He placed his Duel Disk on his arm.

"Fortunately, it's become easier since Shadows started using Duel Monsters. Until then, the Unseelie didn't care about the Treaty. But when Duel Monsters became the norm for settling disputes, they saw it as an opportunity.

"You see, the Unseelie witnessed several of their fellows defeated, and realized that their slaves were no match for the Shadowchasers in any physical fight. A lot of words are used to describe fey, but 'muscular' and 'buff' are not included in them. And their usual methods of causing fear and despair weren't very effective against them either in a direct confrontation. So they grudgingly decided to follow the Treaty from that point on, and handle issues via dueling. Even as an outlaw race, they were allowed to benefit from the fair fight clause."

"So they only adapted the Treaty when it benefited them to do so?" asked Ember.

"It's not like they were the first race to exploit the loopholes in a treaty," replied Shichiro. "Both humans and Shadows have done so many times in history."

"I guess so," replied Ember. "But how did that make it easier?"

"The Unseelie have adapted in a unique way," replied Gears, "one which makes it easier to intimidate their opponents. The sympathetic object is now a key Monster in each joystealer's deck, usually one that's very hard to kill. Defeating it in a duel is the way to defeat the Unseelie."

"So are you going to find this joystealer?" asked Ember.

"We all are," replied Jinx. "These creatures feed on negative emotions, remember? Although they can simply use their powers to cause fear and sadness outright, they prefer to use intimidation and coercion to cause it to form in mortals on its own. Apparently, true emotion tastes better than artificially created emotion. Facing a joystealer leads to anguish and despair. But numbers can bolster courage in such situations."

The four of them walked out to the garage where the three D-Wheels were parked.

"One more question," asked Ember. "Exactly _how_ do we find her?"

"Don't worry," said Shichiro, as he lifted up his helmet. "A joystealer leaves a pretty clear trail…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Truer words had rarely been spoken.

Back at the park, they found that their target had struck again. Two duelists were sitting on the grass, crying their eyes out. One of them was able to point them in the direction where their opponent had gone, so they drove down the main thoroughfare, towards the entertainment district.

Here and there, more crying duelists were around. Eventually, this trail led to a place where Ember recognized.

At the Kurumizawa Card and Hobby Shop, it was clear who the owner's favorite Monster was. The place was full of toys, posters, and other paraphernalia that featured Dark Magician Girl. She was literally everywhere. Ember bought cards here now and then, but she truly doubted that the owner actually owned a copy of the famous card itself.

As she and the three veteran Shadowchasers walked in, the owner was one of several folks in the large store who was crying. Several duelists were sitting on the floor sobbing as well.

"She's close by…" said Gears. "Stay together… Don't be caught by surprise…"

"Uh, Gears…" said Ember. "Look… Over… There…"

She pointed to one of the duelists who was sitting on the floor crying, and she was clearly not human. It was a girl who looked about age fourteen (physically, at least), with long, black hair, skin that was colored hot pink, and pointed ears that were almost a foot long. She wore a green suit with a very verdant theme, along with tight green pants and odd, pointed shoes.

"Figures…" said Shichiro. "They tend to be pretty depressed themselves… The Unseelie fills them with as much pain as anyone else."

"Careful…" said Jinx.

"I'm being careful…" said Gears, slowly walking up to the joystealer.

"Uhm, hello…" he said.

She looked up at him, and opened her eyes, which were full of tears, yet very inhuman. They were orange, with no visible pupils or irises.

"Look, just calm down," said Gears. "You want me to help? I can end this without a fight, if you just let me help."

The joystealer suddenly stopped crying. She stood up.

"Help?" she said. "Why would I want you to help? I _love_ doing what I do! Crushing hopes and aspirations, showing folks how cruel the world is…"

Gears backed up.

"That's the Unseelie talking," he said.

The joystealer's eyes glowed. Gears frowned.

"You dared us to make you give the Eoshee back," said Gears, "and we're gonna do it until you've given back all them!"

The joystealer chuckled.

"It can't answer you right now," she said, "so I'm going to have to respond for it…"

Then she blew a raspberry at Gears.

"Cute," replied Gears. "Will it let you tell me your name?"

"Elsie," said the joystealer. "Not that it matters… What do names mean in the grand scheme of things anyway? Once you get one, you're stuck with it, and if you don't like it, tough…"

Gears frowned.

"Ho boy…" muttered Shichiro.

He knew how much Gears hated his real name…

Elsie held her Duel Disk out in front of her. Gears quickly activated his.

"You're trying to make me mad, and it won't work," said Gears. "I've already taken down one of you, and know all your cheap tricks."

"Oh, don't worry," chuckled Elsie. "I have all new cheap tricks…"

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Elsie: 8,000)**

"If you don't mind," said Elsie, "ladies first."

She drew a card, and then smirked as she looked over her hand.

"I'll set this, and then these," she said, playing four cards.

Three reversed cards, and then a reversed Monster appeared.

Then the Field Slot on Elsie's Disk flicked open, and she placed a card in it.

"Now I'll change the backdrop… I play The Cursed Dollhouse!"

Gears stepped back in surprise, as the whole interior of Kurumizawa became shrouded in dark mist, and then started to change. Slowly, it took shape, turning into a creepy mansion, with warped furniture and peeling wallpaper.

As he looked around, a low moan echoed through the mansion.

"Intimidating, isn't it?" asked Elsie.

She chuckled.

"Your move…"

"Cursed Dollhouse?" asked Ember. "All that's missing are the dolls…"

"I have a feeling we might see a few soon," replied Jinx.

Gears drew a card. He knew in his gut that the sooner he ended this, the better. But he knew he had to force the Unseelie to show its face.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser!" he shouted.

In an aura of digital ones and zeroes, the Machine hunter appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Get her Monster!" he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser bore its blades, and flew at the facedown Monster…

What appeared on the card was indeed a doll. A female doll, with long, blonde hair, wearing a blue dress. (1,000 DEF)

Mechanicalchaser made a swipe at it, but strangely, it only looked at Gears with a sinister smile.

"It wasn't destroyed?" asked Gears.

"Alice the Wandering Doll can't be destroyed in battle," replied Elsie. "In fact, if you try to, you'll regret it…"

Alice's eyes glowed, and Gears felt a burning pain in his chest…

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

"That 500 Life Points you just lost is only a small part of the curse that lies in this doll," continued Elsie. "And there's more. Now my Wandering Doll _wanders_ to your side of the field."

Alice vanished, and then reappeared on Gears's side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

_Why do I have the feeling that this is a Trojan Horse-style gift?_ he thought, looking at it.

"And by doing that," continued Elsie, taking her deck from its holder, "the effect of my Field Spell activates, allowing me to Special Summon Doll Part Gold!"

The mist parted, and then a spooky pair of disembodied doll's arms appeared in the air in front of Elsie. (0 ATK)

"Urk!" muttered Gears. "I, uhm…"

He looked at his cards.

"I guess I end my turn…"

Elsie drew a card.

"Doll Part Gold," she said, "attack Mechanicalchaser."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears. "That thing has zero Attack Points!"

Nevertheless, the two arms floated towards the large Machine. Mechanicalchaser slashed with its blade, and they shattered into bits. Elsie cringed a little.

Then one of her facedown cards lifted up.

"That lets me activate Necro Doll Meister," she said. "Since one of my Doll Parts was destroyed, I get to summon two more.

"So, I summon Doll Part Red, and Doll Part Pink."

The mist parted again, and two more odd pieces appeared. The first was a pair of doll's legs, with red high heels on the feet. The second was a headless, limbless torso. (0 ATK x2)

"Continuing," said Elsie, "I activate Birthright to bring back Doll Part Gold."

The Trap Card lifted, and the two arms appeared again. (0 ATK)

"Arms, legs, torso…" said Gears. "All you need now is the head…"

"You want a head?" asked Elsie. "I haven't Normal Summoned yet. So I summon Doll Part Blue."

She threw a card on her Disk, and a head did appear. A brunette doll's head with nasty cracks in it. (0 ATK)

"I _had_ to ask…" muttered Gears.

Then Elsie's last facedown card lifted up.

"Now, I activate Remove Brainwashing!" she exclaimed. "I'll be taking my doll back now…"

Alice the Wandering Doll vanished, and reappeared back on Elsie's side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

"I can hardly wait to see what comes next…" muttered Gears, although he actually could.

Elsie took a Spell Card from her hand, and quickly played it.

"I activate the powerful Marionette Burial!" she shouted.

Alice's eyes glowed with evil energy, and lightning flashed. The four Doll Parts started flying around Alice in a chaotic pattern.

Then, one by one, they vanished… The Cursed Dollhouse started to shake.

"Something's up…" said Jinx.

The dark mist rose again, and a far bigger shape started to rise out of it. After a few seconds, they saw it clearly. It looked like a huge, naked, female mannequin, covered with cracks and scars, crawling on all fours. Its eyes glowed with sinister light. (0 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Shichiro. "It looks like what Dr. Frankenstein would have made if he made toys…"

"Zero attack points?" asked Ember.

"Doll Chimera _starts_ at zero," replied Elsie. "But for each Doll Part in my Graveyard, it gains 400 more Attack Points."

A dark aura of energy surrounded Doll Chimera. (1,600 ATK)

"And that will end my turn…"

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 6,150)**

Gears slowly drew a card.

_Shouldn't be too hard…_ he thought. _Sure, it's scary, but I've seen stronger Monsters…_

"_Are you certain it will be as easy as you think?"_ said a sinister voice he had not heard before.

Gears looked around for the source of the voice.

"You're the Unseelie, aren't you?" he whispered.

"_I can't fool you,"_ it said. _"And I would walk with caution if I were you…_

"_You may have more Life Points right now… You may have the stronger Monster…_

"_But think, Gears… Would my slave have wasted so many cards summoning something that you could vanquish with one blow?_

"_Unnerving, isn't it?"_

Gears paused. He looked in the face of Doll Chimera, and a chill ran down his spine.

_It's got a point…_ he thought. _I've never heard of Doll Chimera before… And Elsie did use a pretty complex process to summon something with only a mediocre Attack Score… It's likely hiding a dark secret or two… I'd better be careful…_

"I activate the Spell Card, Take Over 5!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "This lets me send five cards from my deck to my Graveyard!"

He took five cards from the top of his deck, and quickly discarded them.

"All right!" he shouted. "Mechanicalchaser, destroy Doll Chimera!"

The Machine flew at Doll Chimera, and struck with its blades. Doll Chimera didn't shatter, but simply fell apart, falling into its component limbs.

"Yeah…" said Gears.

Then his smile quickly faded as the limbs rose back up off the floor.

"Doll Chimera won't be destroyed so easily," said Elsie, holding up two copies of Doll Part Pink. "If that happens, I can discard two Doll Parts from my deck to rebuild it."

Doll Chimera reappeared, this time with a torso that appeared to be made up of three segments.

"And with two more Doll Parts in my Graveyard, it's stronger than it was before…"

(2,400 ATK)

"Why do I get the feeling that this is gonna be one of those days I was sorry I got out of bed?" asked Gears.

He set a card on his Disk.

"I'll set a Monster, and then end my turn…"

A facedown Monster appeared next to Mechanicalchaser.

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,900)**

"I draw!" shouted Elsie, drawing one card.

She looked at it.

"Now I play it… The powerful Card of Safe Return."

A Continuous Spell Card appeared in front of her.

"Now I get to draw one card whenever a Monster is Special Summoned from my Graveyard. Until then…

"Doll Chimera… Dismantle his Mechanicalchaser!"

Doll Chimera leapt into the air and pounced, slashing at the Machine on the way down. Sparks flew from Mechanicalchaser, and it exploded.

Gears heard the Unseelie's sinister laughter in his ears.

_Have to focus…_ he thought.

**(G: 6,950) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,900)**

"Only an Unseelie could turn the symbols of childhood into nightmares…" he muttered.

"Childhood IS a nightmare, Gears," replied Elsie. "Anyone who says otherwise is selling toys and fast food. That's a sad truth that people don't want kids to know, something they try to keep hidden from us."

"Huh?" asked Gears.

"People talk about the 'halcyon days of youth'," continued Elsie, "wanting to discover 'the child within' suggesting that childhood is a happy, blissful time. Let me tell you Gears… It's a crock.

"Tell me that you _liked_ carrying a fifty-pound bag of textbooks to school every day because of the homework that a typical teacher assigns for students."

"Uhm…" said Gears. "Come to think of it, I didn't like that all too much…"

"Tell me that you _liked_ wrestling the bigger kids in a gym class run by a teacher who told you baloney about it 'building character'," continued Elsie. "Tell me that you _liked_ being analyzed by the guidance counselors who were only doing the job because they weren't smart enough to become real psychologists. Tell me you _liked_ getting noogies, wedgies, wet willies, and all the other indignities that older kids inflict on younger ones."

"Uhm…" said Gears. "Actually, I didn't like any of that…"

"She kind of raises a good point…" muttered Shichiro.

"And the older kids don't escape justice forever," continued Elsie. "As soon as they graduate and move on to more advanced schools, they become the youngest kids, and they become the victims of the older kids there.

"And once you become an adult, all of the dreams you had as a kid become impractical, and you face the reality of life. Heh… I laugh at the muscle-bound jocks that make fun of kids who are labeled as 'nerds'. In a few years, they're going to be asking those nerds for jobs!

"So why shouldn't I use cards that just show the truth behind the veil that they put up? Life is cruel and frightening, Gears, and for children, who aren't as knowledgeable as adults, it's downright horrifying.

"And it's your move…"

Gears slowly drew a card.

He held his head.

_I won't let it get to me…_ he thought. _Can't sink into despair… It makes a good point, sure, but I can't let it convince me that my whole life is hopeless…_

He looked at Elsie.

For a brief instant, he envisioned Mistle…

He smiled a little.

"I use the effect of Take Over 5!" he exclaimed. "Since I used it last turn, I can remove it from play this turn, to draw one card."

The Spell Card slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it. He made one draw.

_Sweet,_ he thought.

"I play Silent Doom," he said, playing a Spell Card, "to summon something I discarded with that Spell… Bokoichi the Freightening Car!"

In a flash of energy, Bokoichi appeared in front of him. (500 DEF)

"Next, Machine Duplication!" he shouted, playing a new Spell Card. "I'll summon two more Bokoichis!"

Two more Freightening Cards appeared. (500 DEF x2)

"Next, I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

His facedown card flipped up, and Dekoichi appeared, with black smoke pouring from its stack. (1,400 ATK)

"All right!" shouted Jinx. "Now Gears gets to draw four times!"

Gears quickly made four draws.

"Now, I sacrifice Dekoichi and one Bokoichi…"

The locomotive and one freight vanished.

"To summon Perfect Machine King!"

In an explosion of electrical energy, the king of Machines rose on Gears's side of the field. (2,700 ATK)

"And since I have two other Machines on the field," he continued, "it gains 1,000 more Attack Points!"

(3,700 ATK)

"Take out Doll Chimera!" he shouted. "Mega missile assault!"

Perfect Machine King's optic sensors glowed red, as the hatches on its shoulders opened, and a volley of heavy artillery fired. Elsie braced herself as Doll Chimera was blown to shards and The Cursed Dollhouse shook.

**(G: 6,950) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 4,600)**

Then Gears heard that evil laugh again.

"_Weren't you listening the first time?" _mocked the Unseelie. _"You can't destroy Doll Chimera that way… Show him, Elsie…_

Elsie discarded two copies of Doll Part Red. Slowly, Doll Chimera rose again, sprouting two extra pairs of legs in the process. (3,200 ATK)

"And due to Card of Safe Return," said Elsie, "I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

"Fine," said Gears, taking two more cards from his hand. "I'll set these facedown, and end my turn."

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Gears is in trouble," said Jinx. "If he smashes that thing again, it's just gonna get stronger."

"Even worse," replied Shichiro, "Gears usually uses Catastor to solve tough problems like this. But since that thing's obviously a Dark Monster, it's immune to Catastor's effect."

Elsie drew a second time.

"Time for someone new," she said, playing a card. "I summon Malice Doll of Demise!"

There was a loud cackle, and a dark aura appeared next to Alice. Then, an evil-looking, wooden puppet holding a nasty axe appeared from out of it. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack one of the Bokoichis!" she shouted. "Cleaver heaver!"

Malice Doll of Demise hurled its axe at the Freightening Car. Gears frowned.

_I can't waste my Trap on this thing…_ he thought. _I have to wait for Doll Chimera…_

The Machine's eyes bugged out, and then it exploded into slag. Perfect Machine King's Attack Score fell to 3,200.

"Doll Chimera, attack Perfect Machine King!" shouted Elsie.

"The battle will be a draw!" shouted Ember.

"True," replied Jinx. "But Elsie will just bring it back so it can attack again!"

Doll Chimera scurried towards Perfect Machine King…

"I activate…" shouted Gears, "Sakuretsu Armor!"

One of his facedown cards shot up, and Doll Chimera was blown to pieces again.

"Try bringing it back now," he said.

"As you wish," said Elsie, holding up two copies of Doll Part Gold.

She discarded them, and Doll Chimera quickly put itself back together again, this time sprouting four more arms. (4,000 ATK)

"What the…" said Gears. "It can be revived if destroyed by battle AND by card effects?"

"_Starting to realize how slim you chances are yet, Gears?"_ laughed the Unseelie.

Card of Safe Return glowed, and Elsie drew a card.

Doll Chimera rushed at Perfect Machine King again.

"I hate to do this…" muttered Gears, looking at Perfect Machine King. "Sorry old pal… I activate… Overworked!"

His other Trap Card shot up.

"This Trap Card destroys all Monsters on the field whose Attack Scores are higher than their base scores. Unfortunately, that means it destroys Perfect Machine King. But since Doll Chimera's base score is zero, it's going too!"

Both Perfect Machine King and Doll Chimera were blown to pieces.

Elsie grinned evilly,

She discarded two copies of Doll Part Blue, and Doll Chimera rose again, bigger than ever before, now with three heads on its shoulders. (4,800 ATK)

She drew a card again, as Card of Safe Return glowed.

"I can't believe it!" shouted Ember. "The thing just keeps getting uglier!"

"Destroy his last Monster!" shouted Elsie.

Doll Chimera's fist came down on the Bokoichi, smashing it flat.

"Why does Gears keep destroying it?" shouted Ember. "It just comes back stronger and stronger!"

"No, I see his plan," said Shichiro.

"Huh?" asked Ember.

"Well," said Shichiro. "As we know, Doll Chimera has four component parts… Blue, Pink, Red, and Gold. Elsie has to discard two of them to resurrect it.

"But, she's only allowed to have three copies of each in her deck. I do believe that she's discarded all of them now. All Gears will have to do is destroy it one more time, and Doll Chimera will stay dead. And since it seems to be a NOMI, I don't think she'll be able to bring it back.

"I just hope he can…"

_Yeah…_ thought Gears, looking at the huge Monster. _Shouldn't be too hard… It's only… Three-hundred points stronger… Than Kaiba's Ultimate Dragon…_

Elsie placed two cards in her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared.

"That should do it…" she said. "I guess it's your move…"

Gears drew a card.

_Just what I needed…_ he thought. _This may be the last chance…_

"I'm going to summon the Tuner Monster, Trap Eater," he said, holding a card forward. "But I can't Normal Summon it. I have to Special Summon it by sending a face-up Trap Card to the Graveyard."

"Talk about _dumb_," said Elsie. "You don't have a face-up Trap Card."

"I said A Trap Card, not mine," replied Gears. "I'm sending _that_ one."

He pointed to Elsie's Remove Brainwashing, and it disappeared.

Then a weird Fiend appeared in front of Gears. It looked like it was almost all mouth, with sharp teeth and beady eyes. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I'll Normal Summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!"

In an aura of energy, Garadholg appeared next to Trap Eater. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune my two Monsters together! Go!"

Trap Eater let out a throaty laugh, and then it and Garadholg flew to the ceiling of The Cursed Dollhouse, where they burst into eight shimmering stars…

"I Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"

A new robot appeared, landing in front of Gears. It was a droid shaped like an inverted pear, with glowing eyes, blasters for arms, a hovering pad in place of legs, and a metal ring surrounding it covered with lights. (2,400 ATK)

"_Do you actually think that thing can do the job?"_ laughed the Unseelie. _"Doll Chimera is twice as strong!"_

"We'll see," said Gears. "Light Gazer, attack Malice Doll of Demise! Plasma cannon!"

Light Gazer fired a blast of pure energy from one of the blasters on its arms, and the evil puppet exploded in a burst of flames and wood splinters.

Elsie scowled at him.

**(G: 6,950) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,800)**

"I set one card facedown…" said Gears, as a reversed card appeared on his side of the field, "and I end my turn…"

Elsie drew a card.

"Doll Chimera," she ordered, "destroy Light Gazer!"

Doll Chimera's eyes glowed with evil light. It rushed at Light Gazer.

"I activate…" shouted Gears, "Limiter Removal!"

His facedown Quickplay Spell Card lifted up, and Light Gazer glowed with an aura of pure power… (4,800 ATK)

"All right!" cheered Ember. "The battle will end in a draw… But Elsie won't be able to bring back Doll Chimera!"

"Or so you think," laughed Elsie. "Trap Card, activate…"

Her facedown card lifted up.

"The Transmigration Prophecy!" she shouted. "Now, I get to return two cards in either Graveyard to the owners' decks.

"So, I'll send two copies of Doll Part Blue back to my deck…"

Two of Doll Chimera's heads vanished, and its Attack Score fell to 4,000.

"Of course, that means Light Gazer wins this battle…"

Light Gazer fired a powerful blast, and Doll Chimera was blown to pieces again.

"…but wouldn't you know it… I have two Doll Parts to discard again!"

She discarded both Doll Parts – Blue again, and Doll Chimera appeared again, once more with three heads. (4,800 ATK)

Card of Safe Return glowed, and she drew one card.

"Seems your plan just went up in smoke… And so will Light Gazer once I end my turn, due to the side effect of Limiter Removal.

"Okay, Gears, I'm ending my turn NOW."

Light Gazer exploded into shards of light.

**(G: 6,950) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,000)**

Gears sighed. He hung his head and closed his eyes. He was pretty much out of ideas at this point…

"_Why don't you just give up, Gears?"_ mocked the Unseelie. _"I've been one step ahead of you this whole duel, and you won't be able to resist forever._

"_I can feel the despair starting to rise in you… I know how you're trying to keep me out, by the way… You're keeping that nymph in the front of your mind… Well, she's not here. All that's here is me, my pawn, and your three allies who can't seem to help you at all._

"_So…"_

Then Gears's eyes snapped open as a sudden realization came to him.

"Closing my eyes…" he muttered. "I just realized something…"

He pointed to Elsie.

"I've found you!" he shouted.

"What?" said Shichiro. "What is it, Gears?"

Gears laughed.

"Simple," he replied. "I just realized I've been upside-down in my approach to this problem the whole time.

"Oh, it was a clever plan… The Unseelie made us think that the sympathetic object was Doll Chimera…"

"You mean it isn't?" asked Jinx.

"No," replied Gears. "Doll Chimera is the main offensive force in Elsie's deck, but it serves another purpose. To draw attention away from the card that truly houses the Unseelie. Its large, overwhelming, and incredibly evil presence is so distracting, everyone can't help but assume that it's the Unseelie.

"That thing has been taunting me throughout the whole duel. But when my eyes were closed, and I wasn't distracted by what I was seeing, I realized where the voice was truly coming from…

"The Unseelie isn't Doll Chimera…

"…it's Alice the Wandering Doll!"

Elsie gasped. Then Alice smiled a wicked smile.

"_So, you've found me,"_ said the Unseelie's voice. _"As if it will help you. Don't you remember my effect? I can't be destroyed!"_

Gears drew a card.

"I beg to differ!" he shouted, playing another. "I summon Nanobreaker!"

In a flash of energy, the armored, sword-wielding, female android appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"_How is she going to hurt me?"_ asked the Unseelie.

"With _her_ effect!" answered Gears. "When Nanobreaker attacks a Monster that's Level 3 or less, that Monster is automatically destroyed, and damage calculation is ignored.

"It's all in her name; 'nano', which is Latin for 'very small' and 'breaker', meaning, uhm, she breaks them."

Elsie gasped and looked at the card on her Disk.

Gears had something. Alice was Level 3.

"Nanobreaker!" shouted Gears. "Attack that demon with nano-blade!"

Nanobreaker leapt into the air, holding her sword above her head. For the first time, the expression on Alice's face changed from one of confidence to one of fear. The android slashed at the evil doll with her blade.

"_NOOOOOO!"_ screamed the Unseelie as cracks started to appear over Alice.

Then lightning flashed, and a haunting laughter echoed through the building. Gears watched, as black smoke poured from the crumbling remains of Alice the Wandering Doll.

The smoke formed a horned face, and two clawed arms. The creature laughed.

"_**Too bad…"**_ said the Unseelie. _**"Too bad… I was having so much fun with Elsie… But all things must come to an end sometime, I guess…**_

"_**But before I leave, I'll give her and you a little parting gift to remember me by…"**_

Elsie's last facedown card shot up.

"_**I activate Released Curse! Now, the full power of my curse is released in one tremendous blast!"**_

"Uh, people?" said Shichiro. "Maybe we should… Brace ourselves…"

Everyone did, as the whole field was consumed in an explosion of black fire. Doll Chimera, Nanobreaker, Card of Safe Return, and The Cursed Dollhouse itself were all blown apart in the evil conflagration.

**(G: 6,150) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,100)**

When Gears dared look again, the whole field had been wiped out. Elsie had fallen on her rump, and looked dizzy.

Slowly, she started to change. Her hot pink skin faded to a rich, tan color, and her eyes turned human-like, with beautiful green irises.

She looked at her hands.

"It…" she muttered "It's gone…

"I'm free… After all these years…"

She stood up.

"And it couldn't resist triggering that Trap on the way out…" she muttered. "Unseelie are the biggest egotists, loudmouths, and show-offs in existence. I should know… It clearly was going to leave with a bang rather than a whimper."

"So, now what?" asked Gears.

Elsie smiled. And then she giggled, showing a small bit of happiness for the first time.

"Well, as long as we're dueling," she said, "there's no point in not finishing…"

"Uhm, okay…" said Gears. "But no strings attached…"

"Never again!" laughed Elsie. "It was a wager that got us into that mess to begin with. It's still your turn, I believe…"

"You got it," said Gears, taking two cards from his hand. "I set one card facedown, and then play Monster Reborn."

A facedown card appeared, and then the golden ankh appeared. Nanobreaker appeared once again. (1,600 ATK)

_The Unseelie seems to be gone,_ he thought. _But just in case…_

"My move…" said Elsie.

She went to draw. Then she paused before doing so. She looked at the three cards she already had.

"You know, Gears…" she said slowly. "The Unseelie had to sleep sometimes… It wasn't controlling me constantly. And in one of the rare times I had to myself, I put a certain card in this deck without its knowledge. I never dared play it… Doing so would be a sign of rebellion…

"But if I draw the right card right now, I'll finally be able to use it…

"What do you think?"

"Go for it," said Gears, giving her a thumbs up. "After all, you can't have too many cards left at this point…"

Elsie closed her eyes and drew a card.

She laughed out loud as she saw what it was.

"In your face, Unseelie!" she laughed.

"Since you have a Monster on your side of the field, and I don't have any, I can Special Summon Level Warrior!"

In a burst of colorful stars, a much more radiant figure appeared. It looked like an action figure dressed in a red superhero costume, with a cape, and big golden stars on both its chest and mask. (300 ATK)

"And since I Special Summoned it using its effect, its Level becomes 4.

"Next, I play my own Monster Reborn to bring Malice Doll of Demise back from the Graveyard."

The holy ankh appeared again, and the doll-like Fiend appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, the Spell Card, Lightwave Tuning! I get to choose one Level 4 Light Monster, and it becomes a Tuner for this round. So I'll choose Level Warrior!"

She played the card, and Level Warrior glowed with energy.

"Now, I Tune them together!"

Level Warrior and Malice Doll of Demise dissolved into eight glowing stars. Slowly a tall form started to appear…

"I Synchro Summon… Blessed Iris!"

A new Monster appeared in front of Elsie. It was a beautiful woman, dressed in gossamer, scintillating robes, with long, golden hair, and wings on her back that glowed with all the colors of the rainbow. She held a long, golden scepter and wore a golden tiara. (2,200 ATK)

"Okay," said Gears. "Nothing I can't handle…"

"She has a special ability," replied Elsie. "Once per round, I can remove from play a Dark Monster in my Graveyard."

Doll Chimera fell out of her discard slot.

"See you in my nightmares, Doll Chimera," she said, as Iris glowed with radiant energy.

"And now, with Doll Chimera truly dead, Blessed Iris gains 300 more Attack Points times its Level."

(3,700 ATK)

"Not bad…" muttered Gears.

"Blessed Iris," exclaimed Elsie, "attack! Prismatic ray"

Iris pointed her scepter, and shot a spray of rainbow colored lights at Nanobreaker. Gears reeled as his Monster was blown to pieces.

**(G: 4,050) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,100)**

"And by the way," said Elsie, "That increase in Attack Score doesn't go away until the end of your next turn, and I can do it again next round. It's your move, Gears."

"So now what?" asked Ember.

"Don't count Gears out yet," replied Shichiro. "He's full of surprises."

Gears quickly made a draw.

"Well, Elsie," he said, "time to bring this to a close…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Birthright," he said. "Now I can bring a Normal Monster back from the Graveyard. And I'll bring back one that I tossed when I used Take Over 5… Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais."

In a flash of light, the large, robotic bird of prey appeared. (2,300 ATK)

"That's no match for Iris," replied Elsie.

"But I have something that is," added Gears. "I summon Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher."

He played the card, and a new Machine appeared with a trumpeting noise. It resembled, more than anything, a robotic elephant with a glowing node on the end of its trunk. (1,200 ATK)

"Iris is far stronger than that," said Elsie.

"Well, it's gonna attack anyway," said Gears. "Unknown Crusher, attack Blessed Iris with particle beam!"

Unknown Crusher trumpeted, and fired a beam of blue energy from its trunk at Blessed Iris. Iris simply swatted the blast away, and the Machine exploded into slag. Gears cringed from the impact.

**(G: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,100)**

"Perfect," he said, catching his breath. "My Monster may have lost… But when Unknown Crusher battles a Light Monster, that Monster is removed from play, regardless of the outcome of the battle."

Elsie gasped as her Monster simply vanished into nothing.

"Claíomh Solais," said Gears, "let's finish this. Attack directly."

Elsie closed her eyes as Claíomh Solais shot a blast of fire at her. And as the flames covered her, she didn't flinch. In fact, she smiled.

She fell on her knees, and let out a long sigh…

**(G: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The three veterans and one rookie walked out of the card store with Elsie following.

"So, what will you do now, Elsie?" asked Ember.

Elsie looked over the tall buildings of Neo Domino.

"I already have plans," she said, somberly.

She looked at her Duel Disk. Then she looked at the Blessed Iris card.

"I may be free," she said, "but there are more joystealers out there. So many more of my sisters are still enslaved by those awful things…

"Just looking out and listening, I can hear some of them crying, even from miles away. The Shadowchasers can't get to all of them alone.

"I'll build a new deck… I'll seek them out… And the Unseelie will have to answer to me. Maybe I'll find more Eoshee who have been freed and convince them to do the same.

"I have faith that someday, even if it takes several more mortal generations, the scam that those cheaters pulled on us will be completely undone.

"Someday, the Eoshee will have a reason to dance again, just like we used to."

"And we'll be here to help," said Gears. "Keep in touch…"

"You keep in touch too," said Elsie. "I may be able to help myself one of these days. After all, I've been on Earth for a _long_ time…"

As they watched her walk off, Shichiro's cell phone rang. He looked at the number, and saw that it was Jalal.

He answered it.

"Go ahead, boss," he said.

He listened.

"Uh huh… Uh huh… Yeah…"

He hung up.

"We gotta get back to the townhouse, guys," he says. "Jalal has something so important, he can't say it over the phone."

"Might be bad news…" replied Jinx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, the four of them were sitting in the comfortable lounge with the ever-burning fire, waiting for Jalal.

Eventually, he appeared, with a look of concern on his face.

"What's up, Jalal?" asked Shichiro.

"Plenty," he replied. "I identified that sword that Jinx recovered.

"First, a question: How would you describe the typical relation between high elves and dwarves?"

"Uneasy allies at best," replied Jinx, "fierce rivals more often."

"True," replied Jalal. "But one-thousand years ago, all of the high elf and dwarf clans on Earth were very close allies, bonded together in a pact against their mutual enemies. It was perhaps the only time the two races could be called actual friends.

"In the midst of this alliance, the greatest dwarven smiths of the Goldhammer Clan forged the Regalia of Day, a trio of swords that would symbolize the alliance between the two races by helping them oppose their mutual enemies. They are weapons of great magical power, and naturally, symbolic status. They've been hidden away for quite some time. Many dwarf and elf clan leaders would love to see them recovered and their secrets unraveled, if only to make peace between the two races again.

"The one that you recovered, Jinx, is called the Sword of Twilight, sometimes called the Sword of Dawn by optimists and the Sword of Dusk by pessimists. It is a powerful weapon that gave the two races the strength to defeat the savage humanoids that they warred against, the orcs, goblins, and their allies.

"Then there was the Sword of Noon. A mighty blade that channeled the radiant power of the sun at its strongest, it possessed the power to slay vile undead creatures and necromantic creations.

"Finally, the Sword of Midnight, a weapon possessing the mystical energy of the moon. It gave the two races the courage and energy to fight off their sinister foes from the deep, subterranean realms where no light shone… The dark elves and the foul aberrations.

"We have the Sword of Twilight now… I believe it is in our best interests to find the other two before whoever was smuggling them does."

"Are they that dangerous?" asked Gears.

"To quote a cliché," replied Jalal, "only in the wrong hands. But we are in luck. I've located their hiding places.

"The Sword of Noon is in New Mexico, while the Sword of Midnight is in Germany."

"In that case," said Shichiro, "I suggest we call Sofia and Hank."

"No need," replied Jalal. "I already have…"

_**Now, this was the first time I had heard the names Sofia and Hank mentioned. They were Shadowchasers too, but not ones that I would see on a regular basis. Sofia was a Shadowchaser who worked in the American Southwest, while Hank was one who limited his activities to Europe.**_

_**You see, Shadow activities occurred all over the world, and everywhere there was Shadow, there was a need for Shadowchasers. Jalal's organization was global in nature. There were Shadowchasers in every geographic location. Possibly the only places where there weren't any stationed were the Arctic and Antarctic, but Jalal could send some there if it was necessary. **_

_**That was one benefit to being a Shadowchaser. No matter where you went, anywhere in the world, you were never far from an ally.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE LIGHT GAZER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters

Increase this card's ATK by 200 points for each LIGHT Monster in your opponent's Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE UNKNOWN CRUSHER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card battles a LIGHT Monster, remove that Monster from play.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Light Gazer" and "Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TAKE OVER 5 (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Five cards flying from a Duel Disk.

**Card Description:** Send the top five cards from your deck to the Graveyard. During your next Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard, remove it from play to draw 1 card. While this card is in your Graveyard, negate the effects of cards you control that send your cards from your deck to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Take Over 5" was first used by Judai in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DOLL PART BLUE/GOLD/PINK/RED (Monster Cards)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Flavor Text:** A cursed doll that has been broken into pieces. Its power can only be unleashed if it is fixed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALICE THE WANDERING DOLL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. When this card is attacked, inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent and switch control of this card to your opponent at the end of the Damage Step.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DOLL CHIMERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of "Marionette Burial" or via its own effect. This card gains 400 Attack Points for each "Doll Part" Monster in your Graveyard. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can discard 2 "Doll Part" Monsters from your deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon it in Attack Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**THE CURSED DOLLHOUSE (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** A rickety old dollhouse in a dark wood.

**Card Description:** When control of an "Alice the Wandering Doll" changes, the previous controller may Special Summon a "Doll Part" Monster from his/her deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MARIONETTE BURIAL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A coffin in a grave with a rose on top.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you have an "Alice the Wandering Doll" face-up on your side of the field. Offer 1 "Doll Part Blue", 1 "Doll Part Gold", 1 "Doll Part Red", and 1 "Doll Part Pink" as Tributes to Special Summon 1 "Doll Chimera" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NECRO DOLL MEISTER (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A pair of hands with tools working on a grim-looking doll, while similar dolls lie beneath it.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a "Doll Part" Monster you control is destroyed in battle. Special Summon 2 "Doll Part" Monsters from your hand or deck in Attack Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RELEASED CURSE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Alice the Wandering Doll sitting in the lotus position, glowing with evil energy.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when an "Alice the Wandering Doll" is destroyed. Destroy all cards on the field. Each player loses 300 Life Points for each of his/her cards that are destroyed by this effect.

_Note: The proceeding seven cards were first used by Alice in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "What a Doll!" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLESSED IRIS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

Once per turn, during your turn, you can remove from play one DARK Monster in your Graveyard. Increase the ATK of this card by 300x the Level of the removed Monster until the End Phase of your opponent's next turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Wherever there are Shadows, there are Shadowchasers. Next chapter, we move away from Neo Domino and across the Pacific, where a lone Shadowchaser finds the Sword of Noon in the New Mexico desert. But she is not alone, and must fight for it when a servant of the ones in charge of smuggling the first Sword shows up, armed with another powerful deck. "Deck Lockdown" is coming soon._


	13. Deck Lockdown

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Deck Lockdown**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**New Mexico…**_

_**It is nicknamed The Land of Enchantment, due to the beauty and wonder of its natural splendor. **_

_**And despite being the sixth most sparsely-populated state in America, there was still a need for a Shadowchaser here every now and then. Shadow clans populated both the deserts and the few metropolitan areas.**_

_**As Jalal was talking to us, it was ten AM in Neo Domino, which meant that in Albuquerque, it was six PM of the previous day.**_

_**And on a highway thirty miles north of that city, a lone Shadowchaser piloted her D-Wheel, her goal within sight…**_

_Breakin' rocks in the... hot sun,_

_I fought the law and the... law won,_

_I fought the law and the... law won._

_I needed money, 'cause I... had none,_

_I fought the law and the... law won,_

_I fought the law and the... law won._

This classic tune by the Bobby Fuller Four played on the XM radio of the D-Wheel driving down a lonely desert highway. The driver was ever alert.

As a Shadowchaser, Sofia was mostly a loner. She did belong to a group, but that group handled the entire American Southwest, a large and sparsely populated area (compared to the rest of the States). As a result, it was very rare for her whole group to work together on one project. Most of the time, they were very spread-out, and handled the problems that arose alone.

As the sun was starting to set, she was piloting her D-Wheel towards an area that had a significance that very few remembered.

Once she got there, she switched off the radio and quickly turned, and drove off the road. It was no problem for her D-Wheel – it had been customized to handle all-terrain driving.

After driving off-road for about a half mile, she came to a stop.

She got off, and removed her helmet. She was a tall woman, dressed in jeans and a brown hiking shirt, with curly, chestnut hair. She had a pack strapped to her back – it paid to be prepared in these parts – and her sword was strapped under it (the weapon was standard-issue for Shadowchasers, no matter what their location).

She hit the command on her D-Wheel, and her Duel Disk disengaged, clamping onto her gauntlet. She hadn't seen anyone following her yet, but she wasn't going to take any chances. Then she took the cowboy hat that was strapped to the back of her seat and put it on (she'd feel naked without it).

As she started to walk into the brush, she hit a number on her cell phone.

"Yeah, I'm here Jalal," she said. "I know where I'm going.

"When most folks think of the gold rush of 1849, they think of California. But New Mexico saw some activity too. There used to be a town here, with a mine and all the hustle and bustle and fanfare… A lot of the prospectors who came here were dwarves from various American clans, hoping to strike it rich just like anyone else.

"But the mine went dry, and everyone moved on. The buildings came down, and almost nothing was left…

"Almost, that is… They left behind one thing…"

Sofia looked ahead, and saw the old, derelict cemetery. The town's proverbial "Boot Hill", which had not been removed.

"I'll get back to you, boss," she said, and hung up.

Sofia took another device out of her pocket, which looked somewhat like a blackberry. She turned it on, and walked through the cemetery, looking at the names on the graves. The words on the wooden headstones were sun faded, and most were unreadable, but she could read some of them. She knew that some of the names were clearly dwarven in nature, something that the town's undertaker never realized. Dwarven surnames were the same as their clan names, and such a name often included the word for a metal, gemstone, tool, weapon, or combination of two of them in it.

Then she saw the headstone she was looking for. One that was simply labeled, "Unknown".

She held up the device, and a light on it started to flash. Jalal's information had been right on the money. This grave held no body.

If she were the typical archaeologist, this was the point where she'd use a shovel. But the Shadowchasers had far easier and quicker means.

Sofia quickly opened her backpack, and took out four devices that looked like metal tent stakes. She pushed them into the ground, forming a rectangular pattern in front of the grave.

Then, she pushed a button on the handheld device, and all four started to glow. Then the glow turned to a blinding light.

When Sofia looked again, a sword was lying on the ground in front of the grave in an old sheath.

She picked it up, and drew the sword halfway out. The blade glowed with a warm light, radiating heat like that of the midday sun. The same strange runes that Jinx saw on the Sword of Twilight were on the hilt and blade.

"The Sword of Noon…" said Sofia, nodding.

She sheathed it again, and looked around. She knew she had best get back to her bike before anyone showed up.

Then she heard the galloping of hooves coming her way. A fog started to rise.

Too late.

She stood her ground, and prepared to face whoever was coming. She knew that whoever the rider was likely was someone who meant her no good.

She saw the rider come out of the fog. It was not a Mundane horse, that was for sure. Its bright red hair gave away its Shadow nature. Riding the horse was a janni similar to Rasul, dressed in clothing with a far-more Western theme.

"Whoa," he said, pulling the horse to a stop.

He looked at Sofia.

"Howdy, ma'am," he said.

"Don't 'howdy' me," said Sofia. "What do you want?"

"Just what I came to get," said the janni. "Musafa al Bin Ban, at your service. And I thank you for digging up that sword. The man who owns this property will be grateful for its recovery."

Sofia's eyes narrowed. Who was this guy trying to kid? This land was state-owned.

She decided to play along with him for now.

"I'll have to see some authorization," she said.

Bin Ban smirked. He dismounted, and took an envelope out of his coat. He handed it to Sofia.

Sofia opened the envelope and read the document inside slowly.

"You don't mind if I call the number here to confirm this, do you?" she asked.

Without waiting for an answer, she opened her cell phone. A look of worry appeared on Bin Ban's face.

Slowly, he inched towards the Sword of Noon…

Before he could reach it, Sofia spun around, drew her own blade, and pointed it at his throat.

"Okay, buddy," she said. "Start talking. This land is owned by the government of New Mexico, not by the man on this phony document."

Bin Ban nervously held his hands up.

"If that's true," he said, "it isn't wise to be digging up stuff around here, now is it?"

"I have a permit to do so," replied Sofia. "I have a researcher's license to excavate archaeological artifacts."

"Oh… So you do…" muttered Bin Ban. "Tell you what, Shadowchaser… What would you say to a wager?"

"A wager?" asked Sofia.

"We duel for the Sword of Noon," replied Bin Ban.

"And why would I agree to that?" asked Sofia.

"If I lose," replied Bin Ban, "I'll tell you who wants it."

Sofia thought for a second.

She sheathed her own sword.

"Okay, that may be worth my time…" she said. "I accept your challenge."

Bin Ban grinned.

_This will be easy,_ he thought. _No duelist can defeat my Ultimate Lock Deck!_

Bin Ban backed up, and slipped a Duel Disk on his arm. Sofia grinned, and activated her own.

"Let's do this," she said.

**(Sofia: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Bin Ban: 8,000)**

"My draw," chuckled Bin Ban, making his opening draw.

He smiled slightly when he saw what he had drawn, but only slightly, almost as if it hurt his face to smile.

"I'll set a Monster," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

"And I think that will be all for now."

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Sofia, drawing a card.

"First, I throw two of my cards facedown," she said.

Two reversed cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"Then, I send one card in my hand to the Graveyard…"

She discarded a Bladefly.

"…to Special Summon The Tricky!"

In a gust of wind, a Monster appeared in front of her that looked, for lack of a better term, weird. He looked like he was dressed in a yellow and black jester's outfit, with a flowing, blue cape. A big, red question mark was on his face and chest. (2,000 ATK)

"Next," she said, "I'm removing my Bladefly from play…"

Bladefly slipped out of her Graveyard, and she pocketed it.

"…to Special Summon Silpheed!"

In another gust of wind, a man in a pale, white suit, with white hair and blue skin, holding a wand with a tip shaped like a bird's wing appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Not bad…" said Bin Ban.

"I'm far from finished," said Sofia. "Silpheed, attack his Monster! Gust blast!"

Silpheed pointed his wand, and a blast of wind shot towards the facedown card. A small red and silver Dragon with wings and a mask on its face appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"That was a Masked Dragon," said Bin Ban, taking his deck and looking through it. "And by destroying it, you've allowed me to summon another weak Dragon. So I'll summon another Masked Dragon."

A second Masked Dragon appeared where the first one had been. (1,100 DEF)

_A Dragon Deck?_ thought Sofia. _Fine… I can handle a Dragon Deck…_

"Tricky, destroy it!" shouted Sofia. "Trick illusion!"

The Tricky pointed, and fired a blast of scintillating colors. The second Masked Dragon was blown to pieces.

"No-one ever uses Masked Dragon without packing three of them," said Bin Ban, as a third Masked Dragon appeared. (1,100 DEF)

"I'm still not done," said Sofia, taking the last card in her hand. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

The Tricky and Silpheed vanished into pixels of energy.

"…to summon Simorgh, Bird of Divinity!"

With another blast of wind, a huge, beautiful bird, with emerald-green feathers and a crown studded with gemstones appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"All right…" said Sofia, with a grin. "Think I'll end my turn now…"

As she said that, Simorgh beat its great wings, causing a virtual hurricane. Bin Ban staggered back as he was buffeted by the storm, but Sofia's two facedown cards lifted up (backs to her opponent), forming a shield against the onslaught.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

Bin Ban clapped his hands.

"Bravo," he said. "Good show… You managed to pull off quite the impressive combo…

"Unfortunately, I must crush it now…"

He drew a card.

"I play my Giant Trunade Spell Card!"

Another blast of wind blew over the field, and Sofia's facedown cards vanished, reappearing in her hand.

_Oh no!_ she thought. _Without those, Simorgh's effect will hurt me this round!_

"Don't worry," said Bin Ban, as if he could read her mind. "Simorgh isn't going to last that long…

"I sacrifice Masked Dragon…"

Masked Dragon vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon a much stronger Dragon!"

An explosion lit up his side of the field.

"I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV6!"

It appeared out of the flames. The pre-evolved form of one of the most dreaded Monsters in the game… A Dragon made entirely of golden metal with a hawk-like head and wings. (2,300 ATK)

Sofia started to sweat…

Then she grinned a little.

"It…" she said. "It has to defeat my Monster to evolve… Simorgh is stronger…"

Bin Ban played a Spell Card.

"Not if I play Level Up!" he said. "This lets me evolve it to its LV8 form right away!"

Horus became shrouded in flames, and doubled in size, turning more humanoid and more muscular. (3,000 ATK)

"Attack her Bird of Divinity!" he shouted. "Divine flames!"

Horus roared, and blasted a bolt of black fire from its jaws. Simorgh shrieked before it went up in flames. Sofia reeled from the impact.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

"I probably don't have to tell you this," said Bin Ban, "but Horus can negate any Spell Card you try to play.

"And that will end my turn…"

Sofia nervously drew a card.

She set all three of her cards in her Disk. Her two facedown cards reappeared, and a defensive Monster appeared.

_Normally,_ she thought, _when someone uses Horus, he also uses Royal Decree… But he has no facedown cards that could be Royal Decree… I think I can hold him off for at least one round…_

She nodded.

"I draw!" said Bin Ban, drawing a card.

"I play… Monster Reborn!"

The glowing ankh appeared on his side of the field, and a Masked Dragon appeared again. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it…"

Masked Dragon vanished…

A tall, dark form loomed over the field…

"Jinzo!" shouted Sofia.

It was indeed Jinzo. There was no mistaking the famous Monster, with its dark robe and armor, and sinister face-plate over a wrinkled cranium. (2,400 ATK)

"Part two of my ultimate lock," replied Bin Ban. "As of right now, I'm not all that concerned about your facedown cards.

"Jinzo… Destroy her Monster with Cyber Energy Shock!"

Jinzo formed a ball of glowing, dark energy in its hands, and hurled it at the facedown Monster. A large, green, humanoid mantis appeared crouching on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"You destroyed my Flying Kamakiri #1," said Sofia. "And now I can use its effect to summon another one."

A second Kamakiri appeared in front of her. (1,400 ATK)

"Horus, destroy the second Kamakiri!" shouted Bin Ban.

Horus blasted its divine flames, and the Insect was burned to a crisp.

"Ergh…" muttered Sofia.

"I'll use that one's effect… To summon Ptarmigan of Mist Valley."

In another gust of wind, a new Monster appeared in front of her. It looked like a man-sized rooster, with a plume and tail feathers shaped like lightning bolts. (1,100 ATK)

"A big chicken?" asked Bin Ban. "That was the best you could do?"

"Are you quite done?" asked Sofia.

"I end my turn," said Bin Ban.

**(S: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

Sofia looked at her deck.

_This next card had better be a Monster,_ she thought. _Otherwise, I'll be wide open next turn…_

She slowly drew one card.

_This may help,_ she thought, looking at it.

"I set one Monster," she said, setting it, "and then move Ptarmigan to Defense Mode."

The facedown Monster appeared, and then the Ptarmigan covered itself with its wings. (700 DEF)

"My move…" chuckled Bin Ban.

He made a draw.

_Hmm!_ he thought, looking at it.

"I summon Horus' Servant!" he exclaimed.

In a small burst of flame, a man in clothing that was clearly Egyptian in style, with a helmet shaped like a hawk's head appeared. (100 ATK)

"With his Servant on the field, Horus is immune to all effects that target."

"True," replied Sofia, "but the Servant itself is rather weak."

"That's why I'm Equipping it with Heart of Clear Water!" laughed Bin Ban, playing another card.

A glowing amulet made of crystal appeared around the Servant's neck.

"Now he also can't be targeted, and he can't be destroyed in battle either.

"Now to clean up… Horus, roast that chicken extra crispy!"

Horus blasted its flames, and Ptarmigan of Mist Valley was fried to ashes.

"Jinzo, destroy her other Monster!"

Jinzo blasted its Cyber Energy Shock at the facedown Monster. A winged cherub with a bow and arrow appeared on the card before it was blown to shards.

"That was my Skelengel," said Sofia. "Now I get to draw one card…"

She made a draw.

_Another Trap Card?_ she thought. _Nuts… Just what I didn't need…_

Bin Ban pointed, and Horus' Servant tossed a small ball of flame at Sofia. She barely felt it, but she knew that every Life Point she had was important.

"I set one reversed card, and end my turn," said Bin Ban, as a facedown card appeared in front of him. "Face it… Unless you have Exiled Force or another Monster that can destroy my Jinzo, you're finished."

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

_I didn't like telling a fib,_ he thought, _but even that won't work. My facedown card is My Body as a Shield, which would foil such an attempt._

_This is my Ultimate Lock… It's unbeatable!_

Sofia drew a card.

She sighed. It was indeed a Monster, but if she put it on the field to defend her, it would certainly be destroyed. And it was too valuable to lose.

She'd have to take a chance…

She took the card she had drawn with Skelengel's effect, and set it in her Disk. A third facedown card appeared.

"That's all…" she said.

"Right!" laughed Bin Ban, drawing a card.

"Jinzo, attack her directly!"

Sofia screamed as the Cyber Energy Shock slammed into her.

"Horus, you next!"

An inferno of flames struck Sofia, and she screamed bloody murder. She fell on one knee.

**(S: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

"I move the Servant to Defense Mode, just in case," said Bin Ban, as Horus' Servant knelt, and covered its chest with its arms. (100 DEF)

"And I end my turn…"

Sweat was falling down Sofia's face. She noticed that her hat had fallen off.

She picked it up and put it back on. Then she slowly stood up.

_Okay…_ she thought, _of course, you realize this means war…_

She looked at her deck.

_Of course, without the right card, it's gonna be an awfully sort one…_

_C'mon, deck… Give me the card I need…_

She made a draw.

It shone in the dim light.

"I Special Summon… Divine Fowl King Alector!" she shouted.

Lightning flashed. A tall Winged Beast appeared, one resembling a humanoid rooster, garbed in shining plate armor, with large, red wings. (2,400 ATK)

"What's so special about him?" asked Bin Ban with a frown.

"Simple," said Sofia. "When you have at least two Monsters that are the same Attribute, I can Special Summon Alector here. And Horus and his Servant are both Fire Monsters."

"So what are you gonna do?" asked Bin Ban, with a laugh. "Kamikaze him against Jinzo?"

"Buddy, I'm going to do a lot more than that," replied Sofia. "Alector has another effect, which I can use every round.

"I choose one card on the field. It can be any card, Spell, Trap, or Monster. And the effect of that card is neutralized until the end of my turn."

"HUH?" gasped Bin Ban.

"And this turn, I'm going to use that effect on Jinzo," continued Sofia.

Alector's eyes glowed, and Jinzo took a step back, as a dark aura surrounded it.

"But that means…" said Bin Ban.

"…that I can use Traps this round," replied Sofia, as one of her three facedown cards lifted up. "Like my Dust Tornado!"

The Tornado ripped across the field, towards Bin Ban's facedown card. The My Body as a Shield card was blown to pieces.

"Next," said Sofia, "I Normal Summon Shaman of Mist Valley!"

She played the card, and a strange-looking woman appeared next to Alector. She wore a black leotard and loincloth, with a cowl over her long, blonde hair that had a red eye printed on the front. She had talons for hands and feet. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I activate another Trap Card!" she shouted, as another facedown card lifted. "Icarus Attack!"

Shaman of Mist Valley became shrouded in an aura of flames.

"By sacrificing a Winged Beast, I can destroy two cards!"

"That won't work on Horus!" shouted Bin Ban. "His Servant is protecting him!"

"And that Heart of Clear Water is protecting the Servant," added Sofia. "So, I'm going to destroy Jinzo, and the Equip Spell."

The Shaman flew towards Bin Ban's side of the field, trailing a wake of flames. Jinzo groaned, and then exploded into pixels, and the amulet on the Servant crumbled into dust.

"Alector!" shouted Sofia, "attack Horus' Servant! Divine wind!"

Alector blew a blast of wind at the Servant, and it shattered into shards.

Bin Ban looked in disbelief.

_She defeated three parts of my lock in one turn!_ he thought.

"I end my turn," said Sofia, with a grin.

Bin Ban growled as he drew a card.

"Horus!" he shouted. "Incinerate that infernal rooster!"

Horus roared, and then breathed a blast of flame at Alector.

"Did you forget you didn't have Jinzo any more?" asked Sofia, as her last facedown card lifted up. "I activate Draining Shield!"

A dome of pure energy surrounded Sofia and her Monster, and the flames were halted. Sofia glowed with energy.

"Seems I'm back in this," she said.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,000)**

"I end my turn!" shouted Bin Ban.

Sofia made a draw.

"I'm using Alector's effect on Horus this time," she said.

Horus roared, as Alector's eyes glowed again, and the dark aura surrounded him.

"That means he can't stop me from playing Spell Cards. Like this one… Shrink!"

She quickly threw the card into her Disk. Bin Ban gasped as Horus was reduced to half his size. (1,500 ATK)

"Alector, destroy Horus!" ordered Sofia.

The divine wind blew again. Horus roared again, right before he exploded.

"The tide of this battle is turning, pal," said Sofia.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,100)**

"I'm far from defeated, Shadowchaser," replied Bin Ban.

He whipped a card off of his Disk.

"I activate Level Modulation!" he exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, you draw twice. But I get to bring Horus back."

Sofia drew two cards. Then Horus reappeared in an aura of flames. (3,000 ATK)

"I happen to know that a Monster can't attack on the round it's summoned with Level Modulation," said Sofia.

"I know that," said Bin Ban, fitting a card into his Disk. "I play a facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared.

Sofia drew a third card.

"I use Alector's effect of Horus again," she said.

As Horus glowed with the dark aura again, Sofia opened her Field Slot.

"Next, I play Rising Air Current!"

The wind started to pick up, howling over the desert sands. Alector rose to an Attack Score of 2,900.

"Now, all Wind Monsters gain 500 Attack Points in exchange for 400 Defense Points.

"Then, Pot of Avarice."

She played the card, and then took Simorgh, Silpheed, The Tricky, Shaman of Mist Valley, and Ptarmigan of Mist Valley from her Graveyard. She shuffled them into her deck, and then drew two cards.

"Next," she said, "I summon Slate Warrior."

In another burst of wind, an odd creature with a blank face, wearing a blocky breastplate and ruffled pants, holding a knobbed staff appeared. (1,900 ATK – 2,400 ATK)

"Slate Warrior…" said Sofia, "attack Horus."

"WHAT THE?" shouted Bin Ban.

Slate Warrior fired a blast of green energy from its staff. Horus roared, and blasted its breath weapon, incinerating the Fiend.

"Why did you do that?" asked Bin Ban.

"Because now Slate Warrior's effect activates," replied Sofia, "and Horus loses 500 Attack Points."

Horus bellowed again, as a cloud of dust surrounded it. (2,500 ATK)

"Alector, attack!" shouted Sofia.

The divine wind shot at Horus, and he burst again. Bin Ban growled in anger.

**(S: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,700)**

"My move…" he growled.

He drew a card.

"I play MY Pot of Avarice," he said.

He played the card, and all three Masked Dragons, Jinzo, and Horus LV8 slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws. He looked at them.

"I remove Horus' Servant from play…" he said.

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it inside his coat.

"…in order to Special Summon Inferno."

A large bonfire with two burning eyes in the center appeared in front of him. (1,100 ATK)

"Then I sacrifice it…"

Inferno vanished into pixilated remains.

"To summon a second Horus LV6!"

With another burst of fire, the Level 6 version of Horus appeared again. (2,300 ATK)

"Now I use my Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Foolish Revival. This lets me Special Summon Slate Warrior to your side of the field in Defense Mode."

Sofia stepped back in shock as Slate Warrior appeared in front of her, kneeling and shielding itself. (400 DEF – 0 DEF)

Bin Ban pointed, and Horus blasted its flame, incinerating Slate Warrior.

"Next, I set a reversed card," he said, as a facedown card appeared. "Then I move to my End Phase, and guess who's coming back?"

Horus became shrouded in flames again, and evolved into his final form again. (3,000 ATK)

"This is starting to get tedious," said Sofia, drawing a card.

"I use Alector's effect on Horus again!"

Horus groaned as the aura surrounded him again.

"Then," she said, "I play a facedown, and summon Soldier of Mist Valley."

A reversed card appeared, and then a new Winged Beast materialized. He was a muscular man with large, blue wings, wearing a leather loincloth, a long, blue scarf, and jewelry made of teeth, holding a curved dagger in both hands. (1,700 ATK) – (2,200 ATK)

"Next," she said, playing a Spell Card, "I play Winged Repayment. I pay 600 Life Points, and I get to draw one card for each Winged Beast I have on the field."

She glowed with an aura of red energy, and made two draws.

"The catch is, I can't use them until next turn. So I'll end my turn now."

**(S: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,700)**

Bin Ban quickly drew a card.

"Horus, annihilate Alector!" he shouted.

Flames appeared in Horus's mouth.

"Now you're getting careless," said Sofia. "Activate… Mirror Force!"

Her facedown card lifted up.

Bin Ban frowned. His own facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Level Down!?," he said. "This Quickplay lets me send Horus back to my deck before he's destroyed, and summon the Level 6 version in Defense Mode."

Horus shrank, devolving into his previous form, and shielding himself with his wings. (1,600 DEF)

"I move to my second Main Phase," he continued, "and play my second Level Up! to bring the big guy back again."

The Spell Card appeared, and Horus quickly grew into his fully evolved form once more. (3,000 ATK)

"Boy, I'm really getting sick of that guy," said Sofia.

"And your tricks aren't gonna last you forever!" cursed Bin Ban. "Next round, I am gonna blow that damn cockfighter to gibbets! He's gonna pay for insulting Horus like this!"

Sofia glared at him.

"You, my friend, just made a big mistake…" she said. "Since when is your Monster superior to mine?"

"Horus is the god of the sun!" shouted Bin Ban. "He…"

"Alector is the god of the weather," replied Sofia. "It's through his good graces that life-giving rain provides water and nourishment for crops. It's all in the name… _Divine_ Fowl King Alector.

"And you didn't answer my question, by the way."

Bin Ban stopped short.

"Uhm…" he said. "Horus is also a warrior god… He was known for his crusade against his uncle Set…"

"Did you perhaps notice that Alector is wearing plate armor?" asked Sofia. "He's no less a warrior.

"So again, I'll ask… What makes Horus superior to him?"

Bin Ban stopped short. He didn't answer.

"That shut you up," said Sofia. "Face it… The only thing Horus has going for him is that you can build a whole deck around him successfully. And due to the fact that Alector seems to be foiling your attempts to keep your lock, I truly doubt that your divine Monster can be called superior to mine.

"It's my move…"

She drew a card.

"I remove one Kamakiri from play," she said.

The card fell out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"…to Special Summon Garuda the Wind Spirit."

In another blast of wing, a new Winged Beast appeared. It was a man with the head and wings of a golden eagle, wearing red pants. (1,600 ATK) – (2,100 ATK)

"Then, I summon Dancing Elf."

In a shower of motes, a pretty little female Fairy in a green gown with gossamer wings appeared. (300 ATK) – (800 ATK)

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Bin Ban. "Dancing Elf? Why the heck would you have THAT in your deck?

"And you forgot to use Alector's effect this round!"

"I didn't forget," replied Sofia. "I just didn't _need_ to.

"And as for why Dancing Elf is in my deck, it's because she's Level 1."

Bin Ban stopped short.

He slowly came to a realization as to what Sofia's likely next move was…

"You see," said Sofia, "Soldier of Mist Valley is a Tuner Monster… And the Synchro Monster I want to summon is so powerful, I have to Tune no less than _three_ Monsters."

Then Soldier of Mist Valley, Garuda the Wind Spirit, and Dancing Elf flew into the desert sky, where they dissolved into nine shimmering stars…

"I Tune my three Monsters together to call forth the legendary guardian of Mist Valley!" exclaimed Sofia. "Synchro Summon… Mist Wurm!"

With a loud bellowing noise, a gargantuan creature rose behind Sofia. It was a giant, monstrous arthropod that seemed to be some relative of Doom Dozer, covered with a deep, blue exoskeleton. It had three odd vents on its back that looked like chimneys, through which poured thick mist. (2,500 ATK) – (3,000 ATK)

"A lot of good _that_ will do you!" shouted Bin Ban. "If it attacks Horus, they'll kill each other!"

"Actually, the odds are more in favor of my Monster," replied Sofia. "Because when I summon it, I can send up to three of your cards back to your hand."

The fiercest wind yet started to blow towards Bin Ban's side of the field. Horus screeched and struggled, but was swept up in it and disappeared, his card reappearing in Bin Ban's hand.

"Oh… no…" he said.

"Alector," said Sofia, "attack directly with divine wind!"

Bin Ban hollered as the fierce wind plowed into him and he staggered backwards.

"Mist Wurm," continued Sofia, "attack with freezing fog!"

Mist Wurm belched a cloud of chilling cold mist at the janni, and he screamed as it froze him to the bone.

He collapsed, shivering.

**(S: 2,400) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)**

"So cold…" he muttered. "So cold…"

Then Sofia grabbed him.

"We're in the middle of the desert, dummy," she said. "You'll warm up in a few seconds. Now talk. Who hired you?"

Bin Ban sighed.

"All right, a deal's a deal…" he muttered. "I was hired by Louis DaPen… He wants the Regalia of Day for some reason.

"I have no idea why…"

Sofia paused.

_I'd better get the Sword of Noon to a safe place and then call Jalal,_ she thought. _Maybe sending it to Neo Domino isn't a good idea…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Sofia was doing this, it was still late-morning in the townhouse in Neo Domino.

Sorsha sat on a table in the practice room in the lower level, watching with a curious expression as one of her human caregivers – the one who was called Jinx – sparred with the newcomer.

Jinx had decided to take a break from teaching Ember hand-to-hand combat, and was now moving up to swordsmanship. She and Ember were now sparring with wooden practice swords.

Like before, Ember had started off clumsy, but she was learning quickly. She was now starting to dodge and parry Jinx's blows much better than a beginner usually did. Jinx was beginning to think that Ember was some sort of prodigy.

Jinx gave the signal to stop, and tossed Ember a towel.

The two sat at the table, and Sorsha hopped off. Jinx grabbed two bottles of water.

"You're a natural, kid," said Jinx.

"Thanks…" said Ember. "I don't know if it will hold up though… I doubt I'll ever have the same luck you have…"

Jinx chuckled.

"Let you in on a secret, kid," she said. "I had a little help with my luck, or so some people say…"

She reached into her shirt.

"It all started way back when I was an apprentice myself…"

She took out a small object on a chain. It looked like a glass capsule that held a small, sharp tooth, like that of a wolf or some other carnivorous animal.

"A tooth?" asked Ember.

"A redcap's tooth," replied Jinx.

"You see, Ember, the final test that an apprentice must pass before becoming a full-fledged Shadowchaser is to handle a Shadow-related threat alone, without her mentor's help. Most apprentices choose something easy. I was a bit of a rebel, and went after something hard. I tracked down a redcap."

Before Ember could ask the question, Jinx answered it.

"Redcaps are likely the most evil, vile fey you'll ever meet," she continued. "They don't look like typical pixies or sprites at all. They're about four feet tall, with talons for hands and feet, beak-like noses, sharp teeth, white beards, and glowing red eyes. They always wear iron boots, and bright red hats."

"Sounds pretty scary," said Ember.

"Indeed," said Jinx. "They're cold-blooded killers who prefer to attack prey by ambush. And they do so in order to renew the color of their hats, which they dip in the blood of their victims. Their red hats are the source of their power.

"Well, at this time, I wasn't using gamble cards or X-Sabers, but my deck wasn't too bad, because I managed to beat this redcap, thus passing the test. Then I learned something about redcaps – you'll never take one alive. After I beat him, he did something that incinerated himself, reducing himself to ashes.

"All that was left of him was this tooth, which I took as a memento.

"I soon learned that redcaps always leave behind a single tooth when they die. And whoever kills one should always keep the tooth. It's proof that she rid the world of a corruption of nature, and so long as she's recognized as the one who did so, she'll receive the blessing of more benign fey.

"It sounded like a fishy story, sure. But ever since then, my luck changed for the better. I experimented with cards that depended on chance, and they started to go my way most of the time.

"Then I started collecting the X-Sabers… You may notice by now that they have a barbaric theme surrounding them… Well, I heard that these Monsters gain their fighting power due to a close tie with nature. The enchanted rage that helps them fight is a reflection of the primal nature of the unspoiled wilderness. I figured that if I had a blessing that came from nature like they did, using them might work. And I found out that they did.

"One thing led to another, and before long my deck became what it is now.

"Just remember one thing, Ember… In the world of Shadow, anything can happen, and everything usually does. Take opportunities where they present them."

"Excellent council, Kaede," said Jalal's voice.

They both turned their heads, and saw him standing there in holographic form.

"Is this some sort of Big Brother thing?" asked Ember.

Jinx chuckled.

"You'll get used to it before long, Ember," she replied.

"Kaede, may I speak to you in private?" asked Jalal.

Ember sighed.

"You can come back here in ten minutes," said Jalal to Ember. "Don't worry… I think you'll like what your teacher will have to tell you…"

"Guess I'll go get some air…" said Ember, getting up.

Jinx looked at Jalal, clearly confused…

_**I had no idea what Jalal had wanted to speak to Jinx about, and apparently, this came as somewhat of a surprise to Jinx as well. I had a feeling, though, that something was up concerning me. And it was likely something big.**_

_**I didn't know it at the time, but my new position was about to be taken to the next stage. Things were happening fast, and whether I was ready for them or not, they were beyond my control.**_

_**It seemed I had passed the point of no return at this time. Whether that was a good thing or a bad one, it was hard to tell.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DIVINE FOWL KING ALECTOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** If your opponent controls 2 or more Monsters with the same Attribute, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, select one face-up card on the field. The effect(s) of the selected card are negated until the End Phase of the turn. Only one "Divine Fowl King Alector" can be face-up on the field at one time.

_Note: "Divine Fowl King Alector" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MIST WURM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 2 or more Non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card is Synchro Summoned, you may return up to 3 cards your opponent controls to his/her hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SOLDIER OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When this card battles an opposing Monster, if the opposing Monster is not destroyed as a result of the battle, it is returned to the controller's hand at the end of the damage step.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHAMAN OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can return 1 Monster you control to your hand except this card to increase this card's ATK by 500 until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PTARMIGAN OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,100  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** When this card is returned to your hand, Special Summon this card. This card cannot attack on the round this effect is activated.

Note: "Mist Wurm", "Soldier of Mist Valley", "Shaman of Mist Valley", and "Ptarmigan of Mist Valley" were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal". They have not yet been released in the United States.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WINGED REPAYMENT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was unclear.

**Card Description:** Pay 600 Life Points. Draw 1 card from your deck for each Winged Beast you control. Cards drawn by this effect cannot be set, Summoned, or activated on the turn they are drawn by this effect.

_Note: "Winged Repayment" was first used by Harpie's Brother in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A New World Order". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Before I break, I should explain that I know the true origin of the word "Alector". It's actually a very obscure name in Greek mythology. He was the father of Leitus, one of the Argonauts (called "Alectryon" by Homer). The "real" Alector may not have truly been "divine", but the Monster named after him undoubtedly is, so I took a few liberties._

_Coming up next:_

_Two swords recovered, one to go. Next chapter, we go to the Black Forest of Germany, where another Shadowchaser braves the night to recover the Sword of Midnight. But an old enemy is on his trail, and challenges him for it, leading to a confrontation that he's wanted for a long time. "Treasure Map" is coming soon._


	14. Treasure Map

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**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

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**Treasure Map**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

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_**One of things I dreaded most when I was in school were the times when my teacher asked to speak to my parents. You never knew just what she wanted to tell them, and whether it was going be good news or bad news for you. Let's face it… Whenever one authority figure wants to speak to another authority figure concerning you, you get nervous, and downright scared.**_

_**Despite Jalal's assurance that I might like what he intended to say to Jinx, that was how I felt at this point. Jinx clearly didn't know what Jalal wanted to say right now, and this worried me as much as it ever did when my school had a parent-teacher conference…**_

"So, what's up boss?" asked Jinx, leaning back in her chair.

"Plenty," said Jalal. "I've been monitoring young Michiko's progress, and she is coming along at an alarming rate. The power she holds within her is strong. You are to be commended."

"Well, thanks," said Jinx, "but she's doing most of it alone…"

"I know," said Jalal. "And I believe she may now attempt her first test…"

"Wait, hold it…" said Jinx. "Already? She's only had one duel in the service of the Shadowchasers, you know…"

"True, but she has become much stronger since then," replied Jalal. "Michiko's progress is unusual, and so she deserves special attention…"

Jalal gestured, and a Duel Monsters card appeared in Jinx's hand. Jinx looked at it.

"Uhm…" said Jinx. "Isn't this a little difficult for the first test?"

"As I say repeatedly," replied Jalal, "the tests are not decided by me, they are decided _through_ me."

Jinx sighed. She had heard _that_ one said many times before.

Jalal gestured again, and a typewritten sheet of paper appeared on the table.

"Don't forget to explain it to her in full," he continued. "I'll be paying most careful attention…"

And then he vanished.

Jinx sighed again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Around the time that Sofia was approaching the old cemetery in New Mexico, it was two AM in the Black Forest of Germany.

Using a flashlight to guide his way, a lone hiker trekked through the forest, keeping ever alert.

The Shadowchasers originated in Europe, so more of them tended to be here than on any other continent. Hank was one of the best there was of the various European branches. He didn't commit himself to one group, but was well known to all of the groups on the continent, working with them all at one time or another.

As a duelist, Hank was known to have four different decks at last count, and each one tended to reflect the ancient past in some way. He was an explorer by heart, who not only explored the present, but the past as well.

He was a tall and muscular man, dressed in a beige hiking outfit and worn fedora. He had slightly long, shaggy, brown hair, and sky-blue eyes. He carried a long walking stick made of hazel (a wood believed by some to ward off evil spirits) and a Duel Disk on his left arm that currently held his favorite (and strongest) deck.

He shone his flashlight into the rocky crag in front of him. He had found what he was looking for.

Dwarven runes were etched above a simple stone altar. He carefully read them.

_The blessings of St. Cuthbert are bestowed upon those who lie here, and his wrath will be enacted upon those who violate the Law that must be followed._

Hank nodded. He knew that St. Cuthbert was not a saint that the Vatican recognized. Rather, he was a deity worshipped by several Shadowkind who valued order and organization among all other things, as dwarves were known to do. St. Cuthbert was known as the god of retribution, an avenging force who punished those who broke the laws, or even worse, those who perverted them.

Hank hit a speed dial on his cell phone.

"I'm here Jalal," he said.

"Were you followed?" asked Jalal.

"Actually, yes," replied Hank. "An old friend is following me… But don't worry… This time, I'm rather anxious to meet him."

"Be careful, Hank," replied Jalal. "You know how that guy works… And you know what happened last time."

"Yep," replied Hank. "I certainly do…"

He hung up, and then walked up to a spot behind the altar below where the runes were.

He took off his backpack, and opened it, taking out an old piece of parchment. He unfolded it, and started to read, reciting an old chant in dwarven.

As he spoke the words, a rectangular outline appeared on the wall, and started to glow. The outline started to crumble and crack. Then the stone vanished, forming a rectangular shelf in the wall.

Hank reached in, and pulled out what he was looking for. A long sword in a sheath.

He carefully unsheathed it. It was the same design as the previous two swords, with the same runes, but with an ebony blade covered with pinpoints of light, giving it a design that resembled a starry field.

"The Sword of Midnight…" said Hank.

"Hello, Hank," said a voice behind him.

Hank quickly turned around, and saw the three Shadows who had followed him.

The first one was the one he knew. Saham Al-Khazzir, yet another janni. He was dressed much like Hank was, but in far more expensive clothing.

The other two Shadows were clearly giff. These bestial Shadows stood eight feet tall, the size of ogres, and were incredibly muscular. They had heads that resembled rhinoceroses without the horns, with armored plating on the top. They were dressed in khaki fatigues, and carried blunderbusses – primitive firearms, but giff tended to like guns that made a lot of noise. They also had large battle axes on their belts, which they would likely use if the guns' single shots missed.

Giff were well known as thugs and leg-breakers among Shadowkind. They were true mercenaries, and for the right price, they would work for practically anyone, so long as it didn't involve fighting other giff.

The Shadowchasers had labeled the giff an outlaw race years ago, due to their refusal to recognize any authority whatsoever. Their society was governed only by those strong enough to enforce their will over the others. Guys like Al-Khazzir favored them because they were too dumb to learn to duel, and often too tough for anyone to fight any other way.

Hank hated Al-Khazzir with a passion. He called himself a treasure hunter and an archaeologist, but almost everything he found had been stolen or excavated illegally, and then sold to rich collectors who didn't care.

However… Hank was ready for him this time…

"Hello, Al-Khazzir," he said with a grin. "How long has it been?"

He took something out of his pocket.

"Not long enough…" said Al-Khazzir with a scowl.

"Look, Al…" said Hank with a nervous smile. "About what happened in Rome…"

"Save it!" shouted the janni. "You escaped using that teleportation thing on your dumb D-Wheel just as Sultan Yasuf Alrahad arrived with his whole retinue of sahuagin knights, catching me with the Sapphire Mask of Syrrotec! You wouldn't believe how angry he was…"

"Can you blame him?" asked Hank. "It was the former sultan's burial mask, and you were stealing it from the royal mausoleum of the Citadel of Ten-Thousand Pearls. And as for why I didn't stick around, I figured I'd have to be crazy to stay there and find out what happened when a tenth-degree water elementalist known for having an incredibly rotten temper found out it was being robbed!

"So, how did you get away? I'd have figured he'd have done to you what he did to everyone else who made him mad…"

"You mean throw me to his pet devil sharks?" asked Al-Khazzir. "Wishful thinking, Hank. I had plenty of other artifacts in my inventory. I always do, and that's why I'll always be a better treasure hunter than you'll ever be!

"I simply offered him a choice from what I had for compensation. He took a fancy to a mother-of-pearl encrusted, meerschaum smoking pipe that I had. It dated back to the Victorian era. Unfortunately, I had planned to sell that meerschaum to a buyer in France, and he was not at all pleased when I told him…"

Hank placed the object over his head. It looked like a cell phone headset.

"You know, French is not a language I never cared to learn," continued Al-Khazzir. "But when that guy cussed me out in his language, it was strange… I understood every word he said.

"So anyway, I was thinking that I would take the Sword of Midnight as compensation, unless you want to discuss things with my two friends here…"

Hank tapped a button on the device.

"Actually, old friend," he said. "I do…"

"Huh?" said Al-Khazzir. "Wait, what is that thing?"

"A new invention that we Shadowchasers have now," said Hank. "A universal translator. Now I actually _can_ talk things over with your two bodyguards."

A look of panic appeared on Al-Khazzir's face. He screamed something to the two giff in their language, and they pointed their weapons at Hank.

"Before you two fire," said Hank, his words now coming out in the primitive language of the giff, "you should know that your employer is a thief and a swindler who has no intention of ever paying you. He doesn't consider folks he hires as bodyguards worthy of receiving his money."

The two thugs looked confused.

"Whaddaya mean?" asked one of them. "He already did."

"I suggest you inspect the gold nuggets he gave you," said Hank. "You'll find that they've turned into worthless sand by now. A little trick of illusion that his species is very good at."

The two giff looked at each other. They looked at two pouches on their belts.

"Don't listen to him!" screamed Al-Khazzir. "Shoot him!"

The giff who had spoken lowered his weapon, and then opened the pouch, looking inside.

Then a look of incredible anger appeared on his face. He dumped out the contents, which were indeed only sand.

"What's da big idea, pal?" he said, pointing his blunderbuss at Al-Khazzir.

"You tryin' to cheat us, buddy?" said the other one.

Al-Khazzir growled. Then he pulled an Arabian-style saber from his belt, and leveled it at the two thugs.

The giff's next action was unexpected. They turned and ran off into the woods.

Al-Khazzir turned to Hank.

"Your plan didn't work, old friend," he chuckled. "They're running scared!"

Hank shook his head. He turned the translator off.

"They aren't running scared, 'old friend'," he replied, "they're going to go tell the rest of their clan.

"You always leave the country and manage to escape before your hired help realizes that they've been double crossed. But you won't make it this time. When you leave the Black Forest, a whole heard of angry giff will be waiting for you at Freiburg. Meerschaum pipes and other trinkets have little value to them, and I doubt you have enough cash on you to quell their likely anger."

The look of panic appeared on Al-Khazzir's face again.

Hank slung the Sword of Midnight over his shoulder.

"Goodbye, old friend," he said. "And this time, I mean it."

"Wait!" shouted Al-Khazzir. "You're just going to let those savages ambush me?"

"Why shouldn't I?" asked Hank. "What am I going to do, arrest you? For attempted extortion?

"I do that, I know just what will happen. As soon as the judge sets bail, you'll call another one of your buyers, and tell him that he can have what you promised to sell him if he pays your bail, which will cost him less than the price he agreed to. He'll pay it, it will cost you nothing, and you'll jump bail. And then we'll be back to where we started.

"I'm not gonna bother. I'll be rid of you and your dirty tricks for good this way."

"You can't do that!" screamed Al-Khazzir. "You're… You're the good guy…"

Hank glared at him.

He held up his Disk and activated it.

"That may be true," he said, "but even good guys have limited patience.

"Tell you what, pal. Seeing as I can communicate with any thugs you hire from now on, your tricks aren't going to work again. So I'll duel you if you want… And I'll make you a little wager…"

"A wager?" asked Al-Khazzir.

Hank nodded.

"You win this duel," replied Hank, "I'll show you to someone who can sneak you out of the country. It won't be as comfortable as the first class airline tickets you're used to, but you'll get out safely.

"If I win, you give me a recorded, willing confession regarding everything you've stolen since you passed here from Shadow, and turn yourself in to the Shadowchasers."

"Uhm…" muttered Al-Khazzir.

"AND you reveal who your buyers are," added Hank. "That way, we can recover most of your ill-gotten gains, and even if the judge doesn't deny bail, you won't have an easy way out with your benefactors in trouble."

"Oh, come on!" shouted Al-Khazzir.

"Notice where we are, Al-Khazzir?" asked Hank. "St. Cuthbert's shrine is a place where justice is doled out. I've been waiting to bring you in for your dirty tricks for a long time…

"Take it or leave it…"

Al-Khazzir growled, and placed a Disk on his arm.

"Fine," he said with a grin. "I can duel fair and square, after all. All I have to do is beat you, and I'll start over from scratch."

**(Hank: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Al-Khazzir: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Hank, drawing a card.

He looked over his hand.

He played three cards, and a set Monster and two reversed cards appeared in front of him.

"Mmm!" he said.

"I'm guessing you don't talk much at this point," said Al-Khazzir, drawing a card.

"I activate my Mystic Plasma Zone Field Spell!"

He quickly placed a card in his Field Slot, and an uncanny darkness crept over the already dark shrine. Strange energy crackled overhead.

"Then, I summon The Bistro Butcher!"

There was a loud cackle, and a diabolic-looking Fiend appeared, with pointed ears, dressed in a stained chef's outfit and hat, with a hook for a right hand and carrying a long carving knife in the other. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

"Sautee his Monster!" he ordered.

The Butcher cackled again, and made a slash with his knife. Sangan appeared on the card, and was cut in half before shattering.

"Thank you," said Hank, taking his deck from the holder. "That lets me search for a Monster with a low Attack Score."

He got what he wanted, and put his deck back. Al-Khazzir frowned a little.

"That's all for me," he said.

"Then I draw," said Hank, drawing a card.

"Then, I summon this… The Crystal Skull!"

He played the card, and a new Monster appeared in front of him. The Monster's name seemed to describe it perfectly. It was a large skull made entirely of blue crystal, glowing with a pale light. (0 ATK)

Then it started to glow with a stronger aura.

"What's happening?" asked Al-Khazzir.

"When Crystal Skull is summoned," replied Hank, "I loose 1,000 Life Points…"

"Then why the heck would you…" started Al-Khazzir.

"…unless," continued Hank, "I use this Spell Card…"

He quickly played a card from his hand.

"It's called Curse-Returner Hitogata. And it spares me the damage… By transferring it to you."

Then a storm of small paper dolls flew out of the card, towards Al-Khazzir.

"Ow," grunted Al-Khazzir. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, OW! Hey!"

"Next, I chain-activate my Trap Card," continued Hank.

His facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Spell Reclamation. I toss one card…"

He discarded Stone Statue of the Aztecs from his hand.

"And as soon as my Spell Card goes to the Graveyard, I get it back."

Curse Returner Hitogata slipped back out of his discard slot.

"Continuing," said Hank, "I set one more card facedown…"

Another reversed card appeared.

"And then I Equip Crystal Skull with Heart of Clear Water."

He played a card, and a glowing orb of energy appeared within the Crystal Skull.

"Now it can't be destroyed by battle, or be targeted by card effects.

"My turn is over…"

**(H: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 7,000)**

"You think you're so smart…" growled Al-Khazzir, as he drew a card.

"I sacrifice my Butcher…"

The Bistro Butcher vanished into an orb of pure darkness.

"…to summon the Poet of Hell… the dreaded Helpoemer!"

Out of the darkness, a far more frightening Fiend appeared. It was a gaunt, faceless humanoid, with black, leathery skin, wearing only a tattered kilt. Fanged mouths covered its entire body. It was supported by a stone slab shaped like an inverted arrow. (2,000 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"You know, I often wondered about that thing…" muttered Hank.

"There's a story behind it," replied Al-Khazzir, "but we won't get into it now. Your Crystal Skull may be protected, but you'll still take damage if I attack it.

"Helpoemer, attack Crystal Skull with Chthonian chatter!"

The mouths on Helpoemer's body started to gibber, and a wave of dark energy drifted towards Crystal Skull.

"Nice try," said Hank, as one of his facedown cards lifted up, "but you triggered my Spirit Barrier Trap Card. Now I won't lose any Life Points from battle so long as I have a Monster on the field."

"I end my turn…" growled Al-Khazzir.

Hank drew a card.

"I summon Ashoka Pillar!" he shouted.

The ground rumbled, and a tall, stone, decorated column rose out of the ground, reaching twenty feet high. (0 ATK)

"Tell me," sighed Al-Khazzir, putting his hand on his hip, "are _any_ of your Monsters capable of attacking?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," replied Hank. "I move Crystal Skull to Defense Mode."

Crystal Skull retreated slightly. (0 DEF)

"And I end my turn."

Al-Khazzir quickly drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted.

The glowing ankh appeared, and The Bistro Butcher appeared again. (1,800 ATK) –) (2,300 ATK)

"But he's only here so I can sacrifice him…"

The Butcher vanished again.

"…to summon Archfiend of Gilfer!"

An aura of fire lit up the field, as a winged Fiend with a bony, horned exoskeleton appeared, hovering in mid-air. (2,200 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"Smash his Ashoka Pillar!" shouted Al-Khazzir. "Flame blast!"

The Archfiend roared, and blasted a wave of fire at the column, blowing it into shards of rock.

"My Life Points are untouched, thanks to Spirit Barrier," replied Hank. "But you won't be so lucky. When Ashoka Pillar is destroyed, normally I would take 2,000 points of damage. But wouldn't you know it…"

His last facedown card lifted up.

"…I can use my Curse-Returner Hitogata again!"

"Not again!" shouted Al-Khazzir as the storm of paper dolls plowed into him.

"Ooh, you are gonna pay for this, Hank…"

He took two cards from his hand.

"I toss two cards facedown, and end my turn!"

Two reversed cards appeared behind his two Fiends.

**(H: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 5,000)**

Hank drew a card and looked at it.

He played both of the cards in his hand, and a defensive Monster and a new reversed card appeared.

He nodded.

"I take it that means it's my move," said Al-Khazzir, drawing.

He looked at the two cards he had.

He played one of them.

"I summon Melchid the Four-Face Beast."

In a shadowy aura, a Monster appeared that looked like a large, floating head, with four faces placed around its circumference, each one resembling a fiendish mask. (1,500 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it and Helpoemer…"

The two Fiends erupted in black fire. Then vanished…

Then, a hulking form rose on Al-Khazzir's side of the field. It was the size of a bear and incredibly muscular, with a horned, bony exoskeleton. It had three masks, one on its face and two on its chest.

"Meet Masked Beast Des Gardius!"

(3,300 ATK) –) (3,800 ATK)

"I'm beginning to get the picture, pal," said Hank. "Your Monsters are just as dangerous when they're dead as they are when they're alive."

"Pretty much," said Al-Khazzir, "but that isn't my only strategy… I have a feeling I know what that facedown Monster of yours is, so I'm gonna show you…"

One of his two facedown cards lifted up.

"It's a Trap called Greed. This made a combo with my Bistro Butcher. Now, if either of us draws cards outside of our Draw Phase, we lose 500 Life Points for each one.

"Archfiend of Gilfer, attack the facedown Monster!"

The Archfiend blasted its flame at the facedown card. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card and exploded.

"Just as I thought," said Al-Khazzir, as they both drew five cards.

He looked at them.

"And look at that! I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He quickly played the card, and the cyclone shot towards the Heart of Clear Water card, blowing it to bits.

"And I'm not done with you yet! Des Gardius, destroy his Crystal Skull!"

Des Gardius roared, and lunged at the Skull.

Hank gestured, and his facedown card shot up.

"I activate Totem Pole!" he shouted.

A column of fire shot up in front of him, and a large, wooden totem pole appeared from out of it, made up of three carved faces, yellow, blue, and red.

Then the blue face shot out at the Fiend like a rocket, knocking it backwards.

"My Trap Card negates your attack on my Monster," said Hank, "and it can do so two more times.

"And one thing you forgot about that Greed card… You'll take damage too."

"No I won't…" chuckled Al-Khazzir.

His other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Pikeru's Circle of Enchantment. A pansy name, I know, but it shields me from effect damage this round.

"And I'm not done yet… I'm removing three of my Fiends from play…"

Helpoemer, The Bistro Butcher, and Melchid the Four-Face Beast slipped out of his discard slot.

"…to Special Summon the dreaded Dark Necrofear!"

Two evil-looking eyes appeared in the darkness of Mystic Plasma Zone. Then the rest of the creature slowly showed itself, and it gave even Hank chills. Vaguely feminine, it had a bald head, pointed ears, and blue skin, dressed in metal clothing covered with spikes and serrated barbs. She held a twisted-looking doll in her hands. (2,200 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"I end my turn," said Al-Khazzir, "which means the effect of Greed activates."

Hank groaned, as an aura of dark energy surrounded him.

**(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 5,000)**

"There are limits to what you can accomplish with a deck full of Monsters with nonexistent Attack Scores, Hank," he continued. "No matter how well you defend, those defenses can't last forever…"

_They don't need to…_ thought Hank. _They only need to last long enough to enact my true strategy…_

He drew a card.

"I activate… Stonehenge!" he shouted.

He threw the card into his Disk, and with a loud rumble, the famous standing stones of Great Britain rose around the two duelists.

"Who built it?" he said. "What purpose did it serve? It's a great mystery that modern man has never discovered… But the card that invokes its power lets me raise a Monster from my Graveyard, so long as its Attack Score is zero."

With a loud rumble, Ashoka Pillar rose out of the ground again. (2,200 DEF)

"Next," he said, as another Spell Card appeared in front of him, "I activate Piri Reis Map."

As he played the card, a very old map depicting the world on yellowing parchment appeared behind him.

"And like a map to buried treasure," he said, looking through his deck, "this map lets me search for any Monster that has zero Attack Points."

He quickly chose a card, and put his deck back again.

"Now, I summon it… The Cabrera Stone!"

In a burst of energy, a large stone shaped like an inverted teardrop, with ancient carvings on its surface, appeared in front of him. (0 ATK)

"However… Since I searched for it with Piri Reis Map, I have to cut my Life Points in half…"

**(H: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 5,000)**

"This is unreal…" muttered Al-Khazzir, in disbelief. "Are you dueling me or holding a garage sale?"

"For shame, Al-Khazzir," said Hank. "You tell people you're a treasure hunter and a dealer in priceless artifacts, and yet you have no respect for things like these. Seems all you care about is the money you can make selling them to shady collectors who want things they can't get any other way.

"Well, I'll show you respect… You ever hear of the Rule of Three?"

"Rule of Three?" asked Al-Khazzir.

"It's one of the fundamental rules of the universe," said Hank. "Things always come in threes. Wishes come in threes. Events come in threes.

"Deities come in threes…

"And artifacts of great power also come in threes, like the three I have here!"

A Spell Card appeared, and it glowed with a powerful aura of energy.

"I play… Triangle-O!"

Then the whole shrine began to rumble. A beam of energy shot from Crystal Skull to the apex of Ashoka Pillar. Then the same beam shot to Cabrera Stone, then to Crystal Skull again, linking the three Monsters with a triangular border.

"What's going on?" shouted Al-Khazzir.

Then the three Monsters started to crack and chip.

"When all three of these artifacts are brought together," said Hank, "their power is unleashed in a mighty triangle of energy, which lays waste to all before them!"

Then Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar, and Cabrera Stone exploded in a mighty blast of colored lights. The darkness of Mystic Plasma Zone was blown away, and the three Fiends screamed right before they were blown to atoms.

"You destroyed everything on the field!" gasped Al-Khazzir.

"And that's not all!" replied Hank. "All the damage I would have taken from my three artifacts being destroyed is taken by you instead!"

Al-Khazzir screamed as a bolt of pure energy struck him…

**(H: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 2,000)**

…and then he laughed an evil laugh…

"Fool…" he said. "You haven't won yet… And you've already summoned this turn. You have nothing to defend you! On my next turn, I'll wipe you out!"

"Next turn?" said Hank, closing his eyes. "You aren't gonna get a next turn, pal.

"I haven't attacked yet, meaning it's still my first Main Phase, meaning there's plenty of time for me to Special Summon a Monster."

"Oh, then by all means, summon another piece of junk," replied Al-Khazzir.

Hank glared at him.

"Junk…" he growled. "I'll show you junk…

"I remove from play Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar, Cabrera Stone, Morphing Jar, and Stone Statue of the Aztecs…"

All five cards fell out of his discard slot.

"…and as a result, I can Special Summon my Megarock Dragon! How's _that_ for junk?"

In an explosion of dirt and dust, a huge Monster appeared on his side of the field with a rumbling growl. It looked like a huge, rough boulder in the shape of a wingless dragon.

"WAIT a minute!" shouted Al-Khazzir.

"And its Attack and Defense equal 700 times the number of Rock Monsters I just removed from play," added Hank.

(3,500 ATK)

"I seem to remember you asking me whether or not any of my Monsters were capable of attacking. I never said that I didn't have any that weren't…"

"Mommy…" said Al-Khazzir, looking at the huge Monster.

"Megarock Dragon," ordered Hank, "attack directly and take him out!"

Megarock Dragon exhaled a bolt of burning energy from its jaws, and the janni screamed as he was thrown back ten feet.

**(H: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (AK: 0)**

Hank deactivated his Disk. He reached into his pocket and took out a portable recording device.

"Okay, 'old friend'," he said. "We had a deal, remember? So start talking, or I'll be leaving.

"Let's start this with the statue I found in Crete last February."

Al-Khazzir looked over his shoulder. Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howled.

He considered for a few seconds taking his chances with the giff… Would they be more dangerous than everyone who would be angry at him if he talked? All his buyers, who would be charged with receipt of stolen property? And to say nothing of everyone that he had stolen from who would be after him…

Self-preservation won out. He'd be a lot safer in jail.

"Ahem," he said, clearing his throat.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At this time, it was eleven AM in Neo Domino.

Ember and Jinx were sitting at the table in the kitchen.

"So, what was so important that the boss wanted to talk to you about?" asked Ember.

"You," said Jinx. "Congratulations… He thinks you're ready to take your first test…"

"Uh…" said Ember. "Written or oral?"

Jinx shook her head.

"All apprentices are tested four times," replied Jinx. "The tests are designed to test their smarts, wits, and ability to adapt. Jalal says that the specific tests 'come to him', but I think that's a load of BS…

"Anyway…"

She handed Ember the card that Jalal had given her.

It was the Equip Spell, Broken Bamboo Sword.

"Uhm…" said Ember.

"Calm down," said Jinx. "You don't put that in your deck. Broken Bamboo Sword is the name of the specific test.

"It works as follows. The next time you duel in the service of the Shadowchasers, you have to win without attacking even once."

"Is that all?" laughed Ember. "Easy! I can…"

"Ahem…" said Jinx, handing her the sheet of paper.

"What's this?" asked Ember.

"That's a list of cards you aren't allowed to use," replied Jinx. "In addition to any other illegal cards."

Ember looked at the list, and her face fell as she read it. This certainly would _not_ be easy.

Every card that allowed an automatic win condition was not allowed: Exodia, Destiny Board, and Final Countdown. Also forbidden were Gravity Bind, Level Limit Area B, and Messenger of Peace. Both Spirit Reaper and Marshmallon were on the list as well, making it impossible to stall that way. Solar Flare Dragon, Fire Princess, and Lava Golem were not allowed, along with many other traditional burn cards. So were Needle Worm, Morphing Jar #2, and several other cards that were essential to a Mill Deck.

There were many easy ways to design a deck that didn't involve attacking… But this list disqualified all of the well-known ones.

"These tests are designed to test your creativity as well, Ember," said Jinx.

"And if I can't do it?" asked Ember.

Jinx chuckled.

"You won't flunk out, Ember," she said. "But you'll have to wait a while before making a second attempt.

"And by the way, when designing your deck, I'm the only one allowed to help you. Don't ask Shichiro or Gears for help with this."

"Yeah…" said Ember. "Uhm… Where are they anyway?"

"Oh, uhm…" said Jinx. "Shichiro drove somewhere out of town to look up some information on the Regalia. And Gears…

"Gee, I don't even know where he is…"

_**It seemed a daunting task… Win without attacking, with most strategies that didn't involve attacking not allowed. A few possibilities came to me at first – I could build a Simochi Deck, or a Greed Deck, or one of those decks that I heard of that used Life Equalizer as the primary weapon. I could use Ectoplasmer, if I wanted to use a darker theme. The only problem was, I had to win with this deck, and with almost every lockdown card not allowed, it was going to be very, very hard. How do you reduce your opponent's Life Points without attacking while protecting yourself at the same time, when all of the traditional ways of doing so aren't allowed? Every Continuous Spell and Trap that did so with no cost seemed to be on that list. (And do not tell me that Messenger of Peace has a cost. It technically does, but no duelist has ever been forced to stop paying for it because his Life Points were too low.)**_

_**Of course, I didn't expect my advancement into the Shadowchasers to be easy. I knew it was going to be daunting. I rather wondered what the other three tests were going to entail…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CRYSTAL SKULL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, inflict 1,000 points of damage to the Life Points of its controller.

_Crystal Skulls are artifacts made from quartz carved in the shape of skulls, which were once claimed to be unique to Latin America, and pre-Columbian in origin. They are remarkable for their near-flawless construction, which is difficult even with today's technology. However, most Crystal Skulls have been proven to be hoaxes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ASHOKA PILLAR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed, inflict 2,000 points of damage to the Life Points of its controller.

_The Pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns found in the northern Indian subcontinent, erected by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3__rd__ Century BC._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CABRERA STONE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If this card is in face-up Defense Position, destroy this card. When this card is destroyed, inflict 1,000 points of damage to the Life Points of its controller.

_Reportedly found in a cave in Peru, the Cabrera Stones, or Ica Stones, are large carved stones. They are remarkable at first sight, because whatever ancient civilization carved them apparently had knowledge of blood transfusions, manned flight, and dinosaurs. However, like Crystal Skulls, most of them have been confirmed to be hoaxes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CURSE-RETURNER HITOGATA (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A man-shaped paper doll, pulsating with energy.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when you would receive damage from the effect of a card that you control. Negate the damage, and inflict the same amount of damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**STONEHENGE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Stonehenge, seen from above.

**Card Description:** Special Summon a Monster from your Graveyard that has 0 ATK and Equip it with this card. If this card is destroyed, destroy the Equipped Monster.

_Very few people have not heard of Stonehenge. This mysterious set of standing Stones in Great Britain dates back to prehistoric times, long before there was a written language or any civilized structures. Simply moving the Stones, which weigh many tons, to the site would have been difficult for any primitive culture; placing the horizontal Stones atop the vertical ones would have been nearly impossible. Whoever built it and what purpose it served is unknown._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PIRI REIS MAP (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An old fashioned map depicting the world, made of yellowing parchment.

**Card Description:** Select 1 Monster in your deck with 0 ATK and add it to your hand. If you summon the searched-for Monster, you must pay Life Points equal to half your current amount.

_The Piri Reis Map was created by 16__th__ Century Ottoman-Turkish admiral and cartographer Piri Reis. The __map shows part of the western coasts of Europe and North Africa with reasonable accuracy, and the coast of Brazil is also easily recognizable.__ It also shows various Atlantic islands such as the Azores and the Canary Islands, as well as Antilla, a mythical island that was believed to exist at the time. The most remarkable feature of the map is the depiction of a large, southern landmass, which leads many modern scholars to believe that Piri Reis was one of the first cartographers to acknowledge the existence of Antarctica._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TRIANGLE – O (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar, and Cabrera Stone against the night sky with a rocket flying past in the background.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when you control at least 1 each of the following face-up Monsters: "Crystal Skull", "Ashoka Pillar", and "Cabrera Stone". Destroy all cards on the field. Any damage that you would receive from cards being destroyed by this effect is negated, and the same amount is inflicted to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TOTEM POLE (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A Native American-style totem pole with three carved faces, colored yellow, blue, and red. (Possibly, these three faces represent the three Egyptian God Monsters, due to their colors.)

**Card Description:** When your opponent declares an attack against a Monster, you can use the effect of this card to negate the attack. After using the effect of this card 3 times, destroy this card.

_Totem poles are Native American artifacts found among the indigenous cultures of the Pacific northwest of North America. They are monumental structures carved from trees, usually cedar, and can depict lineages or notable events, depending on the specific culture._

_Note: The proceeding eight cards were cards included in the Hidden Treasure Deck belonging to Yanagi Tenzen. Both he and Yusei used them in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Facility". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Shichiro drives out to the country to meet with someone whom he believes has information on the Regalia of Day. But he gets more than he bargained for, as he is forced into a confrontation with a soulless beast that exists for no purpose other than to kill. To make things worse, in the dangerous Turbo Duel that follows, the ultimate hypocrisy is shown as this demon unleashes a Monster known to be in the hands of a great hero. Can Shichiro defeat this beast? "Overdrive" is coming up next._


	15. Overdrive

_Author's note: This chapter features a very popular Monster whose effect needs a bit of an explanation. Its effect in the OCG (and thus in the anime) is different than its effect in the TCG. Why this is, I have no idea. For this fic, I will use the TCG version, and we will assume that it is the version used in the anime world as well._

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Overdrive**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**As I was thinking about this, Shichiro was about twenty miles outside of Neo Domino, driving through a series of farmlands.**_

_**Now, the most striking thing about Japanese agriculture is the lack of land on which to place farmland. Nonetheless, much of the available countryside is cultivated. Most farms are rice paddies. Those that aren't, which included the ones that Shichiro was driving through, use a heavy system of crop rotation. They grow wheat and barley in the fall, and sweet potatoes, vegetables, and dry rice in the summer. Intercropping is a common practice; beans and peas are often grown with the same crops.**_

_**Shichiro wasn't interested in any grain or vegetables now, however. He was more interested in a mechanic who lived out here who could fix farm machinery better than any other mechanic could… Unfortunately, he tended to mess up when trying to build things on his own.**_

_**Why was Shichiro coming here? Because this person had hobbies… Among them, reading about dwarven artifacts…**_

In the apartment that Max Irons shared with his roommate, who was another dwarf belonging to the clan of mountain dwarves that lived in Neo Domino, Max was putting some things in a duffle bag. His roommate was incredibly worried.

"You sure you want to do this Max?" he asked. "Working for DaPen is _not_ the best idea!

"The guy who used to clean the carpets in the lobby knew a guy who used to work for DaPen… Something happened to him that made him so scared, he left Neo Domino for good, and moved to Nikko. You want to end up in Nikko?"

Max zipped the duffle closed.

"Look, Byron," he said. "It's either this or go to work as some handyman.

"Besides… I tried to work for the system, and the system threw me out. I'm an old fashioned guy, and there's an old fashioned proverb that dwarves used to say…

"If it doesn't fit, bend it.

"If it still doesn't fit, break it!

"This system isn't gonna fit with me no matter how much I bend it. So if I have to break it, then so be it…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The sun was at high noon as Shichiro drove his D-Wheel down the roads through the farmlands. He didn't like trips that took him away from the city much. He just wasn't much of a country guy.

What could he say? This was all part of his job.

His goal quickly came into view over the hill. A large scrap yard by the side of the road, next to an equally large garage, with a sign over the front that said "Zagwik's Fixit Shop". It was a place where anyone who worked around these parts could bring a broken down thresher or tractor, and have it fixed within a week.

Only Shadows and Awares knew that Zagwik – an odd name to say the least – was a Shadow who was hard to trust with machinery. He was a gnome.

Gnomes were Shadows that could most likely trace their ancestry back to dwarves at some point in the distant past. They were a little shorter, had shorter beards, and had more cheerful dispositions. But while dwarves were traditionally known as expert smiths, miners, and metalworkers, gnomes were much fonder of technology. They loved to build things, and loved to invent.

The problem was, the majority of gnomes weren't very good at it. They were good at fixing existing machinery, but their inventions never turned out the way they planned, if they ever worked at all. It was quite common for a gnome to wreck his workshop when an experiment blew up in his face (or even worse, injure himself doing so).

One famous clan of gnomes that lived in Zurich had found moderate success as a consulting firm. They were very successful in developing natural disaster relief programs for third-world countries, to name one of their projects. However, even their clients found their inventions – self-winding pasta, automated necktie tiers, and instant mildew – odd to say the least. Shadowkind were never surprised at what the firm came up with, but Mundanes thought of them as eccentric geniuses.

There was a popular legend about one gnome who had actually invented a new type of charcoal grill while intending to perfect a new refrigerator. Maybe it was just a legend, but if it had actually happened, it would come as no surprise.

Shichiro was here because Zagwik was a close friend of many dwarf clans, as most gnomes were, and he liked reading about dwarven history and artifacts. Shichiro reasoned that perhaps he'd know something about the Regalia of Day.

He parked his D-Wheel at the side of the garage, where the door was, and took off his helmet. He saw that Zagwik's moped was parked out front, so he was clearly home.

"Zagwik?" said Shichiro, opening the door.

He walked in.

He didn't see Zagwik, but that was hardly a surprise. The front room of the garage was piled high with junk and half-finished projects. Ironically, the scrap yard next door was more organized.

"Zagwik, are you here?" he called.

"Not so loud!" came a whisper.

Shichiro looked around, and saw the gnome hiding under a table. He was about four feet tall, with unkempt white hair, dressed in a pair of overalls that was covered with oil stains, and a tool belt full of wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, and other tools.

"Zagwik, what are you doing?" asked Shichiro.

"Uh…" muttered the gnome. "I… dropped my pencil…"

Shichiro looked at him with a suspicious glance.

"Yeah…" he said. "Look, Zagwik… You didn't return my call, so I thought I'd drop by…"

"Oh, yeah…" said Zagwik. "About the Regalia of Day… Uhm… This really isn't a good time…"

"Zagwik, what's going on?" asked Shichiro. "Who are you hiding from?"

Zagwik gave an ominous look towards the door to the back room, which led to his workshop.

"What's in there?" asked Shichiro.

"NO!" whispered Zagwik, in panic. "Don't bother it…"

"Zagwik, what is going on?" demanded Shichiro.

"I was going to call for help, but it threatened to squash me flat if I did…" moaned Zagwik, starting to cry. "I'm being held hostage…"

"By what?" asked Shichiro.

"I was curious…" cried Zagwik. "Remember how you always warned me about being too curious, how I was going to find something powerful, and how it would be too dangerous for me to handle? Well, I did, and it is!

"It all started when I found a formula in one of my old books that showed how to open a portal to Autonomous, the Demiplane of Invention…"

"Zagwik, you didn't…" said Shichiro.

Zagwik nervously nodded.

"Zagwik, you stupid…" exclaimed Shichiro. "You tried to open a portal?? Only licensed members of the League of Wizards are allowed to do that! There's a reason for that rule!"

"I know, I know," sobbed Zagwik, "and when I did it, at first it looked like it didn't work. But… apparently, I summoned something bad from that place."

"What did you summon?" demanded Shichiro, grabbing him by the collar.

"I'm not sure," replied Zagwik. "A day later, I was working on a hobby of mine, trying to restore an old 1981 DeLorean DMC-12…"

"Don't tell me you were trying to build a time machine?" said Shichiro, almost laughing.

"NO!" exclaimed Zagwik. "Of course not! I was just restoring an old car! Nothing wrong with that, right? But… Something that I summoned kinda brought it to life…"

Just then, a very loud honking, like an amplified car horn came from the back room. Then they heard a noisy motor starting up.

Before Shichiro could do anything, a DeLorean burst through the door and part of the wall. It looked like it had not only been restored, but changed from the basic design a great deal. Its chassis was covered with spikes and serrated edges.

"WHAT'S ALL THE RACKET?" boomed a voice coming from the car.

"Oh no!" gasped Zagwik. "It heard us!"

"Zagwik, you _idiot_!" shouted Shichiro. "That's a demonic auto!"

"Give the man a cigar!" laughed the auto, in a crude tone. "And I think it's time ta blow this joint! Outta the way!"

Then the demonic auto's engine started, and it sped straight for Shichiro and Zagwik. Shichiro grabbed the terrified gnome and dodged out of the way, as it plowed past them and through the garage door leading outside.

"Time ta roll!" laughed the auto. "Hasta la pasta, suckers!"

Shichiro got up as the thing started to drive away, laughing loudly as it did.

"I gotta stop that thing…" he said, through his teeth.

He ran out to his D-Wheel, and leapt on.

"WAIT!" shouted Zagwik, running out. "What do I do if it comes back?"

"Pray!" replied Shichiro, as he donned his helmet.

"Not very reassuring…" muttered Zagwik.

Shichiro started up his bike, and sped after the creature, following the trail of flattened crops and thick smoke it was leaving.

Shichiro knew that he had to stop it at all costs before it reached Neo Domino. Demonic autos were cruel beasts that hated all life. If it got to the city, it would run down every pedestrian in sight, and smash through any other vehicle it encountered. To make things worse, its chassis was reinforced by magic that made it as hard as titanium, giving it an unfair advantage in any demolition derby.

Of course, Shichiro didn't really know _how_ he was going to stop it. A D-Wheel was faster than the average car, but nowhere near as tough. And this was _not_ the average car.

There was only one plan he could think of right now, and it was a dangerous one. It likely had only one weak spot – its tires. If he could get close enough to strike at them with his sword, he _might_ be able to bring it to a halt. Unfortunately, of all the combat skills he had learned, jousting was not one of them. And slashing at its tires would be difficult at best, especially since it would likely be trying to run him down the whole time.

He was thinking about how slim his chances were, as he finally caught up to the monstrous car.

"Hey, back off, ya tailgater!" laughed the auto.

Then a cloud of black exhaust shot out of the auto's muffler, forming a virtual smokescreen. Shichiro started to cough, but he made his way through it.

That had taken Shichiro by surprise. Cars that had run on gasoline had stopped being made over a decade ago, after all, so you never saw ones that could spout out _that_ much exhaust.

He pulled up alongside the car, wondering how he was going to do this.

"So, motorcycle boy wants ta play, huh?" chuckled the auto. "Well, why don't we have some fun, eh?"

Then its steering wheel lowered a bit, and a Duel Disk swung into place above it.

"A _car_ with a D-Wheel system?" gasped Shichiro. "That's certainly new…"

He hit a command on his own console.

"_Duel mode engaged,"_ said the D-Wheel.

"Fine, you big hunk of junk," he said. "I accept! Prepare to be sent back to the scrap heap!"

"Don't you wish!" laughed the auto. "And be careful, fellah… Some of my best friends are hunks of junk."

Twin Field Spells flashed into existence, and the farmlands were transformed into the shimmering realm of Speed World.

_Never had to duel against a car before,_ thought Shichiro, _but there's a first time for everything, I suppose…_

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Demonic Auto: 8,000)**

"Motorcycles have the right of way," said Shichiro, drawing a card, "so I'm going first…

"I summon Command Knight!"

In a burst of flame, a female warrior flew onto the field next to his D-Wheel, wearing decorated, maroon armor, a cape, and a beret. She held a long sword and a shield. (1,200 ATK)

"Command Knight increases the Attack Scores of all Warriors on the field by 400 points, including her own."

(1,600 ATK)

"I'll set one card facedown, and that will be all."

A facedown card appeared behind Command Knight, and then faded away.

The demonic auto chuckled. A card slid off of its deck and added itself to the other five cards stowed on its console. Both Speed Counters went up to one.

"Can she handle this?" it asked. "Since we're on a farm, I think I'll summon Mystic Tomato!"

A portal overhead opened, and a huge tomato with a silly face on the front and a large tongue leapt out. It bounced in front of the demonic auto. (1,400 ATK)

"Your move, meatball," it said.

_Meatball?_ thought Shichiro. _Did it call me that name in the traditional sense, or because I'm flesh and blood, while it's made of metal?_

_I'll figure it out later…_

He drew a card. Both Speed Counters went up to two.

"I summon Axe Raider!" he shouted.

The portal opened, and the barbarian holding his axe appeared from out of it. (1,700 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"I should probably mention Command Knight's other effect," he continued. "You can't attack her so long as I have another Monster on the field."

"Oh, I'm shakin' in my cylinders," mocked the auto.

"Destroy Mystic Tomato!" shouted Shichiro.

Axe Raider flew at the Tomato, and made a chop with his axe. The Plant exploded into pulp, which splattered on the demonic auto's windshield. It laughed, and its windshield wipers started to clear the stuff away.

_Huh?_ thought Shichiro. _That's… That's a pretty realistic hologram…_

"I use Mystic Tomato's effect!" laughed the auto. "I get ta Special Summon a Dark Monster with a low Attack Score. Like my Clown Zombie!"

A cackling laughter echoed over the field, and a new Monster appeared next to the auto. It was an undead clown, balancing on a colored ball, holding a long staff with a blade on the end. (1,350 ATK)

Shichiro raised an eyebrow.

_Why that Monster?_ he thought.

"Command Knight, destroy it!" he ordered.

Command Knight slashed at the evil clown with her blade. It let out another cackle, and then shattered into pixels.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 7,050)**

"I end my turn," said Shichiro.

"My move again, meatball," laughed the car, drawing another card. Both Speed Counters rose to three.

"I summon Mother Grizzly!"

Another portal opened, and a large grizzly bear with dark blue fur bounded out, running in front of the auto. (1,400 ATK)

_Another Attribute searcher?_ thought Shichiro.

"Now I'll toss this facedown," said the auto, as a facedown card appeared in front of it, "and I end my turn!

"You think you can keep up with me? You might need to make a pit stop before long, and we've got a long way to go!"

Shichiro frowned as he drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to four.

"If there's one thing I hate," he said, "it's a chatty cabbie!

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher!"

In another aura of energy, Grepher appeared, holding aloft his longsword. (1,700 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"Take out Mother Grizzly!" shouted Shichiro.

Grepher made a slash with his blade, and the bear roared before being blown to shards.

"Now I get to summon a weak Water Monster," said the auto. "And I think I'll summon… Another Mother Grizzly!"

A second Mother Grizzly bounded onto the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Axe Raider, get it!" ordered Shichiro.

Axe Raider chopped at the Beast-Warrior with his axe, and it shattered as well.

The demonic auto laughed, and a third Mother Grizzly appeared. (1,400 ATK)

Shichiro pointed, and Command Knight drove her sword through the last one. It was blown apart.

"You've done it now, meatball!" laughed the car. "I use the last one's effect to summon… Atlantean Pikeman!"

The portal opened again, and a new Monster flew out. It looked like an aquatic fish-man dressed in a loincloth, holding a long spear. (1,400 ATK)

_What is the point to this deck?_ thought Shichiro. _All it's done so far is use Attribute searchers to summon two third-rate Normal Monsters…_

"I end my turn."

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 5,450)**

The demonic auto laughed manically as it made its draw. Smoke poured out of its exhaust pipe as it turned sharply. Shichiro and his three Monsters followed, the speed of both vehicles picking up as their Speed Counters rose to five apiece.

The auto's facedown card lifted up.

"I activate The League of Uniform Nomenclature!" it laughed. "Now, I get ta bring out two more Pikemen!"

In two more flashes of energy, two more of the small Sea Serpents appeared. (1,400 ATK x2)

"Now I'm gonna show you why I'm the Master of Smash!" laughed the auto. "I summon Junk Synchron!"

In a small burst of energy, a small creature appeared next to the Pikemen. It looked like a cute robot in humanoid form, made to resemble a mechanic with a vest, hat, and boots. (1,300 ATK)

Shichiro looked up in shock.

_Junk Synchron?_ he thought. _I've certainly seen that guy before…_

"When Junk Synchron is summoned," chuckled the auto, "I get ta bring a Monster back from my Graveyard that's Level 2 or less…"

Clown Zombie appeared next to Junk Synchron, crouching in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"Now, I'm gonna bring the two of 'em together!" it laughed.

Suddenly, the whole point of this thing's strategy became perfectly clear to Shichiro… And he didn't like it one bit… The irony of the Monster that he knew was about to appear being in the hands of this cruel creature was a little too much…

Junk Synchron pulled a ripcord on its waist, and both it and Clown Zombie flew into the sky, where they split into five shimmering stars…

"Synchro Summon…" said the auto, "Junk Warrior!"

The Synchro Monster flew down from above. The aptly-named humanoid that appeared to have been built from scrap metal and spare parts, yet done so in a smooth, well-organized way… One of Yusei Fudo's signature cards, and probably his favorite after Stardust Dragon. It was indeed Junk Warrior. (2,300 ATK)

Shichiro grit his teeth in anger.

"When Junk Warrior is summoned," continued the auto, "it gains the Attack Points of all Level 2 or lower Monsters I've got. Since I've got three Level 2 Monsters with 1,400 Attack Points each, that adds up to…

"Uhm… It adds up to…"

It paused.

"Would the 'Master of Smash' like a hint?" growled Shichiro.

Junk Warrior glowed with an aura of energy… (6,500 ATK)

"Ah, there we go," said the auto. "Turn Axe Raider into road kill! Attack with demolition punch!"

Junk Warrior let out a roar, and its jetpack ignited. It flew at Axe Raider and slammed its fist into him.

As Shichiro's Monster shattered, he screamed in pain. He struggled to keep his D-Wheel upright.

He held his chest. That blow had hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest…

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 5,450)**

Shichiro slowly came to realization about just what he had gotten into… That wasn't a D-Wheel created hologram that had attacked him…

…this was real…

_It's a demonic auto…_ he thought. _A demon in the form of a car…_

It was rare that the Shadowchasers faced true demons, but woe to the ones who did…

Demons knew the secrets of Shadow Games…

He realized he was in big trouble. That blow had wiped out four of his Speed Counters, leaving him with only one. And he was starting to lose ground fast. He had to recover and keep up with this thing… He didn't want to think about what might happen to him should he actually lose…

"Look, pal…" he growled, "if you're going to use fancy attack names, at least use the right ones. Junk Warrior's attack name isn't 'demolition punch', it's 'Scrap Fist'."

"Eh, how would you know?" mocked the auto.

"Trust me, I know," said Shichiro.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Jar of Greed," he said. "Now I get to draw once."

He made a draw.

"And it's my move…"

He made another draw.

His Speed Counter went up to two, while the auto's went up to six.

_Let me think…_ he thought, looking at Junk Warrior. _How did this guy work again? It's been so long…_

Then he realized something as he looked up at Junk Warrior.

Every time he had that dream, where the four Monsters were blocking his path, this guy was clearly angry at him. That didn't seem to be the case now.

It was hard to gauge the expression on Junk Warrior's face, seeing as all it had there were two eyes that looked like lenses. And Shichiro was certainly not an expert in communicating with Duel Spirits.

But this time, all he saw when he looked at it was a mix of fear and pain.

_Figures,_ he thought. _It's being controlled by a far more evil piece of junk…_

_Don't worry, buddy, I'll get you away from it…_

"I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!" he exclaimed.

The portal opened, and Warrior Lady flew out, holding her sword aloft. (1,100 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"All together, people!" he said, pointing. "Take out those Pikemen!"

The three Warriors flew at the three Atlantean Pikemen. Warrior Lady, Grepher, and Command Knight made three slashes with their swords. All three of the Sea Serpents were blown to shards.

Shichiro looked at his console. Unfortunately, Junk Warrior's Attack Score still registered at 6,500.

"You thought you could weaken Junk Warrior that way?" laughed the auto. "Poo on you! The bonus Junk Warrior gets when he's summoned stays the same even when the other Monsters on the field change!"

_I really need to study up…_ thought Shichiro.

He threw three cards onto his console, and three facedown cards appeared behind his Monsters.

"End!" he shouted.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 4,450)**

Another card slid into place on the demonic auto's console. Its Speed Counters went up to seven, while Shichiro's went up to three.

A Speed Spell appeared in front of it.

"I play Vision Wind!" it laughed. "Now I get to bring back a low-Level Monster from my Graveyard!"

In a flash of light, one Atlantean Pikeman appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I summon The Calculator!"

A digital stream of ones and zeroes appeared in front of it, and another Monster appeared. This one looked like another cute robot, this one having a calculator for a torso, a screen for a face, and stubby arms and legs.

"To get points," said the auto, "The Calculator adds up the Levels of all the Monsters I've got, and then multiplies by 300!

"And that equals… Uhm… That equals…"

"Man…" said Shichiro. "You aren't very good at math, are you?"

The Calculator quickly worked out the problem, punching the numbers on its chest. (2,700 ATK)

"Aw, stuff it, meatball!" shouted the auto. "Here's a number for you… Two-hundred and six!"

"Two-hundred and six?" replied Shichiro.

"That's how many broken bones you're gonna have when I'm through with you!" laughed the auto. "Junk Warrior, wax his Warrior Lady!"

Junk Warrior threw a mighty punch at Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, blowing her to pieces.

"I activate Defense Draw!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, I take no damage, and I get to draw a card!"

He made one draw.

"And I use her effect to Special Summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The portal opened, and the armored, sword-wielding elf appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"Whatever," sneered the auto. "Calculator, attack Axe Raider! Number cruncher!"

The Calculator pointed, and fired a blast of numbers and mathematical symbols at the Warrior.

"Go, Negate Attack!" shouted Shichiro.

His last facedown card shot up, and the blast was halted by an invisible shield.

"So you last a little longer," growled the auto. "I set two cards and end my turn!"

Two facedown cards appeared in front of it.

"That means your Pikeman goes back to the Graveyard," added Shichiro, "due to the other effect of Vision Wind."

Atlantean Pikeman shattered. The Calculator's Attack Score fell to 2,100.

"Whatever!" laughed the auto, as Shichiro drew a card. "Look at you! You can barely keep up with me! Why don't you just…"

Then it stopped short, as Shichiro pulled up next to it, hot on its tail.

"You were saying?" he replied.

"No way…" said the auto. "How did you…"

Then it noticed the Speed Counter gauges on its dashboard. Both its Counters and Shichiro's were at the same number – eight.

"HOW?" it said.

"You weren't paying attention, that's how," replied Shichiro. "When you activated Vision Wind, I responded with another Trap Card."

"Slipstream?!" shouted the auto, looking at its controls.

"That's right," said Shichiro. "By activating it in response to a Speed Spell, my Speed Counters become equal to yours this turn. So what are you gonna do now?"

As if to answer, the door on the side of the auto next to Shichiro opened, flying open vertically like the gull-wing doors of the DeLorean DMC-12 were famous for. Shichiro barely avoided wiping out.

"Dirty pool, you obsolete marketing fad," muttered Shichiro. "I summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"

In a burst of flame, Rose appeared in front of his bike, flying alongside his other three Warriors. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

"So, you like Synchro Summoning?" he asked. "Well, let me show you one of my own!"

Rose closed her eyes, and then opened them, and they burned with fire. She and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian flew into the sky, where they vanished, forming into eight glowing stars.

"I Synchro Summon… Colossal Fighter!"

The light of Speed World dimmed, as the huge, cybernetic goliath landed, flying in front of Shichiro's D-Wheel. (2,800 ATK)

"Colossal Fighter gains 100 more Attack Points for each Warrior in each Graveyard," continued Shichiro. "At last count, there were four in mine, and one in yours."

In five flashes of light, Axe Raider, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, Rose, Warrior of Revenge, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, and Junk Synchron appeared behind Colossal Fighter. They glared at the evil car before they vanished again. (3,300 ATK)

"And don't forget, so long as Command Knight is here, all my Warriors gain an extra 400 Attack Points."

(3,700 ATK)

"Destroy The Calculator!" shouted Shichiro. "Mega knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter roared, and threw a solid punch to the small robot. It shattered into small pieces. The demonic auto grunted slightly, as its Speed Counter went down one notch, to seven.

"All right, pal!" it shouted. "You just aren't funny any more!"

"I never intended to be!" replied Shichiro, placing a card on his console.

A facedown card appeared behind Colossal Fighter.

"I switch Grepher to Defense Mode…"

Warrior Dai Grepher lowered his sword, and shielded himself with his free hand. (1,600 DEF)

"And that's my turn…"

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 2,850)**

The auto made a draw, as its Counter went back up to eight, and Shichiro's rose to nine. Shichiro pulled slightly ahead of it, and it was clearly angry.

One of its facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Backup Soldier!" it cursed. "Now, I get my three Pikemen back!"

Three cards slid into place where it stowed its hand of cards.

"Now, I'll summon one of 'em!"

In an aura of energy, one of the Pikemen appeared again. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I activate Graceful Revival!"

Its other facedown card lifted up.

"Now I can bring The Calculator back!"

In a flash of light, The Calculator reappeared. (2,700 ATK)

_That's it…_ thought Shichiro. _Get angry…_

"Junk Warrior…" ordered the demonic auto, "run Colossal Fighter off the road!"

Junk Warrior flew at the larger Synchro…

"GO! Trap Card!" shouted Shichiro. "Synchro Deflector!"

His facedown card shot up.

"Since you just attacked my Synchro Monster, I can destroy one Monster on your side of the field. Guess which one…"

A wave of powerful energy shot out of the Trap Card. Junk Warrior was engulfed by it, and shattered into pixels.

"Guess what, you rusty tin can?" asked Shichiro. "With your Level 5 Monster gone, The Calculator loses 1,500 Attack Points."

The Calculator quickly fell to an Attack Score of 1,200.

"But Colossal Fighter is better off. Know why? Because I just added another Warrior to your Graveyard."

A phantom Junk Warrior appeared behind Colossal Fighter, glaring at the demonic auto and crossing its arms. Colossal Fighter went up to an Attack Score of 3,800.

The demonic auto didn't respond…

"Time to end this drag race…" said Shichiro, drawing a card.

"Command Knight… Fillet that fish!"

Command Knight slashed at the Atlantean Pikeman with her sword. It shattered into pieces. The Calculator's Attack Score fell to a mere 600.

"Colossal Fighter, attack the Calculator with Mega Knuckle!"

The huge Synchro threw a solid punch at the small robot, blowing it to shards. The demonic auto hollered, and its windows shattered.

**(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (DA: 0)**

"You little creep!" screamed the auto, as it started to emit an aura of evil energy. "If I can't outduel you, I'll flatten you!"

The fiendish car tried to run Shichiro over, but Shichiro pulled back, slightly. The car started to swerve.

"Curse you!" screamed the auto. "Where are you? Crud, I can't see! My windows are all cracked!"

Shichiro drew his sword from his back.

_It's now or never…_ he thought.

"Just wait till I find you, meatball," cursed the auto, "you're gonna wish you were never…"

Then it stopped short, as Shichiro's sword struck its left rear tire, causing it to blow out.

"HEY!" screamed the auto. "What are you doing? That's playing dirty!"

The blown tire had caused it to slow down tremendously, and gave Shichiro a lot of slack. As the car cursed and shouted, he pulled up, and repeated the move on its left _front_ tire.

It was too much for the auto. With two tires out, it swerved, and came to a halt.

Shichiro still wasn't done. He brought his bike to a stop, and leapt off. He ran up to the evil DeLorean. As the thing sputtered, he wrenched open the hood.

"HEY!" shouted the car. "What are you doin'? Get away from there?"

Shichiro grabbed hold of the battery with both hands.

"Stop!" screamed the auto. "Wait…"

Then with one powerful yank, he tore it free. Motor oil spurted all over him.

"Bastard…" groaned the auto. "I'll get you for this, meatbaaaaaaaa…"

Then it went dead.

Shichiro dropped the battery, and then slumped to the ground, to catch his breath.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro had just called a tow truck, and while he was waiting for it, he took the time to look through the dormant car's deck, which had not disappeared, fortunately. He looked at the Junk Synchron and Junk Warrior, wondering what the heck he was going to do with them. He couldn't simply sell them…

…and he certainly couldn't use them himself. He didn't think doing so would be right. Not after what had happened two years ago.

He heard the put-put-put sound of a moped coming his way. He slipped the two cards into a pouch on his belt, and then turned as Zagwik drove up.

"Oh, thank Garl you stopped it!" gasped the gnome. "Uhm… So what do we do with it now?"

"I called a tow truck," muttered Shichiro. "You have a compactor in that scrap yard, right?"

"Uh, yeah…" said Zagwik.

"Good," said Shichiro. "We're gonna take this heap back and crush it into a cube. Only when the body is completely destroyed will the demon truly be banished."

"Are you gonna take me in?" asked Zagwik, hanging his head.

"Listen, pal," said Shichiro, "since no-one got hurt, except maybe me, I'm inclined to be lenient. I'll tell Jalal that this was simply another case of a failed gnome experiment. He'll understand…"

"Really?" asked Zagwik, lighting up.

"_Provided_," replied Shichiro, "you hand over all of your books on Autonomous!"

Zagwik sighed.

"I guess if this thing came from there," he muttered, "it's not a very nice dimension anyway…

"Oh, by the way, I just remembered… I _do_ know something important about the Regalia of Day!"

Shichiro looked at him.

"Well, don't leave me hanging," he said.

"Okay…" said Zagwik. "You know about the three Swords, right?"

Shichiro nodded.

"Well," said Zagwik. "A fourth part exists.

"The Regalia was actually a joint project by both the dwarves and the elves. The dwarves, being master smiths, forged the three Swords, as you know.

"But powerful elven wizards of the Moonsilver Clan contributed to it, creating something called the Silver Hemisphere."

"Pardon?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, it's kind of like a display stand," said Zagwik, forming a shape with his hands. "A hemispheric stand made of silver which the three Swords can be set into."

"That's it?" asked Shichiro. "A display stand?"

"No, it's more than just a display stand!" added Zagwik. "Each Sword is powerful on its own, but the Silver Hemisphere is like a… hub piece that can combine their powers when all three of them are set in it!

"When all three Swords are set in the Silver Hemisphere, any being capable of spellcasting abilities, like the elves were, can use it as a… focus, and cast complex rituals and incantations that he normally wouldn't be able to."

"Like an amplifier?" asked Shichiro.

"Precisely!" replied Shichiro. "A wizard's amplifier!

"It could make a bad wizard quite good…"

"And what would it make a wizard who was already 'quite good'?" asked Shichiro.

"Well…" said Zagwik. "It could give a _good_ wizard power that was comparable to Merlin's…"

Shichiro rubbed his chin. Most people believed that Merlin was only a legend, but the Shadowchasers knew that he was real; he had been born from a virgin maiden who had been raped by a demon in an attempt to create an Antichrist. But the plan was foiled when the expectant mother informed a confessor, and the infant was baptized immediately after birth.

Nonetheless, the child's demonic heritage had lasting results. As King Arthur's fabled court magician, he was a sorcerer capable of incredible magical power, able to shapeshift, command the power of the natural world, and even see into the future (although Arthur did not always believe his prophesies).

If the Regalia could give some wizards the same potential… The consequences would largely depend on what they chose to do with it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the townhouse, in the lounge in front of the ever-burning fireplace, Ember was sitting on the couch, going over piles of cards that she had brought from her apartment. Her cousin had always given her cases of cards for her birthday, Christmas, and any other occasion that called for gifts (getting them was easier when you were a pro) and they had accumulated during the years.

Right now, she was trying to decide just how to make a winning deck that didn't involve attacking. It would have been a lot easier without the list of cards that weren't allowed, which had so far quashed three of her ideas.

She held up a copy of Ebon Magician Curran, and a copy of Heart of Clear Water.

"Maybe if I combine these two…" she thought.

She picked up a copy of Nightmare Archfiends.

"Then activate this…" she said.

She picked up a Just Desserts.

"Maybe this too…"

She sighed.

"So much depends on the right draws… It looks good on paper, but if I actually tried it…"

Sorsha leapt up on the coffee table and meowed.

Ember sighed, and pet the cat.

"So many cards," muttered Ember, as she rubbed Sorsha. "So many possibilities…"

"Meow," purred Sorsha.

"Me-OUCH!"

Ember jumped.

"Would you mind not stroking me the wrong way?" asked the cat. "It's _very_ annoying!"

"You can talk?" squeaked Ember.

"Well, yeah," replied Sorsha. "Don't all familiars?"

Ember looked at Sorsha. She had forgotten all about that.

"Uhm…" said Ember, nervously. "I didn't know that they did… Harry Potter had an owl…"

"You think you can compare my master to Harry Potter?" asked Sorsha, with a laugh. "Real wizards are nothing like Harry Potter. Rowling would have realized that if she were Aware, which she wasn't. Harry bought his owl at some store. Real familiars have to be summoned with magic.

"I'm not really a cat, _per se_. Familiars are spirits who take the form of animals to help wizards when they're summoned. Cats are the most traditional choice, but there are other possibilities, depending on the tastes of the wizard in question…

"Rabbits, rats, hawks, ravens, toads… Yes, sometimes owls, but wizards who have them don't use them to send mail…

"I once knew a familiar who worked for a wizard who was also a pirate. Naturally, he took the form of a parrot. Point is, we're willing to adapt when we're summoned."

"So…" said Ember, "what do you look like when you aren't working for a wizard?"

Sorsha looked at her with an annoyed glare.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" replied Ember. "Did I just hit some sort of nerve?"

Sorsha sighed.

"If you must know," said Sorsha, "suffice to say, a familiar's true form is so hideously ugly and revolting, we jump at the chance to assume another form. That's the whole reason we agree to answer the summoning spells wizards cast when they want familiars.

"But enough about me. I noticed that you were having trouble thinking up a strategy."

"Am I ever," sighed Ember. "But you aren't allowed to help me…"

"Eh, I won't," said Sorsha, "but I see what's happening. The same thing happened to my master when he tried to write a speech that he had to give to the graduating class at the Wizard's Academy of Marseille. You've got a block."

"A block?" asked Ember.

"A mental block," said Sorsha. "You're nervous, and it's forming a wall blocking you from the solution. I'm sure you can…"

"WAIT," said Ember. "What was that you just said right there?"

"Uh, I said you were nervous…" replied Sorsha.

"After that…" said Ember. "Something about a… wall…"

Before Sorsha could answer, Ember opened up the laptop in front of her, and quickly typed something into it.

Some images appeared on the screen. Ember's face lit up…

She jumped up and grabbed Sorsha.

"Sorsha, you're beautiful!" she beamed.

"Hey, watch it!" shouted the cat, as Ember hugged her. "I bruise easily!"

Ember put Sorsha down, then picked up her purse, and ran for the door.

"Where are you going?" shouted Sorsha after her.

"The card store!" called Ember back.

Sorsha looked after her as the front door shut.

"Well, it seems I gave her an idea," she said, smugly.

Then her face fell.

"Darn! I should have asked her for something in return!

"Maybe next time… Maybe a nice catnip mouse…"

_**I had an idea, all right, and I needed to put it to practice while it was fresh in my head. I had an idea for the perfect deck that could win without attacking, even without all the cards I wasn't allowed to use.**_

_**It would cost money to get the cards I needed, and Jinx had not yet told me how to access the trust fund that the Shadowchasers supposedly used. I wasn't even sure if I was allowed to do so. But the bonus I had gotten from Mr. Draco would prove useful this time. After all, it didn't look like I was going to be going to that resort in Bermuda for my vacation, as I had originally planned.**_

_**I knew that if this new "job" panned out, I could resign from my old one entirely. And I was willing to do all that I needed to do to make sure it panned out. No matter what the expense.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – VISION WIND (Spell Card)**

Normal Spell

Image: Speed Warrior surrounded by a Mystical Space Typhoon.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Monster from your Graveyard. The Monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase of your turn.

_Note: "Speed Spell - Vision Wind" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Ready, Set, Duel!". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SLIPSTREAM (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A police car chasing another car.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card if you have less Speed Counters than your opponent, and your opponent activates a "Speed Spell" card. During your next Standby Phase, your Speed Counters become equal to that of your opponent.

_Note: "Slipstream" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Pipe Dreams". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Ready to see more of the Allies of Justice? Next chapter, we see what Gears was doing while Shichiro was fighting that demonic auto. Love makes a man do strange things, and after Mistle's traumatic experience, Gears is willing to do a lot to make her happy again. A duel with a wager against a sneaky Shadow ensues, where he finds that sometimes little things hold big surprises. "Card Trader" is coming up next._


	16. Card Trader

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**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

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**Card Trader**

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_**As I've said before, nymphs are the embodiment of beauty, and stories are told throughout history of men pursuing them. And even the gods themselves…**_

_**One of the most famous is one you may have heard of regarding the Greek god of prophecy and art, Apollo. Now, Apollo is always depicted as handsome, and described as a great lover. He likely could have had any woman he wanted, and indeed, he had many. But according to one famous story, he once fell madly in love with an especially gorgeous nymph named Daphne. (In one version of the story, he had been cursed by Eros, after Apollo had mocked Eros's archery skills.) But Daphne was cold-hearted, and rejected him. Apollo wouldn't accept no for an answer, and chased her. The elusive nymph prayed to either Gaia or the river spirit Peneus (depends on the version of the story), and was transformed into a laurel to escape from him, a tree that was just as beautiful. Apollo mourned for a while, but eventually made himself a crown with the branches of the tree. The laurel became sacred to him and his followers, and similar crowns were bestowed upon the winners of the Pythian Games, which were held in his honor. Most artistic interpretations of the myth focus on the moment of Daphne's transformation.**_

_**Now, Gears is a gentleman, and he knew that there were easier ways to win a woman than chasing her. Since Mistle had been through a great deal, he had spent a lot of time thinking of the perfect way to make her smile again… He wanted to give her something that would last longer than any box of chocolates or any bottle of perfume. **_

_**And as Shichiro was dealing with that demonic auto, he was on his way to getting it…**_

As Ember exited the card store, she sighed.

She remembered a duel last year, one which stuck out in her mind more than most…

It was the closest she had come to that point to actually beating her cousin…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner screamed right before she was incinerated by a blast of flame coming from Ember's Infernal Flame Emperor.

It had been a long duel, and that was _not_ good for Akira. Long duels are never good for anyone who uses Lightsworns.

Ember now had 2,000 Life Points remaining, her Infernal Flame Emperor, and one facedown card. Akira also had 2,000 Life Points, but after that last move, his field was now clear…

And more importantly, due to the discarding effects of his Monsters, he had only four cards left in his deck.

"It's your move, Akira," said Ember, anxiously.

"Don't be too smug, Michiko," replied her cousin. "You know that in this game, one draw can change anything."

_Right,_ thought Ember. _You'll only have three cards left once you draw… That's not enough to use Celestia's effect…_

_And if you summon Gragonith or Judgment Dragon, I'll chain-activate my facedown Threatening Roar! You won't be able to attack, and when you end your turn, your Monster will force you to throw out the rest of your deck! I'll win!_

Akira drew a card. He looked at it closely.

"Hmm…" he said.

He placed it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn."

Ember looked at him in shock.

_No Monsters at all?_ she thought.

She quickly made a draw.

"You lose, Michiko," said Akira.

"Huh?" asked Ember.

Akira's facedown card shot up.

"It's a Trap Card called Blasting the Ruins," he said. "I can only use it when I have at least thirty cards in my Graveyard, and you know that I do.

"Since I do, you take 3,000 points of damage."

Ember's eyes bugged out as a swarm of boulders and rubble flew towards her, and then crashed into her. She fell down on her behind as her Life Points fell to zero.

"I lost…" she muttered. "When did you put that Trap in your deck?"

Akira offered his hand.

"A good deck is never truly finished, Michiko," he said. "Cards in a deck have to work together, but they can work together in many ways. If you look long enough, you can always find a new way to use your cards. So many combinations make for so many possibilities.

Ember nodded.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember looked through some of the cards she had just bought.

The deck she was thinking of making, the one that could win without attacking, would still be tricky. She hadn't truly invented this strategy, and it was very unorthodox.

Would it work? She guessed she wouldn't know until she used it…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears slowly drove his D-Wheel down a dark street in Satellite.

This was a part of Satellite that most of the locals avoided. The buildings here were more unstable than the others. This wasn't the _most_ dangerous part of Satellite (the B.A.D. Area had that distinction) but it was a close second.

Mistle had not been herself since she had recovered from what DaPen had done to her. She had barely smiled, and hadn't laughed like she used to. Clearly, she had not yet fully recovered from the traumatic experience.

Gears had seen something on a website that he knew would make her smile. But calls to all the card stores in town had turned up nothing. It seemed to be an incredibly rare card. But then again, cards like this were always pretty rare.

Then he called a contact he had. He apparently hit paydirt, but dealing with this contact would be hard, to say the least.

He looked ahead, and saw his destination. The old Limburger Cheese Co. factory. This place used to make dairy products ("Limburger" was the name of the brand of cheese, not the type it made) and after this part of town had become Satellite, this factory had become the meeting place for a particular clan of Shadows.

Popular media had glorified the image of the werewolf. Not many people knew, however, that werewolves were only one of a whole class of Shadowkind called lycanthropes. These creatures were humans who could take the form of beasts, or forms that were combinations of humans and beasts.

Werewolves were not the only type of lycanthrope, they were only the most well-known type. There were wereboars, werebears, werefoxes, wereravens…

The Shadows that Gears was coming to see were an infamous type… Wererats.

Wererats (or "ratmen" as they were sometimes called) did not have the savagery that werewolves were known for. Since their animal base was a scavenger rather than a predator, they were known for being sneaky and stealthy. While a werewolf would likely attack a victim up front, a wererat would rather attack by ambush with a knife between the ribs.

Wererats were hard to trust, but in places like Satellite, they were masters at finding things that others would miss. Scavenging and salvaging came second nature to them. So it was no surprise to Gears that the one he called claimed he had what he needed…

Whether or not it was the truth, he'd soon see.

Gears drove his D-Wheel right into the factory, into a large loading bay. He looked around.

"Maccal!" he shouted. "I'm here! Where are you?"

He turned his head, and saw three sets of glowing, beady eyes in the darkness in front of him.

"Really scary," he muttered. "Come outta there…"

There was a chuckle, and three humanoid creatures dressed in dirty rags came into the light. There was no mistaking that they were wererats. They had rat-like faces with course, grey fur, and were dressed in dirty, worn clothing with hoods. An unpleasant odor hung about them; wererats didn't bathe too often, if at all – they tended to live in sewers and other dirty places, so doing so would be pointless. It was not uncommon for them to be infested with lice and fleas, which didn't seem to be as detrimental to them as it would to other races. One rumor stated that they never removed their clothes, but simply added new layers as their old ones wore out and moldered away.

"So nice of you to come," said the one who seemed to be in authority.

"Look, Maccal," said Gears, as he dismounted his bike, "I don't have time for small talk. Do you have the goods?"

Maccal took a small case out of his rags, and opened it. Inside was a single Duel Monsters card.

"You didn't steal it, did you?" asked Gears.

"Perish the thought," replied Maccal, with a grin. "We simply know where to look in Satellite to find things, and we look in places where most folk never think to look. In Satellite, you learn early on how to find treasure where most folks only find trash."

"Fine," said Gears. "How much do you want for it?"

The three wererats chuckled a little.

"We don't work like that, Gears," replied Maccal. "We work on a strict barter system. See, it's like this… When we find cards that we can't use ourselves because they aren't our style, like this one, we trade them for cards that we can use."

"Simple, huh?" said another of the wererats.

"I figured," said Gears, opening the pouch on his belt. "Word on the street is that you're building a Dinosaur Deck."

"Indeed I am…" replied Maccal. "One that will put all other Dinosaur Decks to shame. But sadly, it's only about half-finished at the moment."

Gears held up a card. It was Ultimate Tyranno.

"Will this help you finish it?" he asked.

Maccal looked at the card. He rubbed his chin.

"Ultimate Tyranno, eh?" he asked. "Well, that's clearly a powerful card. But unfortunately, no. I'm looking for a different kind of Dinosaur."

"Different kind?" asked Gears, in surprise. "There's only one _kind_ of Dinosaur! The big, ferocious kind!"

Maccal chuckled again.

"How little you know about Dinosaurs!" he laughed. "May I ask why you want this card anyway? It doesn't seem your style either."

Gears sighed.

"I… know a very special lady who would love to have it…" he said.

The three wererats chuckled again.

"How odd," replied Maccal. "Most men go with flowers and chocolates when they want to woo a lady."

"She already has more flowers than she knows what to do with," said Gears, "and she doesn't eat chocolate."

"Heh, heh…" said Maccal. "Who am I to judge?

"Well then, Gears… Ultimate Tyranno may be useless to me personally… But it's a rare card, and perhaps I could find someone who needed it eventually… But then again, I might not. Such uncertainty isn't worth a simple trade."

Gears closed his eyes.

Then he turned to his D-Wheel, and hit a command on the console.

"_Disengaging Duel Disk,"_ said the D-Wheel.

The Duel Disk clamped onto his gauntlet. Then he placed the Ultimate Tyranno back in the pouch.

"You want me to ante it, brie breath?" he asked. "Fine. We'll duel for it. If I couldn't beat some sneak like you, I wouldn't be in this business as long as I have."

Maccal smiled. It was a very unpleasant smile, one that was mostly teeth.

He lifted up his arm, and one of his two partners attached a Duel Disk to it.

"I wouldn't be so confident yet," he said. "After all, like I said… We've been able to find cards that most folks have never heard of…"

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Maccal: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move," said Gears, making a draw.

He looked over his cards, and chose one.

He set it on his Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared.

"That will do to start."

"Then I'll draw," said Maccal, making a draw.

Then he started coughing loudly. Then the coughing turned into loud hacks.

Then he turned his head and spit on the ground.

"Ahem…" he said. "Excuse me… hairball…"

"Eww…" muttered Gears.

"Now where were we?" muttered Maccal, looking at his card. "Ah, yes… I'll also set a Monster in Defense Mode."

A hidden card appeared in his Monster Zone.

"That's all for me…"

Gears made a draw, and looked at it.

_Hmm…_ he thought.

He tapped his Disk, and his facedown Monster flipped into Attack Mode.

"I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!" he exclaimed.

In a blast of steam, Dekoichi appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I summon my Machine King Prototype."

In a burst of digital energy, the man-sized, humanoid robot appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"With one other Machine on the field, it gains 100 more points."

(1,700 ATK)

"All right! Prototype, attack his Monster! Plasma blast!"

The Prototype's eyes glowed. A small creature that looked like a dollop of whipped cream with two eyes, and an upside-down smile above them appeared on the card. The beam of energy simply bounced off. (500 DEF)

"Marshmallon?" asked Gears.

"That's right!" laughed Maccal. "It can't be destroyed, and since you attacked it, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

Gears groaned as an aura of red energy surrounded him

"I end my turn…" he muttered.

**(G: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

Maccal chuckled, and made a draw.

"I sacrifice my Monster…"

Marshmallon vanished.

"…to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch!"

Lighting flashed, and a towering figure, ten feet tall and dressed in white armor, with a large discus on his back, and a large, green sphere for a cranium appeared. He radiated an aura of intense electricity. (2,400 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Gears.

Lightning struck, and Machine King Prototype was blown to bits.

"You're using a Monarch Deck?"

"No, no I'm not," chuckled Maccal. "Zaborg simply fits into my deck in another way. You'll find out how soon. Until then…

"Attack his Dekoichi!"

Zaborg shot a thunderous blast of lighting from his hands, and the Battlechanted Locomotive was reduced to scrap.

**(G: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

"Good one, boss!" laughed one of the other wererats.

"Are you gonna bring the little guys out now?" asked the other one.

"Quiet you idiots!" shouted Maccal. "Do you want to blab my whole strategy to this human?"

"Uh, sorry?" replied the second one.

_Little guys?_ thought Gears. _What are they talking about?_

He made a draw.

He looked over his hand, and then set a Monster.

"That's all I can do," he said.

"Then I draw!" laughed Maccal, drawing a card.

"Then I attack with Zaborg! Thunder strike!"

Zaborg shot his thunder bolt again, and Robotic Knight appeared on the card before it was blown away.

"Next," said Maccal, placing a card in his Disk, "I play The Dark Door…"

A Continuous Spell appeared on his side of the field.

Gears raised an eyebrow.

_I don't get it,_ he thought. _That means both duelists can only attack with one Monster per round. Why would he play that with Zaborg on the field?_

"Next," said Maccal, playing a Normal Spell Card, "I play Five Star Twilight!"

"Five Star what?" asked Gears.

"I need a Level 5 Monster to play this card," explained Maccal. "It lets me get rid of my big Monster…"

Zaborg vanished.

"…to summon five _small_ ones!"

Five small, colored stars flew onto the field, and they quickly changed into five small Monsters. One of them was clearly a Kuriboh. The other four also looked like Kuribohs, but they were different colors: purple, turquoise, pink, and white.

"Kuri! Kuri!" squeaked the five Kuribohs. (300 ATK x5)

"What the…" said Gears.

_Either he just summoned five little multicolored Fiends,_ he thought, _or Mars Candy is trying something new with M&Ms…_

"Meet Kuriboh, Kuriba, Kuribe, Kuribi, and Kuribu!" laughed Maccal.

"Is there a point to this?" asked Gears.

"You'd be surprised," replied Maccal. "I end my turn…"

Gears watched the five Kuribohs closely as he drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom…" he said, slowly.

He played the card, and Robotic Knight appeared in front of him in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice it…"

Robotic Knight vanished.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher!"

In the same burst of odd energy that heralded the arrival of all the Allies, a large and odd Machine appeared, hovering in the air. It looked like a big, mechanical squid, covered with bronze plating, with rocket engines on both sides and one in the center of its tentacles. (1,800 ATK)

Maccal smirked.

"Attack the normal Kuriboh!" shouted Gears. "Retro engines!"

Enemy Catcher fired a blast of flame from its two side engines at the small Fiend…

"Kuribi!" shouted Maccal. "Five Star Defense!"

The pink Kuriboh glowed, and a barrier that seemed to be made of shimmering stars sprang up and blocked the flames.

"What?" said Gears.

"Not so easy, is it?" asked Maccal. "Each of the Kuriboh Siblings has its own unique effect. Kuribi can negate one attack per round on itself or any of the others."

Gears looked at Maccal.

"Okay, I have to know," he said. "Why Kuribohs? Why do you favor them?"

"Do I have to have a reason?" asked Maccal.

Gears stared at him. Maccal chuckled.

"Actually, I do have a reason," replied the wererat. "Do you know what the typical duelist's opinion of a Kuriboh is?"

"Not very high?" asked Gears.

"Exactly," replied Maccal. "Yugi Mouto used the regular kind… Judai Yuki used the Winged kind, but still, everyone looks down on Kuribohs!

"A common insult is to compare them to rats. Well, being a rat myself, I can sympathize. I ask people like that, what is wrong with rats anyway? Why are people so prejudice?"

"Maybe because rats carried the Black Plague in the Fourteenth Century?" asked Gears.

"That's not true!" shouted Maccal. "That is a misconception! It wasn't the rats that carried that plague, it was the fleas that were _on_ the rats! Do you think folks like me _enjoy_ having fleas?"

Then he suddenly started to scratch.

"Lovely… You made me think about it…

"Anyway… I put this deck together to show people just how tough rats can be, which can be pretty tough."

"Just move already…" said Gears.

Maccal chuckled and drew a card.

He placed a card in his Disk, and a set card appeared next to The Dark Door.

He nodded.

Gears made a draw.

_He's clearly stalling until he draws something he needs,_ he thought. _He likely intends to sacrifice two, or maybe three of those Kuribohs to summon something big._

_Unfortunately, until I find a way to tear down his Door, I can't do much to stop him…_

He played two cards. A set Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move," he said.

Maccal made a draw.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled.

"First, I'll activate Kuribu's unique effect," he said, "which I can do by discarding one Trap Card."

He quickly discarded a Dark Coffin in his hand, and the white Kuriboh started to glow, as did Enemy Catcher.

"It reduces the Attack Score of your Monster by 1,500 for one round."

"Huh?" said Gears, looking at Enemy Catcher. (300 ATK)

"Next," said Maccal, as his Field Slot opened, "I play Mystic Plasma Zone!"

He placed a card in it. An uncanny darkness started to creep over the field.

"This Spell increases the Attack Scores of all Dark Monsters by 500, in exchange for giving up 400 from their Defense Scores."

The five Kuribohs glowed with energy. (800 ATK x5)

"You forgot one thing," replied Gears. "My Monster is also a Dark Monster…"

Enemy Catcher also rose to an Attack Score of 800.

"…so all you can manage this round is a draw."

"I didn't forget, Gears," said Maccal. "Just as I sacrificed my big Monster to summon five small ones, I'm going to sacrifice my small ones to summon a big one again…"

The five Kuribohs vanished into dark shadows. Gears's eyes opened wide.

_I expected a sacrifice,_ he thought, _but all five?_

"I summon the big cheese of my deck!" shouted Maccal. "Don't try serving this guy with crackers… I give you… Kuribabylon!"

Two evil-looking eyes appeared in the darkness, followed by the rest of the creature. This was also a Kuriboh, but it was far less cute than the others. It had fangs, larger claws, and a single, long, sharp horn in the middle of its forehead.

"Eh?" said Gears. "That's… Kinda scary, but it isn't exactly big…"

"Oh?" asked Maccal. "For Kuribabylon to get points, we add up the Attack Scores that the five lesser Kuribohs had when they were sacrificed, and as you remember, each one had 800 Attack Points a minute ago…"

(4,000 ATK)

"WHAT?" exclaimed Gears.

"But wait, there's more!" laughed Maccal. "Four-thousand is its _base_ Attack Score! It's a Dark Monster, meaning it still gains the 500-point bonus from the Field Spell…"

(4,500 ATK)

_A Kuriboh with as much power as the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon…_ thought Gears. _This is clearly one of the great ironies of life…_

"Kuribabylon, attack his Enemy Catcher!" shouted Maccal.

Kuribabylon flew at the large Machine, and speared it with its horn. Gears shielded himself as the Ally exploded in a mighty conflagration.

"Ergh…" he grunted.

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 8,000)**

Maccal looked at the last card in his hand.

"That's all I can do for now…" he said. "It's your move…"

Gears drew a card.

It was Dark Resonator.

He looked at the reversed Monster that was already on the field, and his facedown card.

_This might work out…_ he thought.

He took the Tuner Monster, and placed it on his Disk. The new defensive Monster appeared.

"Your move," he said.

Maccal chuckled as he drew.

He looked at the card. He quickly placed it in his Disk, and a second facedown card appeared.

"Kuribabylon, attack the Monster on the left!" he shouted.

Kuribabylon flew at the Monster, and Sangan appeared on the card. It exploded into pixels.

"Thank you!" laughed Gears, taking his deck.

"Humph…" said Maccal.

Gears found what he wanted, and shuffled his deck.

"My move, now," said Gears, grinning.

He quickly made a draw. He looked at it, and added it to his hand.

Then his facedown card lifted.

"I activate DNA Transplant! Now I can change all Monsters on the field into Light Monsters. That means Kuribabylon looses its bonus."

(4,000 ATK)

"It's still stronger than anything you're likely to summon," replied Maccal.

"We'll see," said Gears. "I flip Dark Resonator into Attack Mode."

His facedown card flipped, and the comical Fiend holding its hammer and tuning fork appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I Normal Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog."

He played the card he had used Sangan to search for, and the small hedgehog with nuts and bolts in its back appeared. (800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together!"

Dark Resonator grinned, and struck its fork with its hammer. It and Quillbolt Hedgehog flew up to the ceiling, and turned into five stars.

With a flash of energy, Ally of Justice Catastor flew down to the floor. (2,200 ATK)

"How unfortunate…" mumbled Maccal.

"More than you know," said Gears, "because your Monster isn't Dark anymore, and Catastor's attack can automatically destroy any Monster that isn't.

"Catastor… Turn Kuribabylon into Swiss cheese! Platinum prism blast!"

Catastor fired its beam at the evil Kuriboh…

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Maccal. "Astral Shift!"

His facedown card shot up.

"Huh?" said Gears.

"This card works just like Absolute End, turning your attack into a direct attack…" said Maccal.

He cringed in pain as Catastor's beam hit him.

"But it's worth a little pain, because now I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"…and because I lost at least 1,000 Life Points from that attack, I also get to Special Summon this handsome fellah…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"Meet Ruklamba the Spirit King!"

The Monster that appeared was certainly _not_ handsome. It looked like a humanoid alligator of some sort, with a long mane of tangled, wet hair, watery eyes, and a long, thick tail. It crouched in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

"Where do you find these cards?" asked Gears.

"Remember what I said?" asked Maccal. "We find treasure where most folks find trash. You wouldn't believe what some people will throw away!"

"That's right!" said one of the other wererats. "Just yesterday, I found this portable DVD player that looked like it had just been taken out of the box! I don't know why anyone wanted to chuck it!"

"And he won't share it with anyone…" grumbled the other wererat.

"You don't even have any DVDs, Clyde!" replied the first one.

"Quiet, you two!" shouted Maccal.

Gears took a card from his hand.

"I'll set a facedown, and end my turn," he said.

A reversed card appeared.

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,800)**

Maccal grinned evilly as he drew a card.

"Time to finish you off!" he laughed.

"I've heard enough…" said Gears.

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate Threatening Roar!"

A loud bellow echoed over the field.

"Now you can't attack this round."

Maccal looked at him.

"How unfortunate…" he muttered.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I'll activate this Trap anyway… Compulsory Evacuation Device. This lets me send any Monster on the field back to the owner's hand."

"I was going to use it on Catastor at first, but your Threatening Roar ruined that idea. So I have to improvise. Instead, I'll use it on Ruklamba."

Gears's eyes opened in shock, as Ruklamba turned to energy and flew back to Maccal's hand, turning back into a card.

_Why the heck would he do that?_ thought Gears.

"Moving along," continued Maccal, as another Spell Card appeared, "I play Trade-In. Now I get to draw two more cards, so long as I toss a Level 8 Monster."

He quickly discarded Ruklamba, and then drew two cards.

"Seems that it'll be curtains for Kuribabylon next round," said Maccal. "So I'll use its other effect. I sacrifice it…"

Kuribabylon vanished.

"In return, I get to bring the five Kuriboh Siblings back. Once again, I trade my big Monster for five small ones."

In five bursts of shadow, the five candy-colored Kuribohs appeared again. (300 ATK x5)

"Now," he continued, "I remove all five of them from play…"

The five Kuribohs vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon Kuribandit."

A new Kuriboh appeared in front of him. This one had black fur, fangs, and wore a bandana over its head and an eyepatch. (1,000 ATK)

"Mmph!" chuckled Gears, laughing. "A pirate Kuriboh? Now this is getting weird!"

"I'm not done," replied Maccal. "I activate its effect. By sacrificing it, I get to draw five more cards."

Kuribandit vanished.

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears.

Maccal made five draws.

"Calm down, there is a catch," he added. "I have to discard any of them that are Monsters."

He looked at the five cards, and then discarded a second Kuriboh and a second Zaborg.

"Perfect!" he chuckled. "I bring my second Kuriboh back with Monster Reborn!"

The ankh appeared, glowing in mid-air, and the Kuriboh appeared in front of him. (200 DEF)

"Then, the Spell Card, Multiply!"

Kuriboh faded into a blur, and then split into five Kuribohs. They all squeaked in unison. (200 DEF x5)

"By sacrificing one Kuriboh, I get to summon five Kuriboh Tokens.

"I'll set a card facedown, and that will conclude my turn."

A reversed card appeared.

"Finally!" shouted Gears, drawing a card. "I didn't think that was ever going to end…"

_Nuts, nuts, NUTS!_ he thought. _That wall will take forever to get through with his Dark Door there…_

"Attack!" he shouted.

Catastor fired its blaster, and one of the Kuribohs was vaporized.

"Getting frustrated, my friend?" asked Maccal.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Jar of Greed. Now I get another draw!"

He grinned, and drew a card.

"Just move…" growled Gears.

Maccal made another draw. He grinned again.

"I play the Spell Card, Detonating!" he laughed. "Get 'em, boys!"

The four Kuribohs floated towards Gears's side of the field.

"Huh?" asked Gears. "What's…"

Then he screamed, as all four of them exploded, along with his Monster and his Trap Card.

"Detonating forces me to destroy all my Kuriboh Tokens," chuckled Maccal. "But I also get to destroy one of your cards for each one.

"That's all for this turn."

Gears looked at him.

_He's got nothing on the field but his Dark Door,_ he thought. _Now's my chance…_

He made a draw.

_Well, at least I'll make some headway…_

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and a new Ally of Justice appeared. This one looked like a spherical cockpit, with two humanoid arms, six mechanical legs, and two large blaster cannons on the top. (1,600 ATK)

"Ulp…" said Maccal.

"Attack that rat directly!" shouted Gears. "Photon torpedoes!"

Blind Sucker fired one mighty blast from its dual cannons, knocking Maccal backwards and prone as he was hit by them.

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)**

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled, getting up. "Not bad, not bad…

"But now, it's my turn…"

He quickly made a draw.

"I summon Winged Kuriboh!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and another familiar Monster appeared, the flip side of the regular Kuriboh, the Fairy to its Fiend, the one with wings. (300 ATK)

"Attack Mode?" asked Gears. "In case you forgot, Winged Kuriboh's effect doesn't kick in until it's actually sent to the Graveyard. You'll still lose Life Points if I attack it."

"True," said Maccal. "But first, it's going to attack your Blind Sucker…"

He played another card from his hand.

"…once I play Berserker Crash. Now I simply have to remove any Monster at all in my Graveyard from play…"

One of the two Thunder Monarchs fell out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"…and for this round only, my Winged Kuriboh gains the Attack Points of the Monster I just removed."

Winged Kuriboh fumed with anger, and glowed with an aura of energy. (2,700 ATK)

"Attack his Blind Sucker!" shouted Maccal.

The tiny terror flew up to Blind Sucker, and punched it on the blast shield. It cracked, and the whole Machine started to spark. Then it fell apart.

**(G: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,200)**

"Heh, heh…" he said. "Your move…"

_This is getting embarrassing…_ thought Gears.

He drew a card. He sighed as he looked at it.

_The things guys will do for girls…_ he thought. _They say that a face launched a thousand ships… A man built the Taj Mahal out of love for a woman._

_If it's true that men control the world, is it not women who direct the actions of men, time and time again?_

He sighed.

_I'll think about that some other time… For now, it's time to end this duel…_

"I play my own Monster Reborn," he said, as he played a card. "I'll bring back Machine King Prototype."

The ankh appeared again, as did the Prototype. (1,600 ATK)

"Next," he continued, "I play the Spell Card, Ancient Rules. This lets me Special Summon a high-Level Normal Monster to the field from my hand. Like Ally Mind."

He played the card, and an odd Monster appeared. It looked more like a big computer than an actual robot, roughly spherical in shape, covered with glowing circuits, wires, and ports. (1,800 ATK)

Maccal laughed out loud.

"A Level 5 Normal Monster with an Attack Score that low?" he chortled. "Why not include Dark Witch in your deck while you're at it?"

"Ally Mind is a Tuner Monster," replied Gears.

"Eh?" said Maccal.

"All right!" said Gears. "Let's Tune-up this duel!"

The circuits and lights on Ally Mind blinked and flashed. Then it and Machine King Prototype flew to the ceiling, and turned into eight stars.

"I Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"

Light Gazer flew down, levitating on its hover jets. (2,400 ATK)

"There's more," said Gears. "For each Light Monster in your Graveyard, Light Gazer gains 200 more Attack Points."

Zaborg and Marshmallon briefly appeared behind Light Gazer, and its Attack Score went up to 2,800.

"And don't forget, thanks to your own Field Spell, now that you so conveniently destroyed my Trap Card, it gains 500 more Attack Points."

(3,300 ATK)

"Fine," said Maccal. "Destroy Winged Kuriboh… I haven't lost yet…"

"But I haven't Normal Summoned yet," replied Gears, taking another card from his hand. "I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter."

He played the card, and a new Machine appeared. It looked like a large, robotic mosquito, with black armor, and circular disks for wings. (600 ATK) – (1,100 ATK)

"Forget?" asked Maccal. "Thanks to my Dark Door, you can only attack with one Monster per round. And even if you do destroy it, once you destroy Winged Kuriboh, all other attacks won't do anything."

"I know, Maccal," said Gears. "But one attack is all I'm gonna need.

"I activate Unlimiter's effect. I sacrifice it…"

Unlimiter vanished into grains of light.

"…and in return, one other Ally of Justice's base Attack Points are doubled for one round."

Light Gazer glowed with an aura of pure energy… (5,700 ATK)

"Oh… no…" said Maccal.

"And that means it's the end of the party, havarti," said Gears. "Light Gazer, attack Winged Kuriboh with plasma cannon!"

Light Gazer pointed its weapon, and it started to glow.

"This isn't good…" gulped Maccal.

A thunderous blast lit up the whole factory, as Maccal was thrown backwards by the impact that eradicated his Monster, slamming into his two cohorts in the process.

**(G: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Gears walked up to the wererat trader, who was seeing stars. He took out a leather glove and put it on. Rule number one about dealing with wererats: don't touch them with bare hands.

He reached inside the lycanthrope's ragged shirt, and took out the case that held the card.

"I'll be taking this, if you don't mind," he said. "I'll have to pay a thousand yen or so to get someone to use magic to sterilize it, most likely, but no big deal.

"A pleasure doing business with you…"

Maccal watched as Gears walked back to his D-Wheel.

"Ooh, you're going to pay for this, Gears…" he said in a low whisper. "That 'end of the party havarti' remark crossed the line.

"No-one makes a fool out of me… I'll get even…

"I not only know how to find material wealth that others can't… I know how to find _all sorts_ of wealth that others can't…

"And if you look in the right places, you can find a wealth of information…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember sat in the lounge of the townhouse, slowly putting a deck of cards together. The television was on, and Sorsha was quietly watching her.

She had thirty-nine cards right now, and it was a choice between Nobleman of Crossout and Magical Mallet for the final card.

After five minutes of looking at the two Spell Cards, she decided on the latter, and gave the deck a thorough shuffle.

"Success…" she said, holding up the deck. "A deck that can hopefully win without having to attack once, even with none of the cards on the list."

"So what are you going to do next?" asked Sorsha.

Before Ember could answer, the newscast on the TV was interrupted by the familiar music of a breaking story.

Ember turned, and saw as a reporter appeared in an outdoor location – a young, attractive woman with long, blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Good afternoon," she said to the camera. "Angela here, on location at one of Sector Security's high-tech facilities, where a daring technology heist has apparently been pulled off. According to witnesses, a single suspect armed with what appeared to be riot control gear broke into the facility and stole classified information.

"We're here with Officer Ushio, who witnessed the felon's escape."

Angela turned to a Security officer who apparently had not only witnessed the escape, but had tried to stop it. He was nursing a black eye, and didn't look very happy.

"Officer," said Angela. "Can you describe what transpired here?"

"Well, yeah," replied the officer. "Are you going to be able to edit this later in case I say something I might regret?"

"Uh, officer…" said Angela. "We're live…"

Ushio looked at the camera.

"Oh…" he said. "Right. Well… Uh… The perpetrator was indeed armed with weaponry normally reserved for riot police. Non-lethal weaponry. Tear gas, rubber mercy bullets, that sort of thing… Frankly, he had enough riot gear to stop a small riot!"

"Can you describe what was stolen, if anything?" asked Angela.

"I was told just some papers from some confidential files," replied Ushio. "And that's the weird part. I mean, if I was packing the heat he had and I wanted to do something illegal, I would probably go rob a bank, not break into some technology lab. What are these fruitcakes thinking?"

"One can only assume," replied Angela, with a chuckle, turning back to the camera. "Security cameras managed to take a short recording of the perpetrator's entrance."

A surveillance video started to show.

"If you recognize this individual, you can…"

Ember muted the TV.

"That guy is definitely a Shadow," she said, watching.

"Yeah…" said Sorsha. "A mountain dwarf, I'd guess…"

Ember opened her laptop on the coffee table.

"Why _would_ someone armed to the teeth with riot gear decide to rob a technology lab and not a place with more money?" she asked as she typed. "Let's see if I can look into the Security band and find out _exactly_ what was stolen…"

"You can hack into Security?" asked Sorsha.

"Mr. Draco taught me how to," replied Ember. "But only the low-security files. He wanted to keep up to date on what they were doing around his properties."

She looked at a recent file.

"Hmm…" she said. "Blueprints for an… immobilization beam? Hey, wait… I remember Mr. Draco talking about this… He was interested in several of the projects Godwin's weapons division was working on, including this one, but Godwin had to downsize that department…"

She rubbed her chin.

"The thief is likely working for someone who's interested in the weapon's potential… Maybe a foreign army that Godwin wouldn't sell to… Maybe even a terrorist group…"

"Lovely…" muttered Sorsha.

Ember thought for a minute. She started to type again.

"If the thief wanted to actually build this thing, he'd need both the blueprints and the prototype…

"And according to this, the prototype is stored at another lab…"

She quickly wrote down the address on a notepad.

Then she picked up the deck she had just made.

"What do you think, Sorsha?"

"Why not?" replied the cat. "You gotta start somewhere…

"Just one thing… If this guy happens to have any weapons of the _lethal_ variety…"

"I know just how to handle that," said Ember, taking the paper that had the address. "Run the other way, screaming like crazy."

She walked to the door.

_**My confidence was growing with every minute, so much that I didn't know how stupid I was being – going on a mission that had not been authorized, going to look for a criminal whom I had no idea the capabilities of, armed with a deck that had not been tested, and telling no-one except a familiar where I was going. In some classic stories, being this impulsive led to being a hero, but in reality, it often led to being killed.**_

_**Why did I do it? Well, I had led a sheltered life up to now, protected from the dangers of the world, and all it had gotten me was a life of boredom. Being careful hadn't gotten me anywhere in the grand scheme of things. Now was my chance. I decided to take the riskier path, and see where it would lead. **_

_**I would soon find out if I had made the right choice…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIVE STAR TWILIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Five colored stars with the five Kuriboh Siblings hiding behind them.

**Card Description:** Tribute 1 Level 5 Monster that you control. Special Summon 1 "Kuriboh", 1 "Kuriba", 1 "Kuribe" 1 "Kuribi", and 1 "Kuribu" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Tributed except to Special Summon "Kuribabylon". By discarding 1 Trap Card from your hand to the Graveyard, you can decrease the ATK of an opposing Monster by 300.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Tributed except to Special Summon "Kuribabylon". By discarding 1 Trap Card from your hand to the Graveyard, you can decrease the ATK of an opposing Monster by 300.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Tributed except to Special Summon "Kuribabylon". Once per turn, while this card is face-up on the field, if a "Kuriboh", "Kuriba", "Kuribe", "Kuribi", or "Kuribu" is targeted by an attack, you can negate that attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBU (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Tributed except to Special Summon "Kuribabylon". By discarding 1 Trap Card from your hand to the Graveyard, you can decrease the ATK of an opposing Monster by 1,500 until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBABYLON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card must first be Special Summoned by Tributing 1 "Kuriboh", 1 "Kuriba", 1 "Kuribe" 1 "Kuribi", and 1 "Kuribu" you control. The base ATK of this card becomes equal to the combined ATKs of the Tributed Monsters. If there is 1 "Kuriboh", 1 "Kuriba", 1 "Kuribe" 1 "Kuribi", and 1 "Kuribu" in your Graveyard, you may Tribute this card to Special Summon those Monsters from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KURIBANDIT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card must first be Special Summoned by removing from play from your side of the field 1 "Kuriboh", 1 "Kuriba", 1 "Kuribe" 1 "Kuribi", and 1 "Kuribu". You may Tribute this card to draw 5 cards from your deck. Any Monsters that are drawn using this effect are discarded to the Graveyard. This effect may be used during your opponent's turn.

_Note: The Kuriboh Siblings, "Five Star Twilight", "Kuribabylon", and "Kuribandit" were all used by the Pharaoh at various times during the original anime series Doma Arc. Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**RUKLAMBA THE SPIRIT KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** If you take 1,000 or more points of damage from one battle, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. Tribute this card to Special Summon from your hand any number of Monsters whose combined base ATKs do not exceed 2,000.

_Note: "Ruklamba the Spirit King" was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode "Isolated in Cyber Space (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ASTRAL** SHIFT (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Maiden of the Aqua casting a spell, standing in front of an explosion.

_Card Description:_ You may activate this card when your opponent targets one of your Monsters for an attack. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. After damage calculation, draw one card.

_Note: "Astral Shift" was first used by Judai in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BERSERKER CRASH (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** An angry Winged Kuriboh throwing its fist forward.

**Card Description:** Remove from play 1 Monster in your Graveyard and target 1 "Winged Kuriboh" that you control. Increase the ATK and DEF of the targeted "Winged Kuriboh" by the ATK and DEF, respectively, of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DETONATING (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** Several Kuribohs surrounded by glowing auras.

**Card Description:** Destroy all "Kuriboh" and "Kuriboh Tokens" on the field. Destroy one card your opponent controls for each "Kuriboh" and "Kuriboh Token" that was destroyed by this effect.

_Note: "Berserker Crash" and "Detonating" were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY MIND (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Tuner  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Flavor Text:** _The Allies of Justice's thinking circuits have been developed to enhance this high-performance unit. By taking meteorites from the Worm Nebula, and embedding it with compounds extracted from them, it has received high-level Tuning abilities. The unknown power it has received remains a mystery and is still unknown._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE ENEMY CATCHER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, you may take control of 1 opposing facedown Defense Position Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE BLIND SUCKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** The effects of LIGHT Monsters that battle this card are negated.

_Note: "Ally Mind", "Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher", and "Ally of Justice Blind Sucker" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE UNLIMITER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 600  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** Activate by Tributing this card. Double the base ATK of 1 face-up "Ally of Justice" Monster you control until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Unlimiter" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Ember talks the talk, but can she walk the walk? Next chapter, she goes on her own – more or less – to find the dwarven thief, and fulfill the test that has been assigned to her. And if Jinx doesn't kill her first, her way into the Shadowchasers may come to an important crossroads. "Arsenal Summoner" is coming next._


	17. Arsenal Summoner

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

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**Arsenal Summoner**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**It seemed strange to me… The Shadowchasers were supposed to be a police force that handled Shadowkind… And yet, I was taking the subway to go to a stakeout. It was odd to say the least, but couldn't find any other way.**_

_**I felt somewhat full of myself. For a little while, all of the heroic roles I had seen in movies were in my head. I envisioned Indiana Jones and James Bond, except that the only weapon I had to defend myself was a Duel Disk. **_

_**Of course, I was getting a swelled head. And I would quickly learn that I'd have to un-swell it fast to last long in this business. Being a Shadowchaser is much different than a search for the Holy Grail.**_

Gears walked into the townhouse, holding the case that contained the card. Having it sterilized had been rather easy – he simply had to tell the lizard man witch doctor that it had been handled by a wererat, and no further questions were asked.

As he walked into the lounge with the continually burning fireplace, he was wondering just how he was going to give it to Mistle.

"Mistle, I know it's a little early for Christmas…" he muttered. "No, no, I can't say that! She'll think I'm trying to get out of giving her a present when it really is Christmas…

"Mistle, I know your birthday isn't for five months… No, same problem there…

"Okay, we can forget about making references to events…"

Then he noticed that Shichiro and Jinx were watching him. Sorsha was perched atop the desk watching as well.

"Uh, hi…" he said. "What's up?"

"Not much," said Shichiro. "Got into a fight with a crazy, possessed car… Same old, same old. But Jalal should be here in…"

Then Jalal's holographic form appeared in front of them.

"Check that," said Shichiro. "He's already here…"

"Good news, people," said Jalal. "Hank and Sofia have secured the Swords, and I've arranged for them to be shipped here on the Retro."

They all knew what the Retro was. It was likely the fastest international delivery service in the world. It had a fleet of planes that flew as fast as the Concorde, but the company had learned from the mistakes of those notoriously uncomfortable and unsafe aircrafts, and only used their planes to carry cargo, not passengers. And they were far more efficient with any cargo that they had been entrusted with than most delivery services. If you needed something delivered to the other side of the world overnight, and could pay an astronomical shipping fee (which to Jalal, was pocket change) they would get it done.

"Both of them should be here tomorrow morning," said Jalal.

"Jalal, not to be disrespectful," said Jinx, "but wouldn't the Swords be safer at Shadowchaser's headquarters in Britain than here? I mean, if DaPen wants them…"

"A valid concern," replied Jalal. "However, I require the Swords to be here in case I need to use them for a project that may become important in the future."

"And that is?" asked Gears.

Jalal sighed.

"I'd much rather keep it secret until I no longer can," he said. "Suffice to say, your job is simply to watch over them, and aid Soelma in trying to decipher their full powers.

"Speaking of which…"

A clipboard appeared in his hand.

"I looked up that Silver Hemisphere you mentioned, Shichiro. It certainly exists…"

"So where is it?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, that, as we Brits like to say," replied Jalal, "is a bit of a sticky wicket…

"You see, when the three Swords were sealed away, the Silver Hemisphere was entrusted to the Goldenhair clan of Italy. Then, fifty years later, Lady Flannara of the Goldenhairs became betrothed to Prince Elmen of the Crescent Moon clan of France. When they were married, the Silver Hemisphere was given to the clan leader Crescent Moons as part of her dowry…"

"So they have it?" asked Ember.

"No…" replied Jalal. "A century later, the next clan leader of the Crescent Moons gave it to the Silver Lake clan of Switzerland as part of a gratitude gift for their aid in the War of Three Threes. Then, fifty years later, the head of Silver Lake gave it to Queen Molarin of the Ivory Tower clan in the Netherlands to celebrate the birth of her first child. Then eighty years later…

"Uhm… Should I go on?"

"So, in other words," sighed Gears, "no-one recognized the significance of this thing, and gave it as a gift over and over again for centuries, like some Chia Pet."

"It does seem to be the cubic zirconium of legendary artifacts…" sighed Jalal. "More than likely, it was eventually stashed away in some basement and forgotten about. It's doubtful even that elves own it any more. But we have to find out who has it, because its true value cannot be denied.

"Now, another thing before I leave… Where's Michiko? I need her to hear this…"

Jinx looked up.

"You know, I haven't seen her for a few hours…" she said.

Sorsha hopped down off the desk and tried to sneak away.

"Sorsha!" snapped Jinx.

The familiar froze.

"You wouldn't happen to know where Ember is, would you?" asked Jinx.

Sorsha slowly started to whistle.

"I didn't know you could whistle," said Shichiro.

"I'd sing the score to _Hair_ if you change the subject," replied Sorsha.

"I think someone here needs a flea dip, don't you think?" asked Gears, standing up.

"NO!" screamed Sorsha. "I'll talk, I'll talk!"

She took some deep breaths.

"She went to do her test…"

"What test?" asked Jinx.

"The Broken Bamboo Sword test…" squeaked Sorsha.

"She did what?" asked Jinx.

"See, she made a deck that she thought would work," continued Sorsha. "Then she saw a story on the news of a robbery that was clearly committed by a mountain dwarf, then she figured she knew where he was going to hit next…"

"She did what??" said Jinx, raising her voice.

"So she went to stake out the place and catch the guy…" continued Sorsha.

"She did WHAT?!" shouted Jinx.

"Do you realize you've said the same thing three times?" asked Shichiro.

"And you didn't stop her?" screamed Jinx. "I'm gonna sell you to the violin factory, you little…"

"Jinx, easy!" said Shichiro, holding her back.

"EASY?" shouted Jinx. "You convince me to start teaching this kid, and she goes on an unapproved mission without telling us… She…"

"Ahem…" said Jalal. "Kaede, I seem to recall another young Shadowchaser who did the exact same thing repeatedly during her apprenticeship."

Jinx hung her head and turned beet red.

"Now," said Jalal. "Instead of blaming Michiko, we should concentrate on trying to find her…"

Jinx sighed.

"Can't you find out where she is?" she asked. "I thought you had the ability to see what any Shadowchaser is doing at any time."

"Kaede," said Jalal, "I may be powerful, but I'm not omnipotent."

"Sorsha, do you know where she went?" asked Jinx.

"I dunno…" muttered Sorsha. "She wrote the address down on that notepad, but she took the sheet."

She pointed to the desk.

"Not a problem," said Gears, taking the notepad. "Let me show you a little private eye trick."

He picked up a blue pencil and started to color the blank page.

"Ember took the sheet she wrote on," he said, "but her pen left an indentation on the sheet below…"

He held up the notepad, and an address was now easily readable.

"A quick rub with a blue pencil, and voila!"

Jinx sighed, and took it.

"Thank you…" she muttered. "Now I'd better find her before she really gets in trouble…

"And by the way, Sorsha… For dinner tonight, you're getting _dry_ cat food."

Sorsha moaned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was quiet at the downtown lab owned by the R&D division of Sector Security. The layoffs had meant that the size of the staff had been cut, and most employees didn't work past five o'clock anyway.

And that was just how Max Irons wanted it. There was much less chance that he'd be noticed by a former college who'd wonder why he had come back, much less armed to the teeth with riot gear.

Bypassing the security system in the building wasn't hard – he had helped design it, after all. That Security who had gotten in his way at the other lab had simply been in the right place at the wrong time.

Getting into the lab vault was easy too, for a good reason. He knew that the ten-digit, digital combination was changed every four weeks. However, he had been laid off only two days after it had been last changed, and that was three weeks and one day ago. It would not be changed again for six days, and since he had a good memory, he was easily able to open it by simply using the combination.

Once in, he carefully turned his head so that the shadows concealed his face from the security camera, and went straight to what he wanted – the incomplete prototype for what his co-workers had called an "immobilization beam", even though it didn't have an official name. He quickly placed it into a holster on his hip that had been designed specifically for its shape and weight (it was best to keep his hands free), and left, locking the vault again on the way out. The theft had taken less than a minute.

One minute later, he was out the back door, in a parking lot where a car that he had rented was parked, thinking that he was in the home stretch.

"Well, that was incredibly easy…" he said.

He took a slip of paper out of his pocket.

"Now all I gotta do is…"

"FREEZE!" shouted a voice.

"Eh?" he said.

He turned his head, and saw Ember standing in his way, about fifteen feet in front of him, between him and the car.

"Eh?" he said again. "Who're you?"

"Uh…" said Ember.

At the sight of him, Ember's confidence started to fall quickly. She was a head taller than he was, but he was _very_ muscular and tough-looking.

"You're…" she stammered. "You're under arrest!"

Max raised an eyebrow.

"I don't see any Security uniform on you…" he said. "Are you some sort of Shadowchaser?"

"Uhm…" said Ember. "Kind of…"

Max smiled slightly.

"Afraid I can't be held up by a 'kind of' Shadowchaser," he said.

Ember drew back in fright as he drew a nasty-looking weapon from a holster on his back.

"This won't kill ya," he said. "But I warn ya, these rubber bullets hurt pretty bad…

"So why don't you just move along…"

Ember was about to run, but then she noticed something… Something you would only notice if you looked at him closely. As nervous as she was, he was pretty nervous as well.

Why? What reason could he possibly have to be afraid of her?

Ember felt her guts strengthening a little. Maybe she wouldn't run yet… Maybe she could bluff a little.

She stared him in the face. He pointed the weapon.

Ember thought of running again. But then she figured this was part of her test. The gun would hurt, but it wouldn't kill her… And would a Shadowchaser run from this?

_This is it,_ she thought. _If I have to take a mercy bullet to the chest to prove I'm not a coward, I guess I'll have to do it…_

Max sighed, and lowered the gun.

"Can't…" he muttered.

"Why not?" asked Ember.

"I'm an old-fashioned guy…" said Max. "A male dwarf is traditionally supposed to protect the females… Hurting one is something I just can't do…"

"Chivalry?" asked Ember.

"Sort of," relied Max.

"So what now?" asked Ember. "You aren't gonna shoot me, and there's no way I can fight you either…"

Max's eyes fell on Ember's Duel Disk.

He quickly put the gun away, and took one of his own from another holster on his back.

"True…" he said. "But Duel Monsters ain't really fightin', now is it? And ain't that the way you guys handle this stuff anyway?"

"Thought you'd never ask," said Ember with a grin.

Then they were both startled, as a D-Wheel roared into the driveway.

"EMBER!" shouted Jinx, taking off her helmet.

"Huh?" said Max.

"Uh oh…" said Ember. "Busted…"

Jinx hopped off her ride.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Jinx.

"I'm… Taking initiative…" said Ember, meekly.

"Taking initiative?" shouted Jinx. "How did you know for certain that this guy was truly a mountain dwarf? He could have been a duergar! They're known for running human slave rings!"

"Hey, watch it!" shouted Max.

Any true dwarf would be offended by being mistaken for a duergar. Those Shadowkind were related to dwarves in the same way dark elves were related to high elves, and regular dwarves hated them with a passion.

"I just wanted you to… be proud of me?" said Ember, meekly.

"Proud?" said Jinx. "Do you realize how many safety violations you've committed?"

"Uhm, excuse me…" said Max.

"I'm sorry?" said Ember, almost crying.

"Sorry??" said Jinx. "Well let me tell you…"

And then she was interrupted by loud laughter coming from Max.

"Oh, this is rich!" he laughed. "So these are the mighty Shadowchasers I've heard so much about? Do you always argue like this? If you do, it's a wonder why the ophidia haven't overrun the planet yet!"

Jinx looked at him. Her voice fell to a whisper.

"Ember…" she said. "He's all yours…"

"Really?" asked Ember.

"Really," said Jinx. "We have to save face, you know.

"Seems we lucked out… If I hadn't supervised, the test would have been void. But I'm here now… So take him out.

"And remember the condition… Broken Bamboo Sword."

Ember gave a thumb's up.

"Okay, Mr…" she said.

"Call me Max," he replied.

"Seems a pretty ordinary name," replied Ember.

"Dwarves aren't big on first names," he said. "All that first names represent are labels that our parents identify us as. We have more respect for surnames. After all, they define your family, your history, and your reputation."

The two Disks activated.

"Let's do this," said Ember.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Max: 8,000)**

"Let's go!" said Max, drawing a card. "Draw!"

He looked over his hand of six cards.

"I summon the D.D. Assailant in Attack Mode."

As he played the card, a glowing rift in the spatial fabric opened, and a tall figure stepped out. It was a tall woman, with dark skin, wearing a white bodysuit covered with strange runes, and a white mask. She held a huge sword that looked like a cleaver. (1,700 ATK)

"That's all for now."

_Interesting,_ thought Jinx. _D.D. Assailant is a dangerous Monster under most conditions… But what Max doesn't know is, Ember has no intention of ever attacking it, unless she wants to intentionally fail._

Ember drew a card.

_Not the best opening hand,_ she thought. _But it will have to do…_

"I summon Volcanic Slicer!" she exclaimed.

In a burst of fire, an odd Monster appeared. It looked like a tall lizard walking upright, made of bronze, with tiny arms, a long tail, and no eyes. (1,800 ATK)

"Now I activate its effect," she said. "If I don't attack with it this turn, it can deal out 500 points of damage."

Volcanic Slicer spit a ball of flame at Max, but he barely even moved.

"You think fire bothers me?" he laughed. "Dwarves are practically born learning to use a forge. In primitive times, we learned how to use it to shape metal before other races knew how to use it to cook food!"

"I suppose your people have a soul of fire," replied Ember.

"That's right," replied Max.

Then a Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"Eh?" said Max. "What's that?"

"Soul of Fire," replied Ember. "First, you draw once…"

"As you wish…" chuckled Max, drawing a card.

"Then," said Ember, looking at the cards in her deck, "I choose one Pyro-Type Monster and remove it from play…"

She chose one.

"…think I'll go with my old pal Infernal Flame Emperor."

She held up the card.

"He has 2,700 Attack Points, and now, you lose Life Points equal to half that much."

Infernal Flame Emperor appeared in front of Max in a blast of flame, and socked him in the chest. Max gasped, and took a step backwards. The huge Pyro vanished.

"I end my turn…" said Ember.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,150)**

Max quickly drew another card.

"I admit that you're pretty good…" he muttered. "But while I only pack non-lethal weapons personally, my Monsters use pretty deadly ones.

"I discard one card from my hand…"

He discarded Armed Samurai – Ben Kei.

"…in order to Equip my Assailant with the infamous Wicked Breaking Flamberge – Baou!"

Assailant's normal sword vanished, and a nasty sword made of dull steel that was just as big appeared in her hand. (2,300 ATK)

"Destroy Volcanic Slicer!" he ordered.

D.D. Assailant made a slash with her blade, and Volcanic Slicer burst into an explosion of smoke and soot.

**(E: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,150)**

"Your move…"

Ember made a draw.

_Yes!_ she thought, looking at the five cards.

"First, I toss two cards facedown," she said, as two facedown cards appeared. "Then I set a Monster."

A defensive Monster appeared.

"Next, the Continuous Spell Card, Volcanic Wall!"

The Spell Card appeared on her side of the field.

"I can use this Spell's effect every round, so long as I don't attack if I do," she explained. "I send three cards from my deck to the Graveyard. Then, for each one that happens to be a Fire Monster, you lose 500 Life Points.

"So let's see…"

She took three cards off the top of her deck and looked at them. They were Volcanic Rat, Molten Destruction, and Magical Mallet.

She smirked, and discarded them. Then, a blast of fire shot out of the Volcanic Wall card, striking Max.

"I end my turn," she said.

**(E: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,650)**

"Tricky," said Max. "You seem to be putting all your faith in those two facedown cards. What if I were to get rid of them?"

_You couldn't,_ thought Ember. _One of them is Firewall, my actual defense against direct attacks, which I'll chain if you try to destroy my back row._

_Then I'll be able to activate my Fire Trap, which can negate any card that tries to destroy a Continuous Trap._

_So to answer your question, I'm not all that concerned._

Meanwhile, Jinx was paying close attention.

_Ember isn't doing bad,_ she thought. _Not only is she managing to follow the rules of Broken Bamboo Sword, but she's still staying in her chosen field… Fire. Still, this is a chancy strategy… That Volcanic Wall is going to deplete her deck pretty fast…_

"I draw one card…" said Max.

He made a draw.

He smirked a little.

"First, I play Emergency Provisions."

The Spell Card appeared, and the Wicked Breaking Flamberge vanished. D.D. Assailant fell to her base ATK of 1,700.

"Now, I play Helm of the Sohei. This lets me Special Summon a Warrior-Type Monster from my Graveyard with up to 1,000 total points, so long as I Equip it with this card."

_Sohei?_ thought Ember. _That means "warrior-monk". It must have been designed especially for…_

Armed Samurai – Ben Kei appeared, and thrust his naginata forward. The Spell Card glowed, and a helmet reminiscent of those worn by feudal Japanese soldiers appeared on his head. (500 ATK)

"Next," said Max, "I give him two more Equip Spells… Lightning Blade…"

Ben Kei's halberd vanished, and a sword crackling with electricity appeared in his right hand. (1,300 ATK)

"…and, Broken Bamboo Sword."

What looked like nothing more than a bamboo stick appeared in Ben Kei's left hand.

_Oh no!_ thought Jinx. _There's only one reason anyone actually uses that Equip Spell._

"I don't get it…" said Ember. "I thought Broken Bamboo Sword did nothing…"

"On its own, yes," replied Max. "But it does do something, if I play the Continuous Spell Card, Soul Absorbing Bamboo Sword."

He played the card, and a ghostly laugh echoed over the field. The bamboo stick in Ben Kei's hand transformed into a sharp katana with a jet-black blade.

"This Spell stays on my side of the field for two of my turns," continued Max. "During that time, if Ben Kei deals damage while using Broken Bamboo Sword, you skip your next Draw Phase.

"Now… D.D. Assailant… Attack her Monster with dimensional blade!"

Assailant leapt at the Monster, holding her cleaver in both hands. An odd looking mechanical device, resembling a dome on three legs with a fire inside, appeared before it was smashed to pieces.

"I use Volcanic Blaster's effect," said Ember. "I get to take any Monster in my deck with the word 'Volcanic' in its name, and put it on the top of my deck."

She took a card from her deck, and placed it on top.

"Ben Kei, attack her directly!" ordered Max.

Ben Kei rushed at Ember…

"Activate Trap!" shouted Ember, as a facedown card shot up. "Firewall!

"I remove one Pyro in my Graveyard from play, and your attack is negated!"

Volcanic Slicer fell out of her discard slot. A wall of flames shot up in front of Ember, and Ben Kei was thrown backwards.

"Maybe so," said Max, "but Ben Kei isn't finished. He can attack an additional time for each Equip Spell he has. That means he gets three more attacks."

He motioned to Ben Kei and pointed.

"Get her…"

Ben Kei rushed at Ember.

Ben Kei charged at Ember again. She quickly removed Volcanic Rat, and the fiery shield shot up again.

Ben Kei didn't give up. He rushed at her a third time. Ember removed Volcanic Blaster, and the wall of flame shot up a third time.

Max chuckled.

"I do believe that your Graveyard is out of Monsters now," he said. "But Ben Kei still has one more attack."

Ember gulped as the monk warrior closed in on her.

She gasped as both swords slammed into her torso, knocking her over.

**(E: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,650)**

Max played another card from his hand.

"Next, I play Golden Bamboo Sword," he said. "This lets me draw twice, so long as I have a Monster Equipped with Broken Bamboo Sword."

The sword in Ben Kei's hand turned to solid gold, and Max drew twice.

"I end my turn. Don't forget, you skip your Draw Phase."

_Terrific,_ thought Ember, looking at the one card in her hand. _Even if I get three Fire Monsters with Volcanic Wall, it won't be enough to stop five attacks. And he might even summon a third Monster._

_No choice…_

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall," she said.

She quickly played the last card in her hand.

"Now, Blasting Vein. I'll destroy my facedown Fire Trap in order to draw twice."

Her facedown card lifted up, and burst into fiery cinders.

"And on top of that… When Fire Trap is destroyed, I get to draw an extra card. That means I get to draw three cards total."

She made three draws. She gave the cards a look.

_Seems my luck is changing… _she thought. _I got the final two pieces of my strategy._

"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Flame Wall," she said, as a Spell Card appeared.

"Next, I activate the effect of Volcanic Wall…"

She took three cards off her deck, and looked at them. They were Volcanic Rat, Volcanic Blaster, and Volcanic Hammerer.

She quickly discarded them, and three blasts of flame shot out of the card. Max cringed a little this time.

"Now look at this," said Ember, holding up another Monster Card. "It's a lady called Volcanic Queen."

"That Monster is Level 6," growled Max. "You need a sacrifice to summon it."

"I have every intention of sacrificing a Monster…" said Ember.

"…yours."

Then Armed Samurai Ben Kei disappeared in a burst of fire, and a much larger Monster appeared where he had been. It looked like a giant, metal serpent, shrouded in flames. In the center of its forehead, inside its fiery mane, was what looked like a small fairy woman, sculpted out of the flames themselves. (2,500 ATK)

"Dirty trick…" said Max.

"Oh, come on!" laughed Ember. "Aren't you glad I gave you a Monster with 2,500 Attack Points?"

"Don't give me that!" replied Max. "I'll bet this thing is the same deal as Lava Golem!"

"No, it's similar," said Ember, "but it has different rules. Listen closely.

"Like Lava Golem, you take 1,000 points of damage each round. However, you lose them during your End Phase, not your Standby Phase. And you can avoid losing them if you sacrifice a Monster, other than the Queen herself.

"Also, if you so desire, you can sacrifice a card once per turn, again, except the Queen, to deal 1,000 points of damage to me.

"Got it?"

"Got it," replied Max.

"Then I end my turn," said Ember.

_Incredible,_ thought Jinx. _Ember knew that Lava Golem was forbidden, so it looks like she packed the next best thing._

_Still, if the way she described that thing's effect is accurate, using it may be far more risky than using Lava Golem…_

**(E: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,150)**

Max drew a card.

"An old dwarven adage says…" he said. "You have to do the best with the materials you have…

"I send Soul Absorbing Bamboo Sword to the Graveyard to use Volcanic Queen's effect."

The Spell Card disappeared, and Volcanic Queen shot a blast of fire at Ember…

But then, a dome of pure force shot up, and blocked the blast.

"Eh?" said Max. "How…"

"My Flame Wall," said Ember. "So long as I have at least one Pyro-Type Monster in my Graveyard, I can't be hurt by effect damage.

"Take a look! It's a strategy called Three Walls of Fire! Firewall, Volcanic Wall, and Flame Wall… Three cards that work together to both protect me and deal damage to my opponent at the same time!"

_Good lord…_ thought Jinx.

"D.D. Assailant, attack her directly!" shouted Max.

D.D. Assailant leapt at Ember like Ben Kei had.

"Go, Firewall!" she shouted.

She removed Volcanic Rat, and the wall of flames blocked the Warrior's path.

"Volcanic Queen, you attack!" he shouted.

The Pyro blasted a wave of fire at Ember. She removed Volcanic Blaster, and the barrier shot up to protect her again.

Max quickly set a card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I sacrifice D.D. Assailant to avoid the damage from Volcanic Queen," he said, as D.D. Assailant vanished. "And I end my turn."

Ember quickly made a draw.

"Once again, I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall.

"Then, Volcanic Wall!"

She took three cards from her deck again. They were Charcoal Inpachi, Volcanic Slicer, and a second Firewall. She discarded them, and two blasts of flame shot at Max.

"This is getting annoying…" he muttered.

"Now, I play Monster Reborn!" shouted Ember.

She played one of her two cards, and the glowing ankh appeared in the air in front of her.

"Meet Volcanic Hammerer," she said.

The Monster that appeared looked like an evolved form of Volcanic Slicer. But this one was bigger, bulkier, and far more muscular. In other words, while Slicer resembled a fiery, humanoid, bronze lizard, Hammerer resembled a fiery, humanoid, bronze dinosaur. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, I activate its effect," she said. "If I don't attack with it this round, and I can't anyway because of Volcanic Wall, I can inflict 200 points of damage for each Pyro in my Graveyard. And I have two."

Hammerer spit a ball of flame at Max, and he shielded himself with his arm.

Ember set her last card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I'll set this, and end my turn."

**(E: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,750)**

"My move…" growled Max, drawing a card.

"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped up, and the laughing, one-eyed creature in its ceramic jar appeared.

He discarded the rest of his hand, and drew five new cards. Ember simply drew five times.

"Perfect!" laughed Max. "You want Fire? I'll give you Fire… I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Morphing Jar and Volcanic Queen burst into shimmering pixels.

"The Monster you're about to see is incredibly rare. It was released as a promotional card, and Pegasus never realized that the employee who designed it was one of my kinsmen, who based the design on a legendary dwarven hero.

"I summon Clanggedin, Father of Battle!"

A bonfire erupted on Max's side of the field, and a hulking Warrior appeared in the flames. It looked like a dwarf, for sure, with Adonis-like muscles, wearing only a ragged pair of trousers. What made him stand out was the fact that his very flesh seemed to be made of steel. He carried a huge hammer in both hands. (2,500 ATK)

"I suppose he'd be the dwarven version of John Henry?" said Ember.

"The legend of Clanggedin predates the stories of John Henry by thousands of years," replied Max. "Smash her Hammerer!"

Clanggedin roared, and rushed at the large Pyro.

"I activate Shrink!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up. "It cuts your Monster down to size!"

The huge dwarf was reduced to half his size, and fell to an Attack Score of 1,250. Volcanic Hammerer breathed a burst of fiery breath, and he was blown to shards.

Max frowned.

"I can't do anything else…" he said.

**(E: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,600)**

Ember drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall," she said. "Then I activate Volcanic Wall again!"

She took three cards off her deck.

_Aw, crap!_ she thought, looking at them.

The three cards were Mystical Space Typhoon, Flame Wall, and Volcanic Wall. No Fire Monsters at all this time. She sighed as she discarded them.

"Now I use the effect of Hammerer again," she said.

Hammerer spit a ball of flame at Max, but this time, he only looked at Ember suspiciously.

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,000)**

"Not the wisest choice, eh?" he said. "You know, if you had gotten three Fire Monsters with Volcanic Wall, ya would've done me 2,100 points of damage that round…

"But… If ya had simply chosen not to use Volcanic Wall and had attacked me directly, ya would've done 2,400 points of damage, and I would've had only 200 left.

"Something's not right here… I really don't think that was a mistake…"

_He's onto me…_ thought Ember.

He went to draw a card. Then he paused.

"Tell ya what," he said. "I'm not gonna draw this round. Ya see, since Clanggedin was destroyed in battle last turn, I can activate his effect if I skip my Draw Phase…"

There was another explosion of flame, and Clanggedin reappeared on Max's side of the field. (3,000 ATK)

"He's stronger than he was before!" gasped Ember.

"That's right," replied Max. "And since you have no facedown cards that would be a danger this time, I think I'll make him even stronger."

He played a card.

"I play Megamorph!" he exclaimed. "Now, my Warrior becomes twice as strong!"

Clanggedin grew to double his size, and flames surrounded his metal body. (6,000 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Max.

Clanggedin's giant hammer came crashing down, and squashed Volcanic Hammer flat, throwing Ember off her feet.

Clanggedin shrunk to his normal size, and then to half his size, his Attack Score falling to 1,500.

"Now," said Max, playing another card, "I activate a second Emergency Provisions, to get rid of that Megamorph, and bring him back to where he was before."

(3,000 ATK)

"And by the way, if he's destroyed in battle again, and I activate his effect again, the 500 Attack Point gain _stacks_.

"It's your move."

**(E: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,000)**

Ember slowly drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Firewall," she said.

"Then I use Volcanic Wall…"

She picked up three cards again. They were Volcanic Rocket, Bonfire, and Pot of Avarice. She discarded them, and one blast of flame shot at Max.

"I set two cards facedown, and end my turn."

She fit two cards into the last remaining spaces in her Spell Zone, and two facedown cards appeared.

**(E: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 1,500)**

Max grinned.

"You think I'm gonna fall for that?" he said. "Well, I'm not gonna. I can wait you out now. You can only pay for that Firewall one more time.

"And if my count is right, there are only six more cards in your deck. That means, for the two turns you have until my attacks can get through, you can only use Volcanic Wall one more time!"

Ember glared at him.

"Just move," she said.

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

"Trap Card, activate," said Ember.

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"Dimensional Regression," she said. "Now, both players take every card that's been removed from play, and return them all to their decks."

"Sat WHAT?" shouted Max.

A handful of cards – six in all – appeared in Ember's hand, and she combined them with the six remaining in her deck, and then reshuffled.

_Incredible!_ thought Jinx. _Ember just doubled the size of her deck, and even better, all six of those cards she just added are Pyro Monsters. She now has an excellent chance of getting three of them when she uses Volcanic Wall on her next two turns!_

Max growled.

_This is not gonna do…_ he thought. _My only chance now is to tear down those three blasted walls…_

He looked at his hand.

"I play Reload!" he shouted, playing a Spell Card. "So, I'll put these two cards back in my deck, and reshuffle…"

He shuffled his deck.

"…and draw two new ones…"

He made two draws.

Then he laughed out loud.

"Game over!" he laughed, playing a new Spell Card. "I play Heavy Storm!"

A fierce wind started to blow over the field, and Ember grinned.

"The game is over all right," she said, "but the outcome won't be what you expect…"

Her other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Judgment of Anubis! Now, not only is your Spell negated, but I get to destroy one of your Monsters, and deal damage equal to its Attack Score! That's 3,000 Life Points, which, I'm afraid, is more than you have left!"

"Aw, crap…" muttered Max.

Ember quickly discarded a card in her hand, and a glowing, spectral jackal appeared over the field. It let out a fierce howl, and Max let out a scream as Clanggedin exploded.

**(E: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

"Congratulations, Ember," said Jinx, with a smile. "I'll take it from here…"

She walked up to Max, and then grabbed him by the collar. She lifted the high-tech weapon out of the holster.

"Talk," she said. "What the heck is this thing?"

"Don't hurt me, please!" pleaded Max. "I'm not really a thug… I'm just some laid off worker who lost his job, and the offer that DaPen gave me was too tempting to…"

"You lost your job?" asked Jinx. "Buddy, didn't you ever hear of an organization called Friends of the Displaced? You know, the global charity organization that has a chapter in every city that helps Shadowkind who are down on their luck? That would have been a far more legit way for you to find work. We could have easily given you their address…"

Max hung his head in a sulk.

"Don't look at me like that," said Jinx. "I'm well aware of how stubborn dwarves can be sometimes. But DaPen is a cold-blooded killer. He would clearly have used this thing to hurt people."

"All right, all right!" muttered Max. "All I know is, I'm supposed to meet up with him in the Shizura Memorial Cemetery in one hour to report my success. I give up, okay?"

As Jinx took the gemstone out of her pouch, Ember walked up to her.

"This is great, Jinx!" she exclaimed. "We can go to that cemetery, and catch DaPen by surprise! We can…"

"We?" said Jinx, looking at her.

"Ember, look… You passed the test with flying colors, and I'm proud of you. But there is no way on God's green Earth that I am letting my apprentice go on a mission where a Shadowkind as dangerous as DaPen may show up.

"You take the train back to the Tops. I'm going alone as soon as I call Shichiro and Gears for backup."

"But…" said Ember.

"Ember…" said Jinx. "That is an order."

Ember hung her head. She did as she was told.

Once Max was taken care of and the immobilization beam was put where Security would find it, Jinx jumped on her D-Wheel, and started it up.

"Jinx to base," she said, turning on the radio. "I'm heading to Shizura Memorial Cemetery. DaPen or one of his top lieutenants may be there. I'm gonna need backup on this. Get there as soon as possible…"

_**And so I had passed the test. And now it was my mentor's turn to take initiative, as she unknowingly raced headlong into…**_

…_**a trap. You see, Max didn't know it, but DaPen had been watching the whole time. His powers of clairvoyance concerning anyone who worked for him were incredible. And as soon as there was even a possibility that Max wouldn't be the one coming to the cemetery, he started to change his plans. This was how he had foiled so many attempts on his life by rival mob bosses over the years, after all.**_

_**Jinx was about to get more than she bargained for…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIRE TRAP (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** Marauding Captain standing in an inferno of flames.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent activates the effect of a card that would destroy a Continuous Trap Card you control. Negate the activation of that card and destroy it. When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, draw one card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLASTING VEIN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Duel Monsters card in a fire.

Card Description: Destroy one facedown Trap Card that you control. Draw two cards.

_Note: "Fire Trap" and "Blasting Vein" were first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Hanging With Axel". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VOLCANIC WALL (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Volcanic Doomfire in an inferno of flame.

**Card Description:** Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you may activate the effect of this card. You may not declare an attack during the turn you use this effect. Send the top 3 cards from your deck to the Graveyard. For each FIRE Monster that is sent to the Graveyard in this manner, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAME WALL (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Flame Swordsman standing in a storm of fire.

**Card Description:** If there is at least one Pyro-Type Monster in your Graveyard, damage you take from card effects controlled by your opponent is reduced to zero.

_Note: "Volcanic Wall" and "Flame Wall" were all used by Mr. T (in the form of O'Brien's father, using a deck similar to his) in a 4th season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DIMENSIONAL REGRESSION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Assailant, D.D. Survivor, D.D. Scout Plane, D.D. Warrior, and Different Dimension Dragon, all in a parallel dimension, flying towards a central point, where a giant deck of cards is resting.

**Card Description:** Return all of your cards that have been removed from play to your deck. Then, reshuffle your deck.

_Note: "Dimensional Regression" was first used by Aki in an episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CLANGGEDIN, FATHER OF BATTLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may skip your next Draw Phase to Special Summon it during your next Standby Phase. If you choose to use this effect, you cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon any other Monsters during the same turn. When Special Summoned in this manner, increase the base ATK of this card by 500, plus by any amount gained by previous uses of this effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HELM OF THE SOHEI (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Armed Samurai Ben Kei holding a halberd and wearing a steel helmet of the style of feudal Japanese soldiers.

**Card Description:** Select a Warrior-Type Monster from your Graveyard that has a base ATK of 1,000 or less. Special Summon that Monster in Attack Position and Equip it with this card. If the Equipped Monster is moved to Defense Position, it is destroyed. If this card leaves the field, the Equipped Monster is destroyed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Despite what the show might suggest, Godwin tries very hard to keep Neo Domino clean and safe. A well-manicured resting place of the deceased like the __Shizura Memorial Cemetery would thus never be a place to host the restless spirits of the undead, right?_

_Well, maybe not real ones, but Duel Monsters are a different story. Next chapter, Jinx investigates, only to be ambushed by a Shadowkind with a morbid fascination for death and decay, who takes her to a place where the rules change dramatically. "Call of the Grave" is coming soon._


	18. Call of the Grave

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Call of the Grave**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**As I rode the subway back to the Tops, I thought hard about what I had learned about my impulsive and downright reckless endeavor.**_

_**I had learned that no matter how clever an idea may seem, you shouldn't get so full of yourself that you take foolish risks. If I had gone up against someone who hadn't been bound by the rules of chivalry, that encounter may well have ended with me recovering from cracked ribs. **_

_**I also learned that in the situation I was in now, I was part of a team, and as the old saying goes, there is no "I" in "team". I had to put more trust in the people I worked with now if this was ever going to work. **_

_**I didn't know at the time, that my mentor, while not truly making the same mistake I had made on purpose, was about to get into a similar situation by accident. She was rushing into a trap set by DaPen, and whether the backup she had called for would get there on time was questionable…**_

Cemeteries tend to be very old structures. In big cities, they can date back hundreds of years. Walking through some big cemeteries in some of the world's biggest cities, it isn't uncommon to see old headstones with dates on them from centuries ago.

This was not the case for the Shizura Memorial Cemetery, the largest resting place for the deceased in Neo Domino. Because Neo Domino was incredibly young when compared to most cities of comparable size, its cemetery wasn't very big either. The oldest headstones were only about twenty years old, dating back to when Neo Domino was first built, sometime before the infamous Zero Reverse Incident that separated it from the original Domino, turning the latter into the urban wasteland of Satellite.

The place was well-maintained and cultivated, with carefully manicured lawns, paved pathways, and headstones that were kept clean by a caretaker who came in every other day. It was a peaceful cemetery that rarely suggested the macabre tales that others did.

Still, the sun had now gone down, and at night, it was hard not to be nervous in _any_ resting place of the dead.

Jinx slowly walked down the main pathway through the center of the place, clutching her Duel Disk to her chest, looking to both sides frequently. She was beginning to have a feeling that she had not taken DaPen by surprise, if he was even here at all.

Then she was startled by a laugh. A high-pitched laugh that was almost like a cackle.

She spun around, and saw a dark shape dart in front of her. Her eyes narrowed.

She tensed…

An inner voice told her that he was coming from behind…

Quickly, she spun around, and kicked him in the chest, just as he leapt at her. The creature fell on his back, but quickly sprang up.

Jinx got a good look at the Shadow, who stood six-foot-six, but was so thin he could be considered gaunt. He was dressed in a leather jacket and a pair of jeans, both of which seemed to fit him very badly. His skin was grey and hairless, and his bestial face resembled, if anything, that of a monstrous hyena.

Clearly, he was a gnoll.

Gnolls were Shadowkind known for being aggressive, predatory, and cunning. They tended to follow only the law of the jungle, and whether the jungle in question was forested or made of concrete made little difference to them. In their society, the strong survived, and the weak existed to support the strong. Like the hyenas they resembled, they were scavengers, able to survive off dumpsters or landfills indefinitely.

But there was a darker side to gnolls. They were one of the few living species who could safely associate with ghouls, disgusting undead monsters that fed on corpses. Gnolls were one of the few living creatures whom ghouls would not attack, leading some sages to believe that some bargain had been struck between some deity of undeath and an entity that the gnolls worshipped. Indeed, gnoll divine spellcasters (of which there weren't many) tended to practice necromancy, the magic of death.

However, as for this particular gnoll, Jinx recognized him, and she was surprised. He had up to now been strictly penny-ante.

"So, 'Fang' Malloy," she said. "Working for DaPen now, are we?"

"That's right!" laughed Fang. (Gnolls always seemed to be laughing, just like hyenas, and did so at the most inappropriate times.) "And I'm sorry to say that Mr. DaPen couldn't come tonight… He'll always be one step ahead of any plots hatched by any Shadowchasers. But if you want to meet him tonight, he'll be glad to make your acquaintance."

"So this was a setup?" asked Jinx. "One to lead me here and take me hostage?"

Fang nodded, and lifted a Duel Disk.

"I warn you," said Jinx. "I have two allies on the way…"

_But how fast can they make it through the traffic jam that currently has cars backed up for miles, due to the boss killing the power to all the traffic lights from here to the Tops?_ thought Fang. _You may have gotten here, but as of ten minutes ago, it's going to be a traffic nightmare for anyone trying to get here driving a D-Wheel._

Jinx activated her Duel Disk.

"Let's go," she said. "I can beat a bottom feeder like you any day of the week."

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fang: 8,000)**

"I insist," chuckled Fang. "Ladies first…"

Jinx drew a card, and looked at her hand.

"I throw two cards facedown," she said, as two reversed cards appeared, "and then summon Alligator's Sword."

In a flash of light, the reptilian Beast leapt onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

"That's all for me."

"My move…" laughed Fang, drawing the top card off his deck.

"I play the Spell Card, Hand Destruction! Now, both players must toss two cards in their hands, and draw two new ones."

Jinx looked at the three cards in her hand.

"Very well," she said, discarding two of them.

Fang made two discards, and then they both drew twice.

"I'll set a Monster," said Fang, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and that will be all…"

Jinx drew a card.

"I'll also set a Monster," she said, as a defensive Monster appeared on her side of the field.

"Then I'll attack with Alligator's Sword!"

Alligator's Sword made a rush at the hidden Monster holding his scimitar high. A sandy-brown turtle with a pyramid on its back appeared on the card. The Beast made a slash with its weapon, and the turtle was blown into sand.

"You just killed my Pyramid Turtle!" laughed Fang.

He took his deck out of the holder and looked at the cards.

"That means I get to bring out any Zombie I want, so long as its Defense Score isn't higher than 2,000."

_Zombies?_ thought Jinx. _Figures… But it's nothing I haven't seen before…_

"I summon the Gatekeeper of Hell…" chuckled Fang. "The dreaded… Il Blud!"

With a low moan, a hulking shape appeared on Fang's side of the field. It was a creature that looked like it was almost all torso, with four tiny limbs, dressed in a striped prison uniform. It had a huge face right on its torso, underneath the uniform, which was opened by a zipper, which consisted of two evil-looking eyes and a toothy mouth. (2,100 ATK)

"Ugh," said Jinx. "Let me guess… A fringe benefit of working for DaPen?"

"And Il Blud isn't the only rare card he gave me," chuckled Fang. "Mr. DaPen is _incredibly_ generous."

"Yeah, right," said Jinx. "I end my turn."

"First, I draw," said Fang, drawing a card. "Then, since Il Blud is a Gemini Monster, I have to use my Normal Summon this turn to awaken its effect…"

Il Blud glowed with a dark, eerie energy.

"Then, I play this… The powerful Card of Safe Return!"

A Continuous Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Now, whenever a Monster is Special Summoned from my Graveyard, I get to draw one card."

_And with Zombies, that tends to happen a LOT,_ thought Jinx.

"I think I'll do it right now," chuckled Fang. "By using Il Blud's effect, once per turn, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand or from either Graveyard. So I'll bring back someone I tossed when I used Hand Destruction…

"The dreaded… Despair From the Dark!"

A haunting, ghostly laugh echoed over the field, and a huge, evil-looking shadow with glowing red eyes and claws rose behind Fang. (2,800 ATK)

Card of Safe Return glowed, and Fang drew once.

"Not bad…" said Jinx, nervously.

"If you think it's impressive now," laughed Fang, "wait until you see its attack! Destroy Alligator's Sword! Dark grasp of terror!"

Despair From the Dark laughed again, and lunged at Alligator's Sword.

"I activate Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up.

A coin appeared in her hand, and she quickly tossed it.

"Heads!"

The coin fell to the ground. Unfortunately, it was tails.

Alligator's Sword screamed, and then shattered into shards.

"Not so lucky, are you?" laughed Fang. "Il Blud, attack her other Monster with death breath!"

Il Blud opened its terrible maw, and vomited a cloud of toxic smoke at the facedown Monster. Roulette Barrel appeared on the card. (2,000 DEF)

"I use the effect of Fairy Box again!" shouted Jinx.

She tossed the coin again.

"Heads again!"

The coin fell to the ground. This time, it _was_ heads.

Il Blud's Attack Score fell to zero, and the backlash knocked it over. Fang stopped laughing for a moment.

"Ergh…" he muttered.

**(J: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,000)**

"All right…" he said. "So you're safe for now… I'm ending my turn…"

Jinx quickly drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

She looked at her cards. Then she played one.

"I activate Silent Doom!" she shouted, as a Spell Card appeared in front of her. "Now, I can bring Alligator's Sword back from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

In a burst of energy, Alligator's Sword appeared, kneeling and holding his scimitar in his lap. (1,200 DEF)

"Now, I can sacrifice him…"

Alligator's Sword vanished in a shimmer of light.

"…to summon Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

With a roar, Gatmuz leapt onto the field, holding his huge two-handed sword high. (2,100 ATK)

_Oh NO!_ thought Fang, his eyes opening wide. _If she kamikazes that guy against Il Blud, I'll lose Despair From the Dark too!_

Jinx's facedown card lifted up.

"Now, I activate Skull Dice!" she shouted. "Since my Monster's Attack Score is equal to Il Blud's, I guess it really doesn't matter what roll I get…"

The nasty little imp appeared, and tossed its die. The die skipped and bounced, and landed on the three.

Both Il Blud and Despair From the Dark glowed with an aura of green energy. Il Blud fell to an Attack Score of 1,800, while Despair From the Dark fell to 2,500.

"Attack Il Blud!" shouted Jinx. "Severing strike!"

Gatmuz made a deep cut with his blade across Il Blud's huge torso. The Zombie's eyes bugged out, and then it exploded.

"You destroyed it!" gasped Fang.

"And that's not the only one!" replied Jinx.

Despair From the Dark exploded into pixels.

"So much for them," said Jinx. "I end my turn…"

**(J: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,700)**

Fang grumbled as he drew a card. He looked at it.

He threw back his head, and let out a loud, annoying cackle.

_I think he got a good draw…_ thought Jinx.

"Time to change the rules of this duel dramatically!" laughed Fang.

The Field Slot on his Disk flicked open, and he placed a card in it.

"I play Zombie World!"

Lightning flashed, and darkness covered the whole cemetery. The well-manicured headstones changed, turning into evil, decrepit ones, shaped like demonic gargoyles covered with mold and moss. Dead trees sprang up around them, and a full moon the color of blood rose behind Fang.

"What's going on?" gasped Jinx. "A Field Spell?"

"A very powerful one," replied Fang. "Let me explain…

"Zombie World affects all Monsters on the field and in both Graveyards, turning their Type to Zombie.

"In addition, neither player can Tribute Summon a Monster unless it was a Zombie to begin with."

"Yeah?" snarled Jinx. "Big deal! I don't have any Monsters that gain special effects because of their Type! My Monsters can still beat yours, even if they have to do so as Zombies!"

"Maybe so…" replied Fang. "But my Monsters, on the other hand, gain _plenty_ of benefits if your Monsters are Zombies.

"And you know, Jinx, it's funny that you use so many of Jonouchi's cards…"

"Why?" asked Jinx. "Do you have one?"

"No…" chuckled Fang. "But I have one that he would use if he had been a Zombie duelist like me…

"I play Call of the Mummy."

A Continuous Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"Now I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand once per turn, so long as I have no Monsters on the field.

"So I'll Special Summon… Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!"

The ground in front of him erupted in an explosion of dirt and other nasty residue, and a huge, Zombie dragon flew out of the ground. As its name suggested, it looked like a rotting, undead version of Katsuya Jonouchi's famous Dragon, but far more evil and hideous. (2,400 ATK)

"Attack her Commander!" shouted Fang. "Infernal rotting blast!"

Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon roared, and blasted a cloud of filth and offal from its jaws.

"I activate Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

She tossed the coin.

"Heads again!"

The coin fell. She gasped as it came up tails.

Gatmuz groaned as the attack hit him, and then quickly rotted into a pile of dust.

"Gatmuz…" said Jinx, sadly.

"Why the long face?" chuckled Fang. "He isn't gone…"

Then an arm burst out of the ground on Fang's side of the field. The rest of the creature quickly pulled itself out of the ground…

It was Gatmuz. (2,100 ATK)

"You see," said Fang, "whenever my Dragon destroys a Zombie, that Zombie is reborn on my side of the field.

"And my Battle Phase isn't over… Gatmuz… Attack her…"

Then he paused.

"Hmm… Come to think of it, maybe I shouldn't attack… If you get the toss on that Fairy Box, I'll lose another 2,000 Life Points, and that would be bad.

"After all, I can wait… Roulette Barrel is no threat to my Dragon… It can't destroy a Level 7 Monster. I'll just end my turn."

**(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,700)**

"I draw one card…" muttered Jinx, as she drew. "And then I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box…"

She played the card she had just drawn.

"I play Roll of Fate!" she shouted.

A die materialized in the air, and it bounced on the floor. It eventually came up a five.

She made five draws. Then she took the next five cards off her deck and pocketed them.

_There's gotta be some way to beat this thing,_ she thought, looking at the six cards she had.

_Let's see… I have Time Wizard, but using its effect would be pretty chancy… I have Polymerization and Baby Dragon, but Thousand Dragon would only manage a draw with that thing…_

_Then I have…_

She looked at the Spell Card she had drawn.

_Hey… Maybe my Roulette Barrel can take that thing out after all…_

She quickly played it.

"I play the Equip Spell, Demotion!" she shouted. "Usually, I use this to make Synchro Summoning easier. But by Equipping it to your Dragon, its Level is reduced from 7 to 5.

"That means Roulette Barrel _can_ effect it, and I'm gonna try just that!"

Two dice shot out, and both skipped and bounced. One landed on the two…

…then the other landed on the five.

"Bingo!" shouted Jinx. "I choose the five!"

Roulette Barrel aimed its weapon, and fired a blast of energy at Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon. Fang shielded himself as his Monster exploded.

"I'm not done with you!" shouted Jinx, playing another card. "I play Polymerization!"

Time Wizard and Baby Dragon appeared on the field.

"I fuse my two Monsters together…"

The two Monsters swirled into a blur…

"…to Fusion Summon Thousand Dragon!"

In an aura of energy, the large, elderly Dragon appeared, with smoke pouring from its nostrils. (2,400 ATK)

"Attack Gatmuz!" she shouted. "Noxious nostrils gust!"

Thousand Dragon shot a blast of toxic gas from its nostrils, and Gatmuz groaned before shattering into shards.

"You'll pay for that…" growled Fang.

"I'll set a Monster," said Jinx, as a facedown Monster appeared, "and I end my turn…"

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,400)**

Fang snapped the top card off his deck.

"Not bad…" he said. "I play Foolish Burial."

The Spell Card appeared, and he quickly took a Monster from his deck, and discarded it.

"Now, the Monster I discarded was a guy called Mezuki. And I can activate his effect by removing him from play."

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"It lets me Special Summon one Zombie from my Graveyard. And I choose to summon Bone Crusher!"

Another Zombie burst out of the ground. This one looked like a bare skeleton, dressed in a fur cape and a horned helmet, holding a stone hammer. (1,600 ATK)

"I get to draw one card due to Card of Safe Return," he chuckled, as he drew a card. "And, when Bone Crusher is Special Summoned by another Zombie's effect, it destroys one Spell or Trap Card."

Bone Crusher's eye socket's glowed, and Jinx's Fairy Box shattered into pieces.

"Now," he said, taking another card from his hand, "I was saving this, but now's as good a time as any… I play Book of Life… The Book of Forbidden Magic!"

The Spell Card appeared, and in a dark shadow, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon appeared again. (2,400 ATK)

"I get to draw again, due to Card of Safe Return," he said, drawing, "and I also get to remove one of your Monsters in your Graveyard from play. So I'm getting rid of that dweeby Time Wizard so I don't have to worry about it again."

Jinx frowned as Time Wizard fell out of her discard slot.

Fang looked at the card he had just drawn.

"And I got just what I needed," he chuckled. "I play Enemy Controller!"

The oversized video game controller appeared above the field, and Thousand Dragon shielded itself in Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF)

"Red-Eyes," ordered Fang, "destroy that sorry excuse for a Dragon!"

The Zombie Dragon exhaled its cloud of rot and filth, and Thousand Dragon was eroded into dust.

Then Thousand Dragon burst out of the ground on Fang's side of the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, Thousand Dragon, attack that annoying Roulette Barrel!"

Thousand Dragon blasted its noxious fumes from its nose, and Roulette Barrel exploded.

"Bone Crusher, crush her last Monster!"

Moving very fast for someone who was all bones, Bone Crusher leapt at the facedown Monster. Abare Ushioni appeared on the card, right before the Zombie's hammer came down and smashed it.

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Fang. "I end my turn… And unfortunately, that means Bone Crusher has to leave…"

The skeletal warrior burst into pixels.

_Oh…_ thought Jinx, as she drew a card. _Shichiro… Gears… Where are you?_

She quickly set the card on her Disk, and a defensive Monster appeared. She glared at Fang.

"That all?" he cackled, drawing a card.

"I summon Paladin of the Cursed Dragon!"

A new Monster materialized, hovering over the field. It resembled the famous Paladin of White Dragon, but the rider was mounted on a decayed, rotting, Zombie dragon. (1,900 ATK)

"Now I use his effect," he chuckled. "I get to Special Summon a Zombie from your Graveyard every round. Which, due to my Field Spell, means I can summon anything from it."

The ground burst open, and Allsword Commander Gatmuz rose out of the ground on Fang's side of the field. (2,100 ATK)

"In case you don't know what this means, Shadowchaser," he laughed, "it means I win!

"Red-Eyes, destroy her last Monster!"

Red-Eyes blasted its breath of decay at the facedown Monster…

But when the smoke cleared, X-Saber Passiul was crouching in defense, and unharmed. (0 DEF)

"Seems your plans just hit a snag," said Jinx. "Passiul can't be destroyed by battle. In exchange for that, I lose 1,000 Life Points during each of your Standby Phases."

"Fine!" cursed Fang. "I have nowhere to go…"

_Nowhere to go?_ thought Jinx. _Did something happen to Shichiro and Gears that he's not telling me about?_

_I'd best assume the worst… I'd best assume that for whatever reason, they aren't gonna get here. I'm on my own._

_He's getting sloppy, though… When he used Mezuki's effect to summon Bone Crusher, he didn't realize that he could have done more. He could have used Mezuki's effect to summon Il Blud, then Gemini Summoned it, and then used _that_ Monster's effect to summon Bone Crusher._

_I could tell him that, but with only Passiul as a defense, now might not be a good time to gloat._

_DaPen may have given him a deck full of powerful cards, but clearly, he doesn't know how to use them all to their full potential yet… And that just may save me…_

She drew a card.

_Double Spell… _she thought. _Hmmm…._

_Wait… Maybe, just maybe… I can use this Field Spell against him!_

"I play Double Spell!" she exclaimed, playing it. "Now, by tossing one other Spell Card…"

She discarded Graceful Dice.

"…I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I choose… Book of Life!"

"Say what?" gasped Fang.

The Book of Life card appeared in Jinx's hand.

"The way I see it," continued Jinx, "if this Field Spell has turned all the Monsters in my Graveyard into Zombies, I can use Book of Life to bring one of them to the field.

"So I'm gonna do just that to bring back Alligator's Sword."

Alligator's Sword burst out of the ground, brandishing his weapon. (1,500 ATK)

"And then I'm removing Il Blud from play, so I don't have to look at its ugly face again."

Fang snarled as Il Blud fell out of his discard slot.

"Now, I Tune my two Monsters together!" shouted Jinx.

X-Saber Passiul's sword shimmered with a glowing light. He and Alligator's Sword flew into the sky, and dissolved into six shimmering stars.

"Synchro Summon… Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth!"

With a loud whinny, Gaia rode down out of the sky on his charging steed. (2,600 ATK)

Fang gulped.

"Gaia," shouted Jinx, "attack his Paladin of Cursed Dragon! Spiral Spear Strike!"

Gaia galloped across the field, and stabbed his two lances into the Zombie rider. It groaned, and then shattered into shards.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,700)**

She glared at him.

"Your move…" she growled.

Fang drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled, as he looked at it. "HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

"I just drew another of my fringe benefits! And it's a beast that will win this duel for me!"

A raging bonfire erupted on his side of the field.

"But don't take my word for it… Meet Kasha… the Fire Wagon!"

It was hard to call the thing that appeared a creature. It looked more like a vehicle. To be specific, it was a big gypsy wagon without horse or rider, with large, flaming wheels, and a stone gargoyle's face in the front. Two fiendish arms with green skin and claws were on the top, and each one held a lantern.

"What is that?!" shouted Jinx.

"My most powerful Monster!" laughed Fang. "I can Special Summon it when I have at least two Zombies on the field, which I did. And when I do so, all Monsters except itself go back to the owners' decks."

Red-Eyes, Thousand Dragon, Gatmuz, and Gaia all vanished.

"This isn't good…" muttered Jinx.

"More than you could ever believe!" laughed Fang. "Because as far as its Attack Score goes, it equals 1,000 for every Zombie it just sent back to our decks."

"Which, because of the Field Spell, was all of them," muttered Jinx. "Swell…"

(4,000 ATK)

"Kasha…" ordered Fang. "Attack her directly!"

The gargoyle on the front of Kasha opened its mouth, and belched a blast of fire that looked like a furnace exploding. Jinx let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was hit by the powerful attack, and collapsed to her knees.

**(J: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,700)**

"That's all for me…" chuckled Fang.

"I… won't let you… win…" gasped Jinx, as she struggled to get up.

She drew a card. Then she set both of her cards in her Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's my turn…"

"Then watch out!" laughed Fang.

He drew a card.

_Hmm, not a Monster,_ he thought, _but this will certainly help…_

"I Equip Kasha with Zombie Lineage," he said, playing it. "This gives it 500 more Attack Points during my Battle Phase. But more importantly, if you try to destroy it with a card effect, the Equip Spell takes the fall for it.

"Now, toast her Monster!"

Kasha's Attack Score rose to 4,500, and it belched its wave of flames again, and Morphing Jar appeared on the card, right before it was incinerated. Jinx smirked.

Fang growled. He discarded the four cards in his hand, and then made five draws.

He looked at his five new cards.

"I'll end my turn by setting a Monster in Defense Mode," he said, playing a card.

A hidden Monster appeared next to Kasha.

_It must be a Spirit Reaper,_ thought Jinx. _What other Zombie would he have put in Defense Mode?_

_I'll worry about it later…_

She quickly drew a card.

"Your Zombie Lineage is a powerful card," she said, "but it has one weakness… It can't protect Kasha from being destroyed in battle."

"HA!" laughed Fang. "I'd like to see you TRY to destroy a Monster this powerful in battle!"

"Be careful what you wish for," said Jinx. "I summon X-Saber Palomlo!"

She played the card, and the axe-wielding lizard man appeared. (200 ATK)

"Now, I play a Spell Card," she said, as a card appeared on her side of the field. "Star Blaster."

An odd creature flew out of the card holding a die. It combined the features of both the teddy bear from Graceful Dice, and the imp from Skull Dice.

"First, I gotta sacrifice a Monster, so I'll sacrifice Palomlo."

Palomlo vanished.

"Then, I roll the die once."

The imp tossed the die, and it skipped and bounced. Eventually, it landed on the five.

"Five?" asked Fang. "What does that mean?"

"I add that to the Level of the Monster I sacrificed," explained Jinx. "That equals six. Now, I get to Special Summon a Level 6 Monster from my hand.

"Like Maximum Six!"

In a burst of energy, Maximum Six appeared on the field in front of her. (1,900 ATK)

"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Fang. "What a waste! You _Special Summoned _it! Maximum Six can only use its effect if it's Normal Summoned!"

"True," said Jinx, "but I'm far from done…

"I play… Monster Reborn!"

The holy ankh appeared, and X-Saber Passiul appeared next to Maximum Six. (100 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together. Go!"

The two Monsters flew into the sky, and split into eight glowing stars this time…

With a radiant splendor, Jalal the Dragonborn alighted onto the field. (2,600 ATK)

"Big deal!" shouted Fang, nervously. "He's all bark and no bite. He still can't beat Kasha!"

"Well why don't I use his effect?" said Jinx. "I pay half my Life Points to remove my Monster Reborn from play, and place a Rune Counter on Jalal's sword."

The Spell Card fell out of Jinx's discard slot, and an odd symbol appeared on Jalal's weapon.

"Now, I expend that Rune Counter to use that Spell's effect!" continued Jinx.

Jalal lifted his sword to the sky, and the glowing ankh appeared again. Fang's discard slot glowed, and the shadowy form of Despair From the Dark appeared behind Jinx. (2,800 ATK)

"WHAT?" gasped Fang. "Why the Hell did you summon him to your side of the field?

"Did you forget about my Card of Safe Return? It activates when _anyone_ summons a Monster from my Graveyard."

He drew a card.

"You'd better hope it's a good one," said Jinx, pointing to her facedown card. "I summoned it so I could use _this_."

It lifted up.

"Gift of the Martyr! Now, by sacrificing Despair From the Dark, Jalal gains Attack Points equal to its Attack Score for one round."

Despair From the Dark vanished, and Jalal glowed with energy. (5,400 ATK)

"Oh, no…" gulped Fang.

"Jalal…" shouted Jinx. "Fix his little red wagon!"

Jalal leapt at Kasha, and made a slash at the Zombie wagon with his blade. All of Zombie World was lit up by a fiery explosion as it was blown apart. Fang braced himself from the impact.

**(J: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,300)**

"Your move…" said Jinx, as Jalal fell back to an Attack Score of 2,600.

"Oh, you think you're so smart!" said Fang, as he drew a card. "Well, you know something? I can be smart too!

"I play Giant Trunade!"

"Huh?" said Jinx, as the Spell Card appeared. "But the only Spell Cards on the field are yours!"

The wind ripped across the field, and the haunted graveyard around them vanished, returning them to the normal cemetery. Zombie World, Call of the Mummy, and Card of Safe Return reappeared in Fang's hand.

"That's right," chuckled Fang. "And without Zombie World, Jalal is a Warrior again, which is just how I like him.

"Know why?

"I sacrifice my facedown Monster…"

The concealed Monster vanished.

"…to summon Ryu Kokki!"

With a rumble, a huge, hulking creature the size of an ogre, that seemed to be made entirely out of bones and skulls, rose out of the ground. It looked at Jinx with an evil grin. (2,400 ATK)

"I get it…" muttered Jinx. "Any Warrior who battles Ryu Kokki is destroyed by its effect, so you couldn't have Zombie World on the field."

"That's right," chuckled Fang. "And I'll play a facedown card too."

A reversed card appeared.

"And I'll end my turn."

_Just in case you think you can sacrifice Jalal to clear the way for a direct attack with another Monster,_ he thought, _my Dimensional Prison will stop it cold. And you only have 700 Life Points left… Winning this duel will be easier than it seems._

Jinx drew a card.

_His strategy seems sound,_ she thought. _But he made one mistake, and it's gonna cost him._

"I use Jalal's effect again," she said. "This time, I'm removing a Spell Card in _your_ Graveyard from play."

"HUH?" said Fang.

"I'll cut my Life Points in half again," said Jinx, "and the card I want is your Giant Trunade."

Fang started to sweat as the Spell Card fell out of his discard slot, and a new rune appeared on Jalal's sword. Then he lifted the blade, and the fierce wind ripped across the field, blowing the Trap Card back to Fang's hand.

"So much for that," said Jinx, playing a Spell Card. "Now I play… Question."

_Eh?_ thought Fang. _Question?_

"Here's the deal," said Jinx. "You gotta guess what Monster is at the bottom of my Graveyard. If you guess right, I have to remove it from play. But if you guess wrong, I get to Special Summon it to the field."

Fang frowned.

_Darn, it's been such a long duel! _he thought. _Was it her Alligator's Sword? Wait, no… She summoned that back to the field, and then used it to Synchro Summon Gaia!_

_Argh! That's the problem with my deck! It manipulates both Graveyards, altering their orders so many times!_

"Want a hint?" asked Jinx with a grin. "The Monster at the bottom of my Graveyard is one that I tossed when _you_ played Hand Destruction on your first turn! So I doubt you even saw it!

"So… I think I'll give you ten more seconds…"

"Grr…" growled Fang, as he bore his incisors.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Jinx, "but an angry growl was not the answer we were looking for.

"So… Meet X-Saber Airbellum!"

In a burst of energy and a loud snarl, a new X-Saber appeared next to Jalal. This one looked far more bestial than the others, with a wolf-like face, and a mane that was blonde on his right side, and brown on his left. He wore leather armor, with the X-Saber insignia on his belt, and had sharp, three-bladed claws on each of his wrist guards. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I'll Normal Summon X-Saber Urz!" she shouted.

In another burst, the barbarian Warrior leapt onto the field, swinging his twin sabers. (1,600 ATK)

"Jalal, take out Ryu Kokki!"

Jalal bravely charged at the Bone Dragon Ogre.

"I know, Ryu Kokki's effect will destroy Jalal," said Jinx. "But Jalal has more points, so your Monster won't be surviving either!"

Jalal struck the huge beast with his blade, and there was a great explosion as both Monsters were blown to pieces.

"Ergh…" grunted Fang.

"Airbellum… Urz…" said Jinx. "Finish him with X-Saber combination slash!"

Airbellum and Urz turned to each other and nodded. Then they both leapt at the gnoll, and two slashes of their weapons sent the thug tumbling over.

**(J: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)**

As the Monsters vanished, Fang slowly got up, and looked at Jinx with a look of hate.

"So I lost…" he growled.

He reached behind him, and drew a Bowie knife from his belt.

"Big deal! I don't care about what rules I have to break. I'm gonna…"

He was interrupted as Gears suddenly appeared behind him and caught both of his arms in a lock.

"Drop it!" demanded Gears. "Drop it now!"

Then Shichiro appeared from the side. Fang apparently wasn't going to drop it, so he snatched it away from him, and then the two Shadowchasers forced the gnoll to the ground.

"What took you two so long?" asked Jinx.

"Traffic jam," muttered Shichiro. "And we think it was started on purpose. DaPen thought of everything… Almost."

"We only got here by doing a rush programming job on the trans-dimensional system," said Gears. "We never really expected the cemetery to be a destination point. But we managed to get here about five minutes ago…"

"You've been here five minutes?" asked Jinx. "Then why didn't you show yourselves sooner?"

"Heh," said Shichiro. "You were doing so well at that point, we didn't feel it was necessary…"

Jinx bent down and picked up something that Fang had just dropped. A game card.

"Oh, swell," she said, looking at it. "Another piece of the puzzle…"

It was Cloudian – Acid Cloud.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As an old song goes, sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

But even if you do that, there's no guarantee that they'll all be glad you came.

At a bar on the other side of town, it was around the time when business was just picking up. Tired folks who had worked all day and needed a drink to relax were all coming in.

One patron came in who never failed to stand out. He stood more than seven feet tall, and was about five feet wide. He had dark skin, and a full, black beard. He wore a uniform that looked like it belonged to some branch of Security, but it had not been properly laundered in a long time – it was wrinkled and stained and stunk of body odor.

All of the other patrons frowned and turned away upon seeing him come in. They knew him well, and knew that he was one of the rudest, most unlikable people they had ever associated with.

The bartender watched, as the huge man walked up to him.

"What do you want, Takasu?" asked the bartender.

"What do you mean, what do I want?" asked the man. "Gimme the usual."

"No," replied the bartender.

"Whaddaya mean no?" shouted Takasu.

"Lower your voice, pal," said the bartender. "The manager says you don't drink here anymore until you pay your bar tab. No exceptions."

Takasu stood up.

"Now you look here, you little…" he started.

"You want me to call a _real_ member of Security, Takasu?" asked the bartender. "And I said lower your voice. I'm not gonna repeat it. I'm not going to tolerate you scaring the customers any more."

Takasu sighed, and sat back down, leaning his head on his hand.

"How the mighty have fallen…" he muttered. "There was a time when I told folks to jump, and they would only ask 'how high?' Now I can't get any respect at all…"

"You're breaking my heart," replied the bartender. "And we have a no loitering rule here, by the way, so if you can't pay that tab, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Excuse me sir," said a voice.

Both the bartender and Takasu turned, and saw the one who had spoken. It was a strange man, clothed entirely in a thick, black robe and a black hood, with black gloves on his hands. Considering that it was summer, it seemed a very odd choice of attire. His face was the type that was very unremarkable and easily forgettable.

"I couldn't help but hear that Mr. Takasu owes you some money," said the stranger. "Exactly how much are we talking about here?"

"Ah, heh, heh," said the bartender. "Look, pal… If you're some Good Samaritan who wants to pay this deadbeat's tab, I should warn you, it's a lot, and I'll also warn you, he likely won't pay you back."

"You didn't answer my question," said the stranger.

"Fifty-thousand yen," replied the bartender.

The stranger reached into his cloak, and took out a roll of thousand-yen notes. He tossed it on the bar.

The bartender picked it up, dumbfounded.

"There should be a little extra there," said the stranger, "so you can get Mr. Takasu what he just asked for. As for me, I'll have a martini."

The bartender nervously went to get the drinks, while Takasu looked at the stranger with a suspicious glance.

"No thank you?" asked the stranger.

"Not that I ain't grateful," replied Takasu, "but I'm kinda suspicious of folks who want to do me big favors for no reason. What are you, some kinda priest?"

"No," said the stranger. "But I share one thing in common with priests… I'm a good listener. I see that you're down on your luck, friend, and I have an open ear if you care to tell me about it."

"Not much to say, really," mumbled Takasu. "I give Godwin the best years of my life, doing the best job I can, and then he fires me.

"And for what? Cause I tried to put a damn Satellite in his place! Apparently, Godwin thinks higher of Scum than he does of me."

"Life can be so cruel sometimes," said the stranger. "So, have you tried to get work since then?"

Takasu sighed.

"I kinda burned my bridges in that area when I took the last position," he replied.

The stranger nodded.

"Hard to get references, I assume," he said. "Being the warden of the detention center gave you power, but it didn't give you many friends… But you figured, who needs friends, so long as you had power?

"And when you were fired, you lost the power, and ended up with nothing…"

The bartender set a beer and a martini in front of them, but Takasu seemed too depressed at this point to drink.

"Tell me something," said the stranger. "Can you still duel?"

"Yeah, but not as well as I used to," replied Takasu. "The strongest Monster in my deck actually belonged to Godwin, and he made me give it back when I was fired."

The stranger took a card out of his robe.

"Is this the card?" he asked.

"Where'd you get that?" shouted Takasu.

"Do not ask such questions," replied the stranger. "I'm simply here to help. Now take the card… And it will turn your life around for the better…"

Takasu hesitated. He slowly reached for the card…

Then he took it. He looked at it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, Takasu left the bar, not having said anything else. The stranger was at the door, watching him leave.

He took a mobile from his robe, and hit a speed dial number.

"Louis?" he said. "It's me. I found a patsy."

"Will he do?" came the reply.

"Well, he should give them something to think about tomorrow morning at the very least," replied the cloaked man. "I wouldn't put my hopes on him winning too high."

"Are you sure he won't put two and two together once it's over?" asked DaPen.

The cloaked man watched as Takasu walked out of sight.

"Are you kidding?" he said. "I doubt that this guy could _add_ two and two together. But we don't exactly need subtlety or smarts for this endeavor…"

_**Another day had come to an end, and we had foiled another of DaPen's plans. But like the mythical hydra, when one head was chopped off, two more grew in its place. We seemingly had not yet made a dent in DaPen's ultimate plans, and he still had much more in the works, including a new factor that had just come into the picture. **_

_**Tomorrow would bring more trouble for the Shadowchasers, not just for the group I was a part of, but for others in other parts of the world, as research was done towards locating the Silver Hemisphere. We didn't exactly know why Jalal wanted it, and we certainly didn't know why DaPen wanted it, but we knew that Jalal's reason for wanting it would be far more benign…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER AIRBELLUM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent via a direct attack, your opponent randomly discards 1 card from his/her hand.

_Note: "X-Saber Airbellum" was released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KASHA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When you have two or more Zombie-Type Monsters face-up on the field, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is Special Summoned in this manner, return all Monsters on the field to their owners' decks. The decks are then reshuffled. The ATK of this card is 1,000 for each Zombie-Type Monster returned to the decks in this manner.

_Note: "Kasha" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**STAR BLASTER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An imp with a die, dressed in clothing that combines the features of the teddy bear on "Graceful Dice" and the imp on "Skull Dice".

**Card Description:** Tribute one Monster you control, and roll one die. Special Summon from your hand 1 Monster whose Level matches the sum of the Level of the Tributed Monster and the die roll result.

_Note: "Star Blaster" was first used by Joey in the original anime episode "On the Wrong Track (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ZOMBIE LINEAGE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A beautiful, female vampire extending a hand to a handsome, young man.

**Card Description: **Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 500 during your Battle Phase only. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed by a card effect, you can prevent it from being destroyed by destroying this card.

_Note: "Zombie Lineage" was first used by Skull Knight in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "What Lies Beneath (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next: _

_No one likes going to the post office, but is it really a place where you have to worry about being mugged? It sure seems that way as Takasu, who may or may not truly be himself at this point, shows up just as the four Shadowchasers go to pick up the two delivered Swords, and challenges Shichiro for them. And while Shichiro may be using his real deck, unlike Yusei did against Takasu, an inner struggle might hinder him along the way as he comes to grips with his past. _

"_Chain Energy" is coming next._


	19. Chain Energy

_Author's note: This chapter takes place before the events of Episode 32. The revelations of that episode have not yet come to light, and are not known to anyone except the Dark Signers, who currently consist of only three members._

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Chain Energy**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Well, the night went like it did before, and the morning came, just as it did before. Eight o'clock found the four of us back at the townhouse, preparing for a new day. As Boris washed the breakfast dishes, I was on the computer studying up on the most popular cards that were in circulation, Gears was with Mistle (still trying to figure out the right way to give her that card)…**_

_**And as for Shichiro? He was in the den contemplating, while Jinx was watching and wondering what the heck was wrong with him…**_

Shichiro sat on the couch in the den, looking long and hard at two cards in his hands: the Junk Synchron and Junk Warrior cards that he had taken from that demonic auto. Jinx looked at him with an annoyed glare.

Then she spoke up.

"Is that all you're going to with those cards?" she asked. "Look at them?"

"Certainly you don't expect me to use them?" asked Shichiro.

Jinx sighed.

"Shichiro," she said, "if you want me to tell you that it wasn't your fault that it ended badly with those guys, I can't tell you that. Jalal warned you about pursuing that project. But still, I doubt Yusei would mind. It's not like he holds the copyright to that card."

Shichiro looked at her. He picked up four pencils from the coffee table.

"Jinx," he said, "let me tell you a little story about four young boys… not quite men at the time. They were bonded together by an alliance that made them more than friends, almost brothers. In fact, they were raised together since they were children; they might have well have _truly_ been brothers.

"Fate had dealt them a bad hand, condemning them to the lower class of Neo Domino, the forsaken place called Satellite. Because they believed at the time that there was no way out, they decided they should make the most of their situation, and be satisfied with it. They became a team, and called themselves Team Satisfaction.

"Three things drove all four members of this team at one time… They were driven by morals, ambition, and optimism…

"But the cold hand of fate would intervene again, and would come down hard…"

He looked at one of the pencils.

"Yusei Fudo… Kept his morals and ambition… lost his optimism. The guy doesn't laugh any more, and hardly ever smiles. His world is clouded by gloom."

He put the pencil down and picked up the second one.

"Jack Atlas… Kept his ambition and optimism… lost his morals. He became nothing more than a tool for the mass media, selling his pride and self-respect for fame and money, only to find that it all was hollow in the end…"

He put that one down, and picked up the third one.

"Crow… Kept his morals and optimism… lost his ambition. Decided that the only way he could make a difference was to openly defy authority, becoming a criminal to help others. Noble, maybe, but I'm sure he knows that it will only lead to a dead end."

He picked up the last pencil.

"And the leader of them all, the once-great Kyosuke Kiryu…"

He broke the pencil in half.

"Lost his morals, ambition, and optimism, along with everything else…

"Rest in peace, Kiryu…"

"And you think all that is because of what you did?" asked Jinx.

"Maybe not, Jinx," replied Shichiro. "But you gotta wonder if it wouldn't have turned out better for them if I just didn't stick my nose into their business with my stupid ideas."

"Listen!" shouted Jinx. "Did you tell Kiryu to kill that Security officer? No. Did you tell Jack to double-cross Yusei and become a thief? No! All four of them chose their own paths, and they'll all just have to make the best of the choices they made!"

Shichiro looked at her.

"Well," she muttered, "except for Kiryu, but that's beside the point. All this time, you've been in this funk because you felt responsible.

"You griped about Jack having an ego the size of the moon when he became King of the Riding Duels. Well, you had the evidence that could have exposed him as a native of Satellite, and if you had given it to the press, he would have been toppled from his throne. But you kept quiet, because you felt responsible for what happened, and you felt sorry for him."

Shichiro sighed again.

"And as far as those cards are concerned," said Jinx, "why don't we let them decide?"

"What?" asked Shichiro. "Let them decide? What do you mean?"

"Some say that cards have souls, Shichiro," said Jinx. "Some say that they choose the duelist. You think that Yusei chose Stardust Dragon? I'd say it was the other way around."

She got up.

"Give me your deck and Junk Synchron," she ordered.

Shichiro sighed. He took his deck out of his Disk, which was on the coffee table, and handed it and Junk Synchron to Jinx.

Jinx quickly added it to his deck, and gave it a thorough shuffle. Then she put it back in the Disk.

Then she put on her own Disk.

"Okay," she said. "Get up and duel me."

"You're kidding," replied Shichiro.

"I'm deadly serious," replied Jinx. "We're gonna settle this once and for all."

She activated her Disk.

"This is stupid," muttered Shichiro, even as he activated his own.

"I'll start off with something easy," said Jinx, as she made her first draw. "I'll summon Alligator's Sword."

She played the card, and Alligator's Sword leapt onto the field in Attack Mode. (1,500 ATK)

"And it's your move…"

Shichiro went to draw a card…

And then he hesitated.

"What's wrong?" asked Jinx. "You aren't afraid of Alligator's Sword, are you? He's hardly my strongest Monster."

Shichiro drew a card…

Then he gasped as he saw what it was.

"You drew it, didn't you?" asked Jinx. "You just drew Junk Synchron, right?"

"This… This doesn't prove anything!" shouted Shichiro.

"We'll see," said Jinx, hitting a command on her Disk.

Alligator's Sword vanished.

"Let's start over," she said. "Shuffle your deck and draw a new opening hand."

Shichiro sighed, and shuffled his deck. He drew five cards again.

"This time, you go first," said Jinx.

Shichiro drew a card.

He gasped again. It was Junk Synchron again.

"You drew it again, didn't you?" asked Jinx. "Do you need any more convincing?"

"I…" said Shichiro.

Then his cell phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at it.

_Saved by the bell,_ he said.

He answered it.

"Yeah?" he said. "Uh huh… Uh huh… Yeah, we'll be right down."

"It was the post office," he said, hanging up. "We have to go down and pick up two Retro packages. The Swords are here."

"I'd best get Ember and Gears," replied Jinx. "We're gonna have to protect them if DaPen tries something…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Post offices have a reputation for being crowded, noisy places with long lines that take a long time to get the service you require from them. Shichiro and his four allies did have one thing in their favor at the large post office – the line for international parcels was never very long.

"Yes, my name is Osaka Shichiro," he said to the clerk, as he held up his driver's license. "I have two Retro packages here for me, I believe."

"Uhm, yes," said the clerk, looking at the clipboard. "Well, if you'll just sign here, and here…"

He placed a pair of forms on the counter, and Shichiro picked up the pen that was provided.

He didn't know that Takasu was watching from a safe distance, at the entrance of the post office.

After five minutes, the clerk handed over two large, elongated packages wrapped with packing tape, and marked fragile, with a great deal of insurance postage.

Shichiro slung them over his shoulder and turned to the others.

"Let's get these to Soelma quickly," he said. "I don't want to send DaPen an invitation now that we have them."

"Agreed," said Gears.

As he walked to the entrance, he quickly saw that Takasu was standing in his way.

"Excuse me, sir," he said.

Takasu didn't answer.

"Would you mind not standing there?" asked Shichiro.

"I _like_ standing here," said Takasu, with a grin.

Shichiro frowned.

"Okay, here's where I stop being polite," he said. "Move it or lose it, buster!"

Takasu chuckled.

"I mean it!" said Shichiro. "Stand aside, Clyde!"

"And what are you gonna do if I don't move?" he asked.

"Then maybe I'll wipe that grin off your ugly face," replied Shichiro.

Takasu chuckled again.

"Uh, I don't suggest you start something with me, pal," he chuckled. "As you can see, I'm, ahem, quite large…"

"I've beaten bigger," replied Shichiro.

"Uh, Shichiro?" said Ember, nervously. "Maybe we'd better find another door… Look at the size of him!"

"Don't worry, Ember," said Shichiro. "This guy's bark is worse than is bite."

"Oh, is that so?!" shouted Takasu, right in Shichiro's face.

Shichiro made a grimace.

"…but not worse than his breath…" he said. "And I mean it… Boy, your breath stinks! I mean, I can tell what you've eaten in the past twenty-four hours."

"Huh?" said Takasu.

"For breakfast this morning, you had lox and bagels," continued Shichiro.

"Now, wait just a minute…" muttered Takasu.

"Yesterday, you had barbecue-pork pizza for dinner with a side of wings," continued Shichiro.

"I don't have to take this…" growled Takasu, angrily.

"And for lunch before that, you had a cheesesteak with green peppers and grilled onions. Am I right?"

"You think you're so smart!" yelled Takasu.

He gave Shichiro a shove, but Shichiro maintained his footing.

Shichiro glared at Takasu, and then he handed the two parcels to Gears.

"Hold these," he said.

Takasu looked hard at him, and then picked his nose with his index finger.

"YUCK!" cried Jinx. "You don't eat with that hand, do you?"

"Look pal," said Shichiro. "And by the way, that was pretty disgusting…

"Anyway, if you want to fight, I'll be glad to oblige. Let's just take it outside."

"Not fight," chuckled Takasu.

He put a Duel Disk on his arm, one that looked like it was industrial size, if such a style of Duel Disks were actually made.

"I'm a bit more civilized than you think…" he said. "So why don't we throw down?"

"You're on…" replied Shichiro. "You know, I like fat people…"

"Eh?" said Takasu.

"Fat people are funny," said Shichiro. "When they fall down, it takes them a long time to get back up…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro and Takasu stood face-to-face on the large, concrete steps in front of the post office.

"Shichiro?" said Jinx. "Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea? I mean, this guy may look like the average thug, but I have a feeling…"

"So do I, Jinx," said Shichiro. "I have a feeling there's more to this too, and that's exactly the reason why I'm dueling him and not just telling him to get lost."

The two Duel Disks activated.

"Let's rumble," said Takasu.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Takasu: 8,000)**

"My draw," said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked over his hand of six cards.

"I'll set this in Defense Mode, and that will be all."

He placed the card on his Disk, and a concealed Monster appeared.

"That all?" chuckled Takasu, making his first draw. "I expected more of a challenge.

"I summon… Iron Chain Repairman!"

He threw a card on his Disk, and a surge of energy shot out in front of him. The Monster that appeared looked like a bulky, heavy-set man with gunmetal grey skin, dressed in overalls with chains for suspenders, a bandana on his head, and no shoes. He carried a huge sledgehammer slung over his shoulder. (1,600 ATK)

_An Iron Chain Monster?_ thought Shichiro.

"That's a Monster?" said Ember. "It looks like the guy who comes into Mr. Draco's building to fix the furnace!"

"Don't underestimate that guy," said Gears. "It can be very dangerous."

"Very dangerous indeed!" laughed Takasu. "Repairman… Hammer time!"

Iron Chain Repairman let out a hoarse roar, and leapt at the facedown Monster with its weapon. A winged angel holding a bow and arrow appeared on the card, right before it was smashed to pieces.

"You just flipped my Skelengel," said Shichiro. "Now I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"My Repairman has a few tricks too," replied Takasu. "See, even though your cherub was in Defense Mode, you lose 300 Life Points whenever Repairman smashes a Monster."

Shichiro groaned a little.

"I'll set one card," said Takasu, as a facedown card appeared behind Repairman, "and that's all for now."

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 8,000)**

Shichiro quickly made another draw.

"See this?" he said, holding up a card. "This is a real Warrior, and his name is Grepher!"

He played the card, and Warrior Dai Grepher materialized. (1,700 ATK)

"All right!" shouted Ember. "Shichiro's Monster is stronger!"

"But why stop there?" asked Shichiro, playing another card. "I'll give him Jeweled Sword."

Grepher's normal sword vanished, and a much fancier one materialized in its place. (2,000 ATK)

"Now, cut down his Repairman!" he shouted.

Grepher charged at the overweight Warrior…

"He can try, but he's not gonna," chuckled Takasu, as his facedown card lifted up. "Not as long as I got Soul Anchor. This Trap can Equip to my Monster, and make him invincible in battle."

Grepher's sword struck the Repairman, who groaned a little, but didn't shatter.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,600)**

"Yeah, well," said Shichiro, "Grepher may not be able to beat your Monster, but it can't beat Grepher either."

"We'll see about that," said Takasu, drawing a card.

"First, I play Paralyzing Chain!"

He played a card, and a Continuous Spell appeared on his side of the field.

"Now, I summon Iron Chain Snake!"

A new creature appeared that sort of looked like a snake. Actually, it looked more like a big, thick, steel chain with a snake's head on the end. (800 ATK)

"Don't judge this critter by its looks," said Takasu, with a grin. "It's actually a _really_ friendly type. In fact, it wants to give Grepher a big hug."

Then the Snake leapt forward, and coiled around Warrior Dai Grepher, bringing him to his knees.

"HEY!" shouted Shichiro.

"Of course, now Grepher loses 800 Attack Points," continued Takasu.

(1,200 ATK)

"And that's just how my Repairman likes it! Attack Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Shichiro shielded himself as Repairman's hammer came down, smashing Grepher to pieces.

"Don't forget," said Takasu, with a grin, "you lose an extra 300 Life Points. And because Grepher had that Snake on him, you also lose four cards from your deck, one for each Level that Grepher had. So ditch 'em!"

Shichiro made a scowl. He took the four cards off the top of his deck, and discarded them.

"And thanks to my Paralyze Chain," continued Takasu, "you lose 300 more Life Points every time you lose cards from your deck!"

Shichiro groaned a little again.

"Yeah?" muttered Shichiro. "Well, thanks to Jeweled Sword, I get to draw one card too…"

He made a draw.

"What sort of strategy is this?" said Ember.

"Aggro-Mill," replied Gears. "It's rare type of Mill Deck where the opponent also has to worry about his Life Points. Double the trouble."

"Your move," said Takasu.

**(S: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,600)**

Shichiro frowned at him and drew a card.

Then he gasped when he saw what it was.

It was Junk Synchron.

_What the?!_ he thought. _I must have forgotten to take this out of my deck!_

_Aw man, now what? I can't just…_

_Wait…_

He hit a small switch on his Disk, and the chamber where his Extra Deck was stored opened.

To his horror, _it_ was there. Junk Warrior was right on top. He had absolutely no idea how it had gotten there.

He slowly closed the chamber…

"Are you gonna move or what?" asked Takasu.

"Give me a minute!" shouted Shichiro. "I'm thinking, here!"

He added the card to his hand, and chose two others.

_Not gonna panic,_ he thought. _Jinx is just trying to make me put the past behind me. Well, I don't need her to do that…_

"I set a facedown, and then summon Axe Raider," he said.

A reversed card appeared, and then Axe Raider appeared in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

"Your move…" he said.

Takasu chuckled again, and made another draw.

"Oh, I get it," he said. "The facedown card is a Trap, and Axe Raider is the bait, right? Sorry to disappoint you, pal, but you ain't the first guy to make the mistake that my brains were as weak as my body was strong.

"I ain't gonna bite, and I don't have to…

"First, I'm gonna play the Continuous Spell, Messenger of Peace…"

A new Continuous Spell appeared on the field.

"All I gotta do is spend 100 Life Points per turn, and all Monsters with 1,500 Attack Points or more don't attack!"

"Hold on!" said Ember. "That means his Repairman can't attack!"

"That may be true," replied Takasu, "but it doesn't _have_ to attack to make your friend sorry. Cause I'm also playing Poison Chain!"

A third Continuous Spell appeared on Takasu's field.

"Now, I'm activating Repairman's other effect. If it doesn't attack this round, and like the lady just said, it can't anyway, I can summon a low-Level Monster from my Graveyard with the words 'Iron Chain' in its name."

Repairman slammed its hammer against the ground, and Iron Chain Snake appeared again. (800 ATK)

"Next, I'm summoning Iron Chain Blaster!"

He played another card, and a soldier of some sort in armor appeared. It had chains all over its rusty battle-suit, and held a large cannon. (1,100 ATK)

"A cannon?" asked Jinx.

"And it uses Iron Chain Monsters as ammunition," chuckled Takasu. "So let's lock and load."

Iron Chain Snake turned to pure energy, and flowed into Iron Chain Blaster. Then the cannon fired, knocking Shichiro over.

"Now I'm ending my turn," chuckled Takasu. "And that means Poison Chain activates, causing you to lose one card from your deck for each Iron Chain Monster I've got. That's two more cards!"

Shichiro frowned, and discarded two more cards.

"And don't forget my Paralyze Chain…" chuckled Takasu.

Shichiro groaned again.

**(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,600)**

"And by the way," said Takasu, "I can keep doing that, every round…"

"We'll see about that, fellah," said Shichiro, as he started to sweat. "Draw!"

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

_What am I gonna do?_ he thought. _None of these cards can help me right now…_

He looked at Junk Synchron.

He slowly started to reach for it. His hand shook…

_I can't…_ he thought.

"Well?" said Takasu.

"I pass…" said Shichiro, with a snarl.

"Your funeral," said Takasu, making a draw. "I pay 100 Life Points to keep Messenger of Peace."

Repairman slammed his hammer down, and Iron Chain Snake reappeared. (800 ATK)

Then Takasu played another card, and a second Snake appeared. (800 ATK)

"_Two_ of them?" shouted Ember.

"What?" asked Takasu. "You think I only have one?"

Iron Chain Blaster absorbed one of the Snakes, and fired again. Shichiro groaned.

"I end my turn," chuckled Takasu. "And you know what that means. I have _three_ Iron Chain Monsters now."

Shichiro growled, and discarded three cards. Then he groaned as Paralyzing Chain glowed again.

**(S: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,500)**

"This isn't like Shichiro," muttered Gears. "He normally would never let a nutcase like this walk all over him. Something's happened that's causing him to hold back…"

"And he'd better get his act together," said Jinx, "or this strategy is going to finish him off in a matter of rounds."

Shichiro drew a card.

_This might help,_ he thought, looking at the Trap Card, _but it would only solve part of the problem…_

He looked at the Junk Synchron card.

_Looks like I don't have a choice… If I must let the card decide, now's as good a time as ever…_

"I set one card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then… I summon… Junk Synchron!"

With a small burst of energy, the cute robot mechanic leapt onto the field. (1,300 ATK)

"Huh?" said Gears.

"Huh?" said Ember.

"Hmm!" said Junk.

"And now its effect activates," continued Shichiro, "letting me Special Summon Skelengel in Defense Mode."

Skelengel appeared, kneeling in Defense. (400 DEF)

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" laughed Takasu. "So you managed to bring out a Tuner! I don't think there IS a Synchro Monster weak enough to get by my Messenger of Peace!"

"There isn't," replied Shichiro. "But Junk Synchron itself is weak enough. Although, it is stronger than your Blaster."

Takasu stopped laughing.

"Take out his Iron Chain Blaster!" shouted Shichiro.

Junk Synchron leapt at the large cannon, and socked it with its fist, blowing it into scrap.

"Ergh…" muttered Takasu.

**(S: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,300)**

Shichiro sighed. He looked at Junk Synchron.

"You absolutely sure about this?" he whispered.

Junk Synchron nodded.

"Okay!" shouted Shichiro. "As an old friend of mine likes to say, let's rev it up!"

Junk Synchron yanked the ripcord on its waist, and its motor started to hum. Then it and Skelengel flew into the sky. Both Monsters dissolved into five glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Junk Warrior!"

With a roar, Junk Warrior landed on the steps in front of Shichiro with a crash. An explosion of flames erupted behind it and Shichiro. (2,300 ATK)

"It's your move, buddy…" said Shichiro.

Takasu looked at Junk Warrior. He nervously drew a card.

He looked at it and the other card in his hand.

"Oh, Takasu?" said Shichiro. "Think fast…"

The facedown card he had set last turn shot up, and a Dust Tornado shot across the field, blowing Poison Chain to shards.

"Why you little…" cursed Takasu.

"Well, well…" said Shichiro. "Seems it's harder when you can't cheat, isn't it?"

"WHAT?" shouted Takasu. "I never cheat! I… Hey, wait a minute… How'd you know my name?"

"I deal with the criminal element a lot for information," said Shichiro. "Folks on the wrong side of the law know stuff that other people don't know. And recently, when I made small talk with several folks who had spent time in the detention facility, they often mentioned a sadistic tyrant who used to be in charge. They gave an accurate description, and also described his deck, and the duel he was in right before Godwin fired him for his atrocities. As soon as you summoned an Iron Chain Monster, I figured it was you. And I know that you're a big cheater."

"If you think for one minute that I can't duel without cheating…" cursed Takasu.

"I do," interrupted Shichiro, crossing his arms. "So why don't you come out and tell us why you decided to bother us in the first place? I doubt you're actually working for DaPen… Usually, a disgraced corrections officer tries his hardest to _avoid_ committing crimes, because he knows his future will be very bleak if he ever becomes a prisoner of the same facility where he once abused his power."

"Listen, you smart-ass!" shouted Takasu. "I never heard of any DaPen! You think you know all about me because you've got friends in the underworld? Well then… Why don't you just try to figure out why I bothered to come here?"

"Make your move…" said Shichiro.

"Now THIS is the Shichiro I know!" laughed Gears.

Takasu growled and looked at the two cards in his hand.

_I could use Repairman to bring back Blaster, and use the combo again,_ he thought. _But without my Poison Chain, half my strategy is wrecked… It would take… Uhm… Six rounds to finish him off that way… That gives him plenty of time to find a way past my Messenger of Peace…_

_Unless…_

He looked at Shichiro, and his eyes opened wide.

_Unless… He already knows a way past it! Why else would he summon that Synchro Monster with it on the field?_

_Man… I'd better get rid of Junk Warrior…_

"I'm gonna quit paying for Messenger of Peace, so it goes away," he said.

The Spell Card vanished.

"Iron Chain Snake," he ordered, "attach to Junk Warrior!"

The metal snake lunged forward, and wrapped itself around Junk Warrior, sending the Synchro Monster falling to its knees. (1,500 ATK)

"Oh…" gasped Ember. "It's in trouble!"

"You got that right!" laughed Takasu. "My Snake makes your Junk Warrior kinda look like a big piece of junk!"

Shichiro glared at him.

"Iron Chain Repairman…" shouted Takasu, "smash that Monster flat!"

Repairman lifted its hammer, and rushed at Junk Warrior. Shichiro made a smirk.

"That's just what I wanted you to do, Takasu," he said.

Then Takasu saw it too late. The Trap Card Shichiro had set right before he had played Messenger of Peace…

Shichiro gestured, and it lifted up.

"I activate Malevolent Catastrophe!" he shouted. "Since you declared an attack, this destroys all Spells and Traps on the field! And since your Snake is acting as an Equip Spell now, it's included!"

A fierce wind erupted over the whole field, and Takasu braced himself. Paralyze Chain and Soul Anchor were both torn apart. Junk Warrior pulled itself up, tearing the Iron Chain Snake to pieces as it did, and its Attack Score rose back to 2,300.

Iron Chain Repairman still tried to hit Junk Warrior with its hammer, but the Synchro clobbered the overweight Warrior in the gut. Repairman's eyes bugged out, and it dropped its hammer. Cracks started to appear over its skin.

"All right!" shouted Jinx. "Without that Soul Anchor, Repairman's defense is gone!"

Iron Chain Repairman collapsed, and then shattered into pixels.

"Ho boy…" muttered Takasu.

He looked at the two cards in his hand.

"I set these facedown," he said, as two reversed cards appeared, "and I end my turn."

**(S: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,600)**

"My move…" said Shichiro, drawing a card.

"And it's time to take you out! Axe Raider, attack him directly!"

Axe Raider leapt at Takasu, and slammed his weapon into him. Takasu grunted and made a step backwards.

"Didn't… hurt…" he growled, with sweat running down his face.

"I've got more where that comes from," said Shichiro. "Junk Warrior, attack with Scrap Fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it flew towards the burly thug, slamming its fist into his stomach. Takasu made a loud grunt, and fell over on his back.

**(S: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,600)**

"Whoa," said Gears. "Talk about a turnaround…"

"Look at Takasu!" laughed Jinx.

Takasu was in the middle of struggling to get up, which, given his immense size, was clearly _not_ the easiest thing in the world.

"What did I tell you?" laughed Shichiro. "When fat people fall down, it takes them a long time to get up. That's what makes them funny."

Takasu pulled himself up, his face nearly red with rage.

"SHUT UP!" he shouted. "No one would ever have dared make fun of me like this when I was still in charge of the facility! People respected me then! I was a force to be reckoned with!"

"Let me give you a wake-up call, Takasu," said Shichiro. "No-one _ever_ truly respected you. Everyone who knew you, your employees, the inmates… They all _despised_ you. Your ability to intimidate and bully was all due to the authority given to you by Godwin, not through any abilities of your own. I doubt anyone was really even afraid of you… They were only afraid of the powers that were supporting you and giving you your authority.

"And when you overstepped that authority and even Godwin became disgusted with you, you quickly learned what you truly were…

"You were nothing. Nothing but a tool, like everyone else who works for him."

Takasu glared at him.

"My move…" he said. "I make one draw…"

He drew a card.

"…then, I activate my Reckless Greed Trap Card."

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Now I gotta skip two Draw Phases, but I get to draw two cards now."

He made two draws.

He grinned as he looked at the three cards.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted, playing one of them.

The holy ankh appeared, and one Iron Chain Snake appeared. (800 ATK)

"Why that one again?" asked Ember.

"I'll show you," said Takasu, playing another card. "I summon Iron Chain Coil!"

A new Iron Chain Monster appeared next to the Snake. This one looked like a weird toy of some sort. It had a spherical head with big eyes, and a ponytail behind, with a cylindrical torso below, with two feet directly connected to it. Its arms were two long chains with big hands on the ends. (1,100 ATK)

"Uh oh…" said Gears. "That's a Tuner Monster…"

Takasu lifted up a card.

_Godwin may have taken my old copy,_ he said, _and Hell if I know why some guy just wanted to give this new one to me… But I've got it again…_

_So what if I was a tool? I was a damn strong one, and I liked it. _

_And if I have to be a tool to live the good life, well then, just call me Black & Decker!_

"I Tune my Snake and my Coil…" he said, as both Monsters split into six glowing stars.

"…to Synchro Summon… Iron Chain Dragon!"

A beam of energy shot down from the heavens. With a low growl, a huge creature rose from the point of impact. It was a large Dragon with gunmetal grey scales, no limbs except for batlike wings, a serpentine face, and chains wrapped around its neck. (2,500 ATK)

"Well, what do you think?" asked Takasu.

"I've fought bigger Dragons before," muttered Shichiro. "Not much _uglier_, but I've fought bigger…"

"Try laughing your way out of this!" shouted Takasu. "There are five Iron Chain Monsters in my Graveyard right now…"

The phantoms of five Monsters appeared behind Iron Chain Dragon – Repairman, both Snakes, Blaster, and Coil. Then they all dissolved into grains of light.

"…and now I can ditch all five of them, and my Dragon gains 200 Attack Points for each one!"

Takasu pocketed the five cards, and the Dragon let out a mighty roar. (3,500 ATK)

"Turn his Junk Warrior into scrap metal!" he shouted.

The Dragon blasted a bolt of pure energy from its jaws. Shichiro braced himself as Junk Warrior exploded.

"And that ain't all," laughed Takasu. "You gotta ditch three more cards from your deck every time my Dragon deals damage."

Shichiro frowned, and discarded the three cards.

"My turn is over," said Takasu, "so that means my Dragon's Attack Score goes back to 2,500. It's your move…"

**(S: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,600)**

Shichiro drew a card.

_Hmm, Wicked Reborn…_ he thought.

"I activate my Trap Card," said Takasu.

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Takasu's facedown card lifted.

"It's called Cloak and Dagger," he said. "Here's how it works. I get to name any Monster I can think of, and if that Monster shows its face in this duel, it's removed from play.

"I think I'll name… Colossal Fighter!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro again.

"Didn't expect that, did ya?" asked Takasu. "I may have lost that duel that got me fired, but I learned something from it. My deck has a serious downside. It can be very dangerous if my opponent can somehow benefit from having a lot of cards in his Graveyard.

"Well, I know that Colossal Fighter is a card that does, and I know you got it. So you ain't using it!"

"I play a facedown, and move Axe Raider to Defense Mode," said Shichiro, not acknowledging that he had even heard that rant.

Axe Raider knelt, and set his axe on his lap. (1,150 DEF) A facedown card appeared behind him.

"My move," said Takasu.

"Don't forget," said Shichiro, "you can't draw this turn."

"I know that," muttered Takasu, as he played his last card. "I summon Iron Chain Gardna."

A new Iron Chain Monster appeared, one that looked like a muscular barbarian with the same gunmetal grey skin, wearing trousers with a thick chain for a belt and no shirt. He held two shields, one on each arm. (200 ATK)

"And when I summon him, he moves right into Defense Mode."

Iron Chain Gardna knelt and put the two shields together, forming one big shield. (1,900 DEF)

"Okay, that's unusual…" said Shichiro.

"Iron Chain Dragon, attack!" shouted Takasu.

The Dragon breathed its blast of energy, and Axe Raider was atomized.

"So now what?" asked Takasu.

"I'll show you…" said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

_Sweet…_ he thought.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Wicked Reborn!" he exclaimed. "Now, I pay 800 Life Points, and I get to bring a Synchro Monster back from my Graveyard."

Junk Warrior flew out of the card with its jetpack blazing. (2,300 ATK)

"Big deal!" laughed Takasu. "I happen to know that you can't attack with a Monster that's summoned with Wicked Reborn."

"True, _he_ can't," replied Shichiro.

"What do you mean?" asked Takasu.

Shichiro played the card he had just drawn.

"I summon Turbo Synchron!" he exclaimed.

With a sound that resembled the hum of a motorcycle in neutral, a little robot appeared next to Junk Warrior. It had a torso shaped like a miniature car, with tires for shoulders, and headlights on the front. (100 ATK)

"Time for a Synchro Summon of a different type," said Shichiro. "Junk Warrior… Turbo Synchron… You know what to do."

The Tuner flew into the sky, with Junk Warrior close behind. Turbo Synchron turned into one star, while Junk Warrior turned into five. The six stars gathered together, and the sound of a much bigger vehicle echoed over the field.

"Synchro Summon… Turbo Warrior!"

A much larger Synchro Monster landed, its headlights flashing fiercely. Like Optimus Prime before it, it resembled a cross between a robot and a mach truck, with sharp claws on its hands, its head shaped to resemble a coif of hair. Its eyes glowed bright red as it eyed the huge Dragon. (2,500 ATK)

"Heh…" said Takasu. "Okay… I'll admit you had me worried there for a minute… But if you attack with that guy, our Monsters will kill each other."

"Guess again," said Shichiro. "Turbo Warrior, attack with Accel Slash!"

Turbo Warrior bore its claws, and its headlights glowed even brighter. Iron Chain Dragon roared, and its Attack Score fell to 1,250.

"My Dragon!" screamed Takasu. "What's happening to it?"

"When Turbo Warrior battles another Synchro Monster," explained Shichiro, "that Monster loses half its Attack Score."

Takasu started to sweat…

Turbo Warrior skidded up to Iron Chain Dragon, and made a savage swipe with its claw. The Dragon roared in pain, and then burst into shards.

**(S: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,350)**

"Why don't you just give up Takasu?" asked Shichiro. "You have no cards in your hand, you can't draw next turn, and it will be no problem for my Turbo Warrior to defeat your Gardna."

"Then I pass for this turn," said Takasu. "But my Gardna ain't as easy to defeat as you think it is. Turbo Warrior _can't_ beat it!"

"What do you mean?" asked Shichiro. "His Attack Score is 600 points higher than its Defense Score."

"But you can't take it out in one blow," replied Takasu. "Iron Chain Gardna can resist one attack per round. So just try to get by it!"

Shichiro drew a card.

"I play Card Destruction!" he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I'll get rid of these…"

He discarded the six cards in his hand.

"…and draw six replacements…"

He made six draws.

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Takasu. "Look at you! You'd have to be desperate to make a move like that! That leaves you with only five cards left in your deck!"

Shichiro looked at the six cards.

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "Watch me tear that wall down…

"I play… De-Synchro! This lets me break Turbo Warrior up into the two Monsters I used to Synchro Summon it."

Turbo Warrior split into six stars again, and the they formed into Junk Warrior (2,300 ATK) and Turbo Synchron (100 ATK)

"Huh?" said Takasu.

"Next, I'll summon my own ironclad Warrior," continued Shichiro. "Meet Gearfried the Iron Knight!"

A new Warrior leapt onto the field, one clad head to toe in black, metal armor, with two blades on his arms. (1,800 ATK)

"Still can't do the job," said Takasu.

"Turbo Synchron," said Shichiro, "attack Iron Chain Gardna!"

"HUH?" said Takasu.

To his incredible surprise, the much smaller Monster leapt at Iron Chain Gardna, and slammed its fist against its shield.

(S: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 1,350)

"What's the matter, can't add?" asked Takasu, with a frown. "My Monster is much too strong for that shrimp."

"True," said Shichiro. "But now Turbo Synchron's effect activates, letting me Special Summon a Monster from my hand, with an Attack Score up to the amount of damage I just took.

"Like Command Knight!"

In a burst of flame, Command Knight leapt onto the field. (1,200 ATK)

"And now that she's here, all my Warriors gain 400 Attack Points…"

Junk Warrior rose to an Attack Score of 2,700, Gearfried rose to 2,200, and Command Knight herself rose to 1,600.

"And my Battle Phase isn't over…"

"Aw, crap…" said Takasu.

"Gearfried, attack that Gardna!" shouted Shichiro.

Gearfried slashed with his blade against Iron Chain Gardna's shield, smashing the shield to pieces.

"Now, Junk Warrior will finish the job…"

Junk Warrior flew at Gardna, and walloped it with its fist, blowing it to pieces.

"Command Knight… Finish him off!"

Command Knight's sword burned with flames. Takasu screamed as she leapt at him, and he toppled over as she made a savage swipe at him with her weapon.

**(S: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)**

They all looked at Takasu, who seemed to be out cold.

"I wonder if we'll ever know what that was all about?" asked Gears.

Shichiro noticed something. The Iron Chain Dragon card was lying on the ground next to Takasu's Duel Disk.

He slowly picked it up.

Takasu would never have noticed it, because he wasn't Aware. But Shichiro clearly noticed the aura around the card. And it wasn't a benign aura. It was clearly an aura of some kind of dark magic.

"Something's wrong here…" he muttered.

He looked at Takasu.

"Takasu!" he said, slapping the thug's face. "Wake up!"

Slowly, Takasu came to.

"Oh, my head!" he moaned. "I haven't had a bender this bad since last New Year's Day!"

"Takasu, listen to me!" ordered Shichiro. "Where did you get this card?"

Takasu looked at the card.

"Someone… Gave it to me…" he said.

"Who?" asked Shichiro.

"Not sure…" muttered Takasu. "Everything that's happened lately is… a fog…"

"Retrace your steps, Takasu," said Jinx. "What did you do since this morning?"

"First I got up and went to the bathroom…" replied Takasu.

"The _important_ things!" urged Jinx.

"Wait…" said Takasu. "It's becoming clearer now…

"Some guy at some bar last night gave me that card… And this morning, I felt the urge to add it to my deck and come here and challenge you… I… I don't know why!"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to accept gifts from strangers?" asked Ember.

"I tend to doubt that he listened to _anything_ his mother told him," said Shichiro. "People, a word?"

"Shouldn't we turn this guy in?" asked Gears.

"Gears," said Shichiro, "I'm not suggesting that Takasu was ever an innocent victim. He was a cruel and uncaring sadist for a long time. But someone was pulling his strings in this case.

"There was clearly a curse on this card."

"DaPen?" asked Jinx.

Shichiro sighed as he looked at it.

"DaPen is a psychic," he said, shaking his head. "The curse on this card was clearly a magical enchantment, done by a true sorcerer."

"Maybe DaPen is both a psychic _and_ a wizard?" replied Ember.

"Unlikely," replied Shichiro. "Training your mind to use psionic powers and learning sorcery are two entirely separate fields, and both require incredible amounts of study and discipline. It's very unlikely that anyone could become masters of both fields. It's _possible,_ sure, but incredibly improbable.

"People… The most likely conclusion is, DaPen has an accomplice…"

There was silence for a minute or two.

"At least we have the Swords," said Gears, holding up the parcels.

"And let's get them to Soelma fast," said Shichiro. "I don't want any more surprises before then…"

_**I couldn't shake the feeling that this so-called attack wasn't truly an attack at all, but merely a test performed by this mysterious accomplice that we now knew existed. Perhaps he (or she, to be totally fair) was curious about us, and had sent Takasu after us as a way to gauge our abilities.**_

_**It made us nervous. We now knew that we had another potential enemy out there in addition to DaPen, and this one had not yet communicated with us in any way. When would he show himself? We'd just have to wait and see…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SOUL ANCHOR (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image: **A wounded warrior collapsing with a glowing anchor made of energy coming out of his chest.

**Card Description:** Upon activation, this card is treated as an Equip Spell that Equips to an "Iron Chain" Monster that you control that is Level 4 or less. The Equipped Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation still applies.)

_Note: "Soul Anchor" was first used by Takasu in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Lockdown Duel (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IRON CHAIN GARDNA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, move it to face-up Defense Position. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. (Damage calculation is applied normally.)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Most who study human biology believe that one difference between humans and lower animals is that humans have no natural enemies, except other humans. But the Shadowchasers know that this is not true. There is indeed a race that preyed on humans like wolves do on sheep in primeval times, and even though those ancient days are long past, this dreadful enemy is still a threat._

_Coming up next, we take a trip to Dallas, Texas, where Sofia encounters a member of this race, and a high-speed chase down a highway in rush-hour traffic turns into a dangerous Turbo Duel. "Assault Mercenary" is coming soon._


	20. Assault Mercenary

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**CHAPTER TWENTY**

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**Assault Mercenary**

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_**At this time, we have to take a trip, not just over distance, but through time as well. And when you work for an international organization, you do that quite often. Because while it was now nine AM in Neo Domino, it was seven PM of the previous evening in Dallas, Texas.**_

_**Earlier in the day, a bank robbery had gone terribly wrong for the perpetrator. He didn't know that an undercover officer was in the bank itself when he handed his hold-up note to the teller, and that the officer saw the exchange quite clearly. The officer quickly called for backup, and two uniformed officers arrived before the perpetrator could leave the bank. Unfortunately, the crook's claim that he had a gun was not a bluff, and he panicked, and used it in an attempt to get away. An officer now owed his life to the Kevlar vest he had been wearing.**_

_**The gunman hadn't gotten far. He was now in an office building, where he had grabbed a young secretary to use as a hostage… And now, a far more experienced officer had him cornered…**_

_**Of course, when this was happening, I was back in training…**_

Neo Domino.

It was now ten AM. Gears had brought the two new Swords to Soelma, and Ember and Jinx were back in the lower level of the townhouse. It was time for more training.

This time, Jinx was training Ember on adjusting to calisthenics exercises, something that she stressed was important both for physical and mental health. For those who didn't know, there were seven such exercises: sit ups, crunches, push ups, pull ups, squats, calf-raises, and dips.

So far, the sit ups and crunches had gone smoothly. But Ember was becoming a little fatigued going into the push ups.

"Come on, Ember," said Jinx. "It may hurt now, but once you get past the pain, it will just get easier."

Ember panted for breath as she paused.

"You know," said Jinx, "if we were in the army, I would probably be sitting on your back. You have it easy."

"Lucky… me…" groaned Ember.

"Enough, Kaede," said Jalal's voice as he suddenly appeared. "Give young Michiko a break for now."

Jinx was startled by Jalal's sudden appearance, but Ember was too tired to be startled. She stood up, with sweat running down her face.

"You heard the boss," said Jinx. "Why don't you go up and grab a Gatorade?"

Ember nodded, and headed for the stairs.

"So, what's up?" asked Jinx.

"More concerning your student, Kaede," said Jalal. "Her second test has come to me."

"Already?" asked Jinx. "It isn't natural for an apprentice to progress this fast."

"I know," said Jalal, handing her a card. "Michiko is a very unusual case."

Jinx looked at the card.

"Heavy Slump?!" she shouted. "That's even harder than Broken Bamboo Sword!"

"I know," muttered Jalal. "But there's something about her…"

He handed Jinx something else.

"Give her this too. I believe she is ready and can handle it responsibly."

"I hope she can…" said Jinx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Dallas…

Travis Quimby looked the gunman in the eye.

Contrary to the gunman, who was a nervous wreck, or his young partner who was watching his back and was rather nervous as well, he was still calm, at least on the outside. The forty-one-year old veteran knew that keeping your cool in this sort of situation was crucial. It could mean the difference between life and death, both your own, and more importantly, that of anyone who got in the way.

The gunman was holding the poor woman in a lock with one arm, and had a gun pointed at her with the other. She was clearly frightened out of her mind. Travis and his partner were only fifteen feet away, and had their guns pointed at him.

"I mean it!" shouted the gunman. "Stay away! I'll do it, I swear!"

"Oh, you will, will you?" asked Travis. "Let me ask you something, what will happen if you do? What would protect you then? I'm licensed to carry this gun, and I've received training in using it for years. I don't think I'd miss you from this distance."

The gunman grit his teeth.

"You won't shoot me…" he panted.

"Oh, I won't?" asked Travis. "You know how expensive it is for the state to try, convict, and incarcerate scum like you? If I did shoot you, I'd be saving a lot of people a great deal of time and a pretty large fortune. You really don't want to give me a reason to do it. So just let the woman go."

Sweat poured down the gunman's face.

Then he suddenly aimed the gun away from the woman, and pointed it at Travis.

Unfortunately for him, that was the worst mistake he could have made, and was exactly what Travis wanted him to do. Before he could even get a fix on the lawman, Travis's foot slammed into his hand, kicking the weapon away. In the next instant, a fist slammed into the felon's face, and he was wrenched away from his hostage by Travis's partner.

As the younger officer hurried the poor woman to safety, Travis held the criminal down and handcuffed him. He sighed in relief.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ten minutes later, Travis was leaning against a police car outside, sipping coffee from a thermos, as officers secured the scene, medics attended to the victim, and the suspect was processed. He had actually been more nervous than he had let on. But he knew how to deal with a situation like that without showing nerves. He wasn't the typical cop, as evidenced by his uniform. He was someone who handled the hard stuff.

Travis was a proud member of the Texas Rangers, an elite division of the Texas Department of Public Safety that could trace its origins back to a time before Texas was part of the United States. These were not police officers who issued traffic tickets. They handled crimes as serious as murder and political corruption, worked as riot police and detectives, protected the governor of Texas, tracked down fugitives, and at certain parts of their history, functioned as a paramilitary force when the need was great enough.

Travis had been a member of the Rangers for half his life. And during that time, he had made allies in the Shadowchasers. He wasn't Aware himself; rather, he was Sensitive, and got a "funny feeling" when he was around the Shadowkind that Awares could see plainly. It was enough for him to help them whenever he could.

"Yeah," he said to a college next to him. "I dunno, fish 'n chips, maybe?"

As he said this, Sofia drove up through the crowd of squad cars on her D-Wheel.

"Hey, Travis!" she said, taking off her helmet. "I guess it's true what they say about the Texas Rangers… They always get their man."

"Truthfully, that's the Royal Canadian Mounted Police," replied Travis with a grin, "but we try our best."

"Any luck with what I asked you to look into?" asked Sofia.

"Well, I called in a few favors…" said Travis.

Then a black, expensive-looking car pulled into the parking lot.

"Speak of the devil…" said Travis.

The car pulled to a stop, and the front door opened. A tall, thirtysomething man in a black business suit stepped out.

"Sofia, this is Phil Kline," laughed Travis. "He's with the U.S. Secret Service."

"The guys that protect the President," replied Sofia.

"Actually," replied Phil, "the Secret Service is the division of the Department of the Treasury that handles criminal cases of counterfeiting and forgery. Protecting the President and other government officials is our secondary goal. Not many people know that.

"But anyway, we found a reference to that object you told us about…"

"The Silver Hemisphere?" asked Sofia.

"Mmm," said Phil. "It all dates back to a case we handled about ten years ago, where a small group in Pennsylvania was forging pennies."

"Why the heck would any idiots counterfeit pennies?" asked Travis.

"Not normal pennies," replied Phil. "These were fake copies of 1943 copper Lincolns."

"Wait, I heard of those," said Sofia. "During World War II, copper was needed to manufacture munitions, so in 1943, all three mints started making an alternate penny made of steel, which looked just like the common Lincoln penny made of copper.

"But there were problems with them. They were easily mistaken for dimes. Vending machines that had magnets designed to detect slugs often mistook these cents for them. And they rusted easily even when exposed to sweat. Eventually, the design was abandoned, and most of the steel cents were collected and destroyed."

"That's right," replied Phil. "The surviving steel Lincolns are worth about fifteen to fifty cents to collectors. But during the 1943 issue, a few copper pennies were made by accident, and these are now considered minting errors, which are incredibly rare, worth hundreds of dollars.

"Ten years ago, this group of five forgers started to make fake ones that seemed authentic. A common fraud with people making these is to take a 1948 penny and cut the 8 in half so it looks like a 3. These guys made copies that were far more advanced."

"So, what does this have to do with the Silver Hemisphere?" asked Sofia.

"Well, we found a reference to something similar in their communications notes with a coin collector from Prague whom we never located. Apparently they were going to get it from someone in Europe as part of some sort of bargain, but the deal was never made…"

As Sofia and Travis were speaking to Phil, they had little idea of the danger on the top of the three-story building across the street.

Perched on the roof was a man who looked mostly human, although an Aware would immediately notice diabolically pointed ears and incredibly dark eyebrows. He had long, raven-black hair that was worn loose, and was dressed in a black shirt, vest, and trousers – pretty much all black.

He opened a special case at his feet, and started assembling something. It took him only five minutes to put it together – a Steyr AUG 5.56mm assault rifle with a laser sight.

He deftly aimed it at Travis, aiming it right for his forehead.

"Goodbye, Sergeant Quimby," he whispered.

Travis was saved only by a split-second action by Sofia, due in part to reflexes enhanced by supernatural techniques that she had learned in her years in the Shadowchasers. She saw the laser sight appear on Travis's hat, and realized what it was. Even so, she only had a split second to react to it. She used that split second to make a flying tackle that knocked him out of the path of the shot.

Naturally, once the shot had fired, everyone turned to see where it had come from.

"Who…" said Phil, still in shock from the sudden attack.

"Crud…" muttered the would-be assassin.

What happened next surprised everyone. The assassin leapt off the building, landing on his feet three stories below like a cat. Apparently not even shaken by the jump, he dashed to a waiting motorcycle, and jumped on, starting it up before he was even seated.

"That guy isn't human!" gasped Phil.

_No…_ thought Sofia. _Not human at all…_

By this time, all the officers present (except for Travis, who was still getting up) had drawn their weapons, and were shouting for the gunman to freeze, but he simply drove straight towards them. They fired, but he didn't seem to care. His bike was made of strong material, and even if he hadn't been wearing a vest himself, he was very hard to hurt. The officers were forced to dive aside as he drove past them, away from the group of squad cars.

But while Travis was getting to his feet and the others were calling for assistance, Sofia was gone. She was already following the Shadow, who she recognized as one of the most dangerous races there was. He was a vampyre – not vampire, but _vampyre_, with a Y.

She knew that this was one criminal she simply could not let get away. Vampyres were the nemesis of humanity.

Of all the races of Shadowkind that troubled the Shadowchasers, few were ever as troublesome as vampyres. They had rejected the Treaty from the day it was first signed – accepting it would have defied their inherent nature.

Vampyres resembled the more well-known vampires, but unlike them, they were living creatures, not undead. In ancient times on the world where Shadows came from, vampyres were predators who filled the same ecological niche as wolves and similar beasts, except that their prey was humans. As humans became civilized, the need for them was done away with. But the vampyres did not accept it, and still preyed on humans, regarding them as lambs to be slaughtered. They did so in hiding, but if humans had a natural enemy, they filled this role.

Whenever vampyres were brought to Earth, they adapted, as any Shadowkind did. They assumed any position they could that would allow them to strike at humans. Most became assassins, hiring themselves out to other Shadows who wanted Mundanes done away with. Thus, they were able to act in accordance to their nature, and make a profit as well.

Naturally, the Shadowchasers could not let them roam free. It might have been possible to give vampyres the benefit of the doubt and say that they couldn't go against their natural impulses, but clearly, they didn't just kill humans, they enjoyed doing so. Like serial killers, they were often selective about their methods and their choices of victims, and often took souvenirs of their kills. There were many rumors among the Shadowchasers that several unsolved serial killer cases throughout the centuries, such as the case of Jack the Ripper, and much later, the Zodiac Killer, may have involved a vampyre.

The vampyres were labeled an outlaw race centuries ago, which meant that all members were to be arrested on sight. What made the vampyres different from any other race that had been given that label was, it had lasted centuries without being lifted. The vampyres had never agreed to any terms that would remove it. They would all rather live as fugitives than consider making peace with humans.

Sofia followed him at high speed, noticing that he wasn't even wearing a helmet, despite the great speed that his D-Wheel (for D-Wheel it was) was going. Then she saw where he was heading – off the ramp for the Garland Road exit, onto eastbound Interstate 635.

Sofia had no choice but to follow him. The highway could take him clear out of the county before anyone else got a bead on him. And vampyres could do more damage in this situation than even most high-speed chases could. If the police gave chase now, he could start an accident on purpose and cause a disaster. She was the only one who could bring him down at this point, and she'd have to do it before the authorities got here.

The two motorcycles sped onto the highway, merging with the fast-moving commuters of the evening rush hour, with the Shadow in the lead. As Sofia tried to think of a way to stop him, the vampyre's face appeared on her screen.

"Greetings!" he said. "Sofia, was it? I'm Dmitri… So nice to see someone I have so much in common with."

Sofia was more than a little nervous when she saw him, with the smile on his face. His canine teeth were slightly longer and more pointed than a human's, much like those of the traditional vampire. (Oddly enough, true vampires were said to have despised members of this race for some reason, most likely because several crimes committed by vampyres were mistakenly blamed on vampires.)

"We don't have anything in common," growled Sofia. "You're just a killer."

"I beg to differ!" replied Dmitri. "I'm a professional, just like you."

"Fine," replied Sofia. "You're a _professional_ killer. That makes you a hit man. A thug for hire."

"You make it sound so common," replied Dmitri. "I'm just someone who has a job to do. Sure, my job is a hired gun, but that's what I happen to be good at doing."

"Don't try to BS a BSer," replied Sofia. "You guys live to kill humans. You eat, sleep, and breathe the destruction of humans."

"Maybe so…" replied Dmitri. "But it can't be like it was in the old days… We have to have purpose now. We have to make a living. We can't just kill and gorge ourselves on humanity at random."

"So you hire yourselves out as assassins," said Sofia. "If you ask me, that's worse. You're taking money for something you would gladly do for free."

"Maybe so," said Dmitri. "And I suppose you want to end my wicked ways and bring me to justice. Well, you'll have to catch me first…

"And if I have to defeat you to get you off my tail, then I'll do it…"

A light flashed on Sofia's console. An indication that a challenge had been made.

"You want to duel in the middle of Interstate 635?!" shouted Sofia.

"That's right!" laughed Dmitri. "Of course, don't say I didn't warn you. Dueling is one thing that folks like me like to play for keeps. And since my intended victim escaped because of you, you can imagine who just drew the short straw."

_He's nuts!_ thought Sofia.

She hit a command on her console.

_And the worst part is, I must be some brand of cashew myself! Because this may be the only way I can stop him from causing a ten-car collision when the police catch up…_

_I just hope we don't cause one with the duel anyway…_

The Speed World card flashed onto her screen.

"_Duel mode engaged,"_ said the D-Wheel.

In a huge burst of energy, the highway morphed into the silvery void of Speed World.

"I see you've accepted," laughed Dmitri. "Well, hang on tight… Next exit: food, phone, gas, lodging, and certain doom!"

**(Sofia: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Dmitri: 8,000)**

"Very funny," said Sofia, making her first draw.

She threw a card on her console.

"I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth!"

A portal behind her opened, and a large Dragon with wings and two reptilian heads flew out. (1,500 ATK)

"That's all for now."

"Not bad," chuckled Dmitri, making a draw.

Both Speed Counters clicked up to one.

"I summon Snipe Hunter!"

Another portal opened, and a new Monster flew out. It was a nasty-looking imp with black skin, a bald head, and small wings, holding what looked like a toy gun with a roulette wheel on the top. (1,500 ATK)

"Now I'm activating its effect, which I can do by tossing one card."

He threw one card into his discard slot.

"And by the way, since that card I just tossed was Ojamagic, I get to take my three Ojamas from my deck."

Three cards appeared in his hand.

"All right Snipe Hunter, take aim at Twin-Headed Behemoth!"

Snipe Hunter aimed its pistol, and gave the roulette wheel a spin. It slowed, and then landed on the four.

"Perfect," chuckled Dmitri.

A blast of energy fired from the weapon, vaporizing the Dragon.

"And I'm not done with you," he laughed. "Direct attack!"

Snipe Hunter fired its weapon again, and Sofia groaned as it slammed into her bike. Her Counters fell to zero again.

"I set one card, and end my turn," chuckled Dmitri, as a facedown card appeared, and then faded from view.

"And that means Behemoth's effect activates!" replied Sofia. "If it's destroyed, it makes a quick recovery."

The portal opened again, and Twin-Headed Behemoth flew out. (1,000 ATK)

"That's not good…" muttered Dmitri.

**(S: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 8,000)**

"My move," said Sofia, drawing a card.

Her Speed Counters rose to one, while his rose to two.

"I summon Sonic Duck!" she shouted.

The portal opened again, and a large creature ran out, and started to run beside her bike. It was a duck the size of a horse, with green feathers, a scarf around its neck, and a pail on its head. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted. "Destroy Snipe Hunter with supersonic dash attack!"

Sonic Duck quacked, and ran forward, weaving in-between the cars as it did, hopping onto the roof of one of them, and then making a beeline for the Fiend. It rammed its beak into Snipe Hunter, and the imp spun away before exploding into pixels.

"Now, my Behemoth attacks directly!" she shouted.

Twin-Headed Behemoth blasted twin beams of frost from its two jaws, and Dmitri shivered as they hit him. His Speed Counters fell down to one.

"Gonna take more than that to bring me down!" he snarled.

"I set a card of my own," said Sofia, as a facedown card appeared, "and then it's your move…"

**(S: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,800)**

Dmitri drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to two.

"Just what I needed," he said. "I summon my Twin-Barrel Dragon!"

A portal behind him opened, and a new Monster flew out. A Machine used by Jinx several times, it resembled a cross between a two-legged dog and a Gatling gun. (1,700 ATK)

"What do you think?" he said. "If I'm lucky, I can kill two birds with one stone. Or rather, a bird and a Dragon."

Two bursts of light shot out of his D-Wheel, and then turned into two coins, spinning on the highway. One of them stopped, heads. Then the other one stopped, tails.

"So close!" said Sofia. "You need two heads to use its effect."

"I still have its regular attack!" cursed Dmitri. "Attack her Behemoth!"

Twin-Barrel Dragon's nozzle glowed.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Sofia.

Her Trap Card shot up, and the blast was halted by an invisible shield.

"Not bad," said Dmitri. "I'll set another card facedown, and that will end my turn…"

A second facedown card appeared next to his other one.

Sofia made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to three.

_Two facedown cards,_ she thought, looking at her screen. _Well, they won't matter in a minute…_

"I summon Shaman of Mist Valley!" she shouted.

The portal opened, and the oddly dressed, female Winged Beast flew out. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three of my Monsters together!"

Twin-Headed Behemoth, Sonic Duck, and Shaman of Mist Valley all flew into the sky, and split into nine glowing stars.

"You think some Synchro Monster can scare me?" shouted Dmitri.

"We'll see if it scares you once it shows up," said Sofia, with a grin.

Mist Wurm slowly started to materialize, flying over the highway, even bigger than the bus that was behind the two duelists. It let out a loud roar.

"Nope, it still doesn't scare me," replied Dmitri. "Know why? Because I've got THIS!

"Trap Card activate! Discord Counter!"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Discord Counter?" shouted Sofia. "That's an illegal card!"

And it _was_ an illegal card, at least for civilians. That Trap Card was part of a Special Pursuit Deck used by Duel Chasers, special law enforcement agents trained to apprehend criminals who used D-Wheels illegally. They were the only ones who were allowed to use it.

"And I really should thank the Duel Chaser I got it from," chuckled Dmitri. "That is, if he ever gets out of the hospital."

Mist Wurm vanished into particles of light. Then, Sonic Duck appeared in front of Sofia in Attack Mode (1,700 ATK), Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared in Defense Mode (1,200 ATK) and Shaman of Mist Valley appeared in Defense Mode (1,200 DEF).

"I hope those three Monsters are enough for you," chuckled Dmitri. "Because you aren't allowed to summon any more of them until you finish two End Phases."

_His other facedown card might be something even worse, _thought Sofia.

She signaled to end her turn.

Dmitri drew, and both Speed Counters rose to four.

"I summon Pursuit Chaser!" he shouted.

A siren sounded over the field and a new Machine appeared. It looked like a miniature cockpit with a siren on top, and two robotic arms. (1,400 ATK)

"I'm beginning to see a trend here," said Sofia. "Your deck is full of things with guns."

"And is that bad?" asked Dmitri. "Wipe out her Shaman!"

Pursuit Chaser fired twin blasts of plasma from its arms, and Shaman of Mist Valley was vaporized.

"And guess what?" continued Dmitri. "Since she was in Defense Mode, you lose 500 Life Points.

"And I'm not done…"

Twin-Barrel Dragon fired a blast, blowing Twin-Headed Behemoth to shards.

"Heh, heh," he chuckled. "Your move…"

**(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,800)**

Sofia drew, and both Speed Counters rose to five. They were both above the speed limit now, and were passing the other cars with ease. Of course, Sofia doubted that her opponent cared about highway laws.

"Your side is looking a little empty," chuckled Dmitri. "Why don't you summon something?

"Oh, that's right… You can't!"

Sofia grit her teeth in anger.

"Sonic Duck…" she shouted. "Take out his Pursuit Chaser!"

Sonic Duck rushed at the small drone…

"I activate… Prideful Roar!" exclaimed Dmitri, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, I only have to pay 300 Life Points, and my Monster's Attack Points become 300 more than yours!"

Pursuit Chaser shot up to an Attack Score of 2,000, and it blasted its guns, blowing Sonic Duck into an explosion of feathers.

"Ergh…" muttered Sofia.

She took a card from her hand, and set it on her console. A facedown card appeared.

**(S: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,500)**

"Heh, so what more could you do?" chuckled Dmitri, drawing a card.

Both Speed Counters rose to six.

"Twin-Barrel Dragon, attack directly!"

The Machine prepared to fire.

Then Sofia's facedown card lifted.

"Huh?" said Dmitri. "Attack Guidance Armor?"

Then a fiendish-looking breastplate flew forward, and clamped around Pursuit Chaser. Twin-Barrel Dragon looked confused for a minute… Then it turned, and fired at Pursuit Chaser, blowing it to pieces.

"Nice shooting, Tex!" laughed Sofia. "You just hit your own Monster!"

"Oh, har-har and ho-ho," replied Dmitri. "Laugh while you can."

"I will," said Sofia. "I believe it's my move…"

She drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to seven.

_Playing this Spell will be risky,_ she thought, looking at it. _I'll have to put faith in the assumption that his urge to claim a victim right now is greater than his desire to escape._

"I play Speed Spell – Shift Down," she said.

As she played the card, her bike started to slow down dramatically. Her Speed Counters took a dive, falling to only one.

"Now, I get to draw two cards."

Dmitri chuckled, and shifted gears as he watched her from ahead.

"All right, pal," she said. "I'm removing Sonic Duck from play, to Special Summon Silpheed!"

In a whirlwind of energy, the white-suited Fairy carrying a scepter appeared in front of her. (1,700 ATK)

"Next," she said, "I'm discarding one card…"

She discarded Harpie's Brother.

"…to Special Summon The Tricky."

The portal opened again, and the weird Spellcaster in the harlequin costume with a question mark on his mask flew out. (2,000 ATK)

"And I'm not done! I sacrifice Silpheed…"

Silpheed vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon Roc from the Valley of Haze!"

In a tremendous windstorm, a huge bird of prey resembling a golden eagle appeared, flying over Sofia's bike. (2,400 ATK)

"That's not good…" muttered Dmitri.

"Tricky…" said Sofia, "attack Twinbarrel Dragon with trick illusion!"

The Tricky gestured, and shot a blast of multicolored lights from his fingertips. The Machine sparked and exploded.

"Now my Roc attacks directly!" she shouted.

The Roc from the Valley of Haze beat its wings, conjuring up a small cyclone. Dmitri held onto his bike as he was buffeted by the gale, and his D-Wheel shook. His Speed Counters fell to five.

**(S: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,800)**

"All right…" he said. "Now you've officially made me mad…"

He shifted gears again, and drove forward. Sofia saw that he was driving straight towards the back of a very large rig truck…

Then, he gave his shift a yank, and flames shot out of his engine like it was a rocket. The D-Wheel was propelled into the air, making a four-point landing on top of the rig.

_He's crazy!_ thought Sofia.

Dmitri skidded to a stop, as Sofia drove beside the rig. He looked down at her.

"Are you out of your mind?" she shouted.

"Naw," shouted Dmitri. "I save fuel this way! And better yet, I have the high ground!"

He drew a card, and his own Speed Counters clicked up to six. Sofia's went up to two.

"You might remember how I discarded Ojamagic to use Snipe Hunter's effect," he said. "Well, I still have those three Ojamas, and now I can use them. I play Speed Spell – Speed Fusion."

The Spell Card appeared, and the three Ojamas leapt onto the highway in front of Sofia. All three of them blew raspberries at her.

"I'll combine my three Ojamas…"

The three Monsters faded into a yellow, green, and black swirl.

"…to Fusion Summon Ojama King!"

In an explosion of energy, a huge creature with a body shaped like a big balloon, with eyes on stalks, dressed in a small cape, shorts, and a crown, appeared behind his bike. (3,000 DEF)

"Not only does it have 3,000 Defense Points," he said, "but it can designate three of the spaces on your Monster Zone as occupied."

Sofia was surprised to see a little Ojama King appear on her dashboard with a black magic marker. It quickly drew a big "X" on each of her unoccupied slots on her Monster Zone, then giggled, and disappeared.

"I set a facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared. "And I end my turn…"

Sofia drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to three, while his rose to seven.

The card she had drawn was Garuda the Wind Spirit.

_Terrific…_ she thought.

"Pass," she said.

"Suit yourself…" said Dmitri, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to eight, while hers rose to four.

And then he laughed out loud.

"Time to bring out my ultimate weapon!" he laughed. "I play a second Speed Fusion!"

"I don't like this…" muttered Sofia.

"I'll combine Barrel Dragon with Blowback Dragon," said Dmitri, as two large Machines appeared on the field.

In an explosion, a giant Machine with an armored hull and three flexible cannon heads topped with machine gun barrels appeared in front of her.

"Meet my incredible Gatling Dragon!" laughed Dmitri.

(2,600 ATK)

Then three flashes of light shot out of his bike. They fell to the pavement, and formed into spinning coins.

They all stopped. Heads, tails, and heads.

"Two heads!" he laughed. "And that means it can destroy two Monsters!"

Gatling Dragon's guns ignited and shot three burning blasts of hot lead, and both The Tricky and Roc were blown apart.

"And I'm not done with you!" he laughed.

Gatling Dragon fired three bursts of shells, and Sofia screamed as they ripped through her. Her Speed Counters were cut in half, down to two.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,800)**

"Now I activate my Trap," said Dmitri, as his facedown card lifted up. "It's called Summon Limit. And so long as it's on the field, neither player can summon more than two Monsters per round.

"Get the picture yet?"

"Pardon?" asked Sofia.

"Your Mist Wurm is out of commission," laughed Dmitri. "You need three Monsters on the field to summon it, which is impossible due to my Ojama King.

"But even if you get rid of him, my Trap Card assures that you can only summon two Monsters per turn. And my Gatling Dragon won't let you keep them long enough to summon a third.

"Face it… Your ace Monster won't be showing up, and you can't defeat me!"

Sofia ignored him, and drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to three, while his rose to nine.

_That's the dumbest strategy I've ever heard,_ she thought.

"I remove Harpie's Brother from play," she said, "to summon Garuda the Wind Spirit in Defense Mode."

In a burst of wind, Garuda flew onto the field. It shielded itself with its wings. (1,200 DEF)

"That's all."

Dmitri drew a card. His Counters clicked up a notch to ten, and hers to four.

He looked at the card. It was Speed Spell – Summon Speeder.

_Crud!_ he thought, looking at it. _I can't use this right now… And I have no Monsters to summon!_

He looked at the field.

_Gatling Dragon has a big Achilles heel… If I use its effect, it must destroy as many Monsters as it can. That means if I get two heads, I'll destroy Ojama King… And if I get three, I'll destroy both Ojama King and Gatling Dragon itself!_

_Better not risk it… I'll just attack…_

"Gatling Dragon, wax her Monster!"

The huge Machine fired its cannons, and Garuda was blown to shards.

Sofia paused. She looked at her deck.

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to five.

"You made a fatal mistake, buddy," she said. "You designed your whole strategy thinking that mine depended entirely on Mist Wurm. Well, only a foolish duelist bases her entire deck on one powerful card. As you're about to find out, Mist Wurm isn't the only powerful Monster in my deck, and I don't need it to beat you.

"I play Speed Spell – Summon Speeder! Now, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Monster from my hand."

The portal opened, and a new Monster flew out of it. It looked like a young boy with delicate features, dressed in a leather jerkin and pants. (1,500 ATK)

"That's Whirlwind Prodigy!" shouted Dmitri.

"So, you've heard of him?" asked Sofia. "Then I guess you know that if I sacrifice him to summon a Wind Monster, he can count as two sacrifices.

"So I sacrifice him…"

Whirlwind Prodigy vanished.

Then lightning flashed over the highway.

"I summon…" shouted Sofia. _"Simorgh, Bird of Ancestry!"_

Lightning flashed again, and a huge bird appeared over the highway, one that was twice as big as the huge rig that Dmitri was perched on. It resembled the more familiar Simorgh, Bird of Divinity at first glance, but it had four wings instead of two, two big ones and two smaller ones, and its feathers were seemingly made of gold. It let out a majestic screech as it soared over the Interstate. (2,900 ATK)

"Holy…" muttered Dmitri.

"But wait," said Sofia. "There's more! Since I summoned it by only sacrificing Wind Monsters, I can send two cards back to your hand! So say goodbye to your two Monsters!"

Simorgh beat its huge wings, and both Ojama King and Gatling Dragon struggled against the virtual hurricane that it caused. Eventually, it was two much for them, and they were both swept up into the air, vanishing into a dark void.

"I'm not done yet!" shouted Dmitri. "You may attack, but I'll still have Life Points left!"

"I don't think so," said Sofia, playing the last card in her hand.

A Speed Spell appeared in front of her.

"With my Speed Counters at five, I can activate Silver Contrail. This gives a Wind Monster a little more wind beneath its wings. 1,000 Attack Points more, to be precise."

The storm grew even more intense, and Simorgh let out a great cry… (3,900 ATK)

"Ooh… nuts!" screamed Dmitri.

Then he started up his D-Wheel, and rocketed right off the rig, landing on the pavement and driving full speed forward. But the huge Winged Beast gave chase. The vampyre finally screamed as the powerful storm surrounded him, and the stinging winds buffeted him from all directions.

**(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)**

Then Dmitri noticed that losing the duel was the least of his troubles. His engine was on fire. It clearly had been damaged from that reckless leap off of the truck. And he was losing control.

He tried to steer, but he couldn't. Unable to control his D-Wheel, he barreled off the road, onto a side street. He leapt off at the last moment, just as the vehicle crashed, and went up in flames.

The would-be assassin mentally checked every part of his body. No broken bones, apparently. His ankle was sprained, and he was bruised in quite a few places.

But, as one wise human had once said, and even he acknowledged that there were wise humans, any landing that you could walk away from was a good one.

He slowly got up…

…and then Sofia grabbed him by the collar.

This was _not_ a good landing after all.

"Uh… hi?" he gulped.

"Do you know how many felonies you committed?" snarled Sofia. "Forget the attempted murder charge… You put the entire rush hour commute in danger tonight with that overt attempt at showing off!

"Why??"

"Uhm…" said Dmitri. "I crave attention?"

Sofia shook him hard.

"If I wasn't bound by the Treaty," she said, "I'd happily hand you over to the Texas Rangers and let you face human justice."

She lifted the gemstone.

"Fortunately for you, I'm just the officer. As tempted as I am, it isn't my job to judge."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Neo Domino.

Jinx was sitting at a table in the exercise room, looking at the Heavy Slump card, as Ember came in with a half-finished bottle of the sports drink.

"Boy, this stuff really works," she said. "Well, I'm ready to start again…"

"Nope," said Jinx, handing her the card. "You have something else to work on…"

"What's this?" asked Ember.

"Your second test," said Jinx. "Heavy Slump.

"Simply put, it works as follows. The next time you duel for us, your deck has to have the maximum number of cards allowed in it. Sixty. And you have to win with it."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Ember. "That's crazy!"

"Tell me about it," said Jinx. "Jalal is a psycho. And if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it. But you're gonna have to do your best to do it, Ember. Jalal never changes a test."

Ember sighed, and sat at the table, putting her head on her hands.

"This may help," said Jinx, giving her another card.

Ember looked at it. It was a check card. One with her name on it, tied to an account at a bank called The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

"Uh…" said Ember. "I don't… I don't have an account at this bank…"

"It's the bank in Great Britain where most of Jalal's assets are kept, Ember," replied Jinx. "Shadowchasers are allowed to withdraw from it, within reason. Jalal told me to give you that card.

"So use it for necessities, use it for cards, use it for lunches… If you see something nice that you want every now and then, that's okay too.

"But one warning, Ember. Jalal has a small army of accountants monitoring his funds. And while it takes a lot to get Jalal angry, the rare times in the past where he has actually gotten angry have been the stuff of legends."

"I see…" said Ember, nervously.

"Write down the number on the back so you can call if it's lost or stolen," ordered Jinx.

"I'll guard it with my life," replied Ember.

_And in the meantime, _she thought. _Sixty cards? How on earth am I gonna do that?_

_**By this time, I had lost about ten pounds of old baby fat, and had gained ten pounds of muscle to replace it. With each passing day, my transformation from a meek secretary to a true warrior was progressing at an exceptional rate. **_

_**It was funny… Hebi-Na had tried to kill me. On one hand, I wanted her to rot in jail. But on the other, she had fully awakened my sight and started me on this path. Maybe I owed her one, and felt like thanking her. I would later find out that I couldn't have at that point – ophidia communities were under strict sanctions due to something that happened a few years ago, and combined with the severity of her crime, it was unlikely that anyone except her lawyer could visit her. **_

_**A lot of thoughts and possibilities were going through my mind at this point. What would I tell my parents? As far as I knew, they weren't Aware, and they'd eventually want to know about this new position I had taken. I hadn't even formerly quit my job as Mr. Draco's secretary; I was technically still on vacation, and I had a few days left.**_

_**I did know, however, that I would likely have to make a decision on that regard sooner or later. Probably sooner.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DISCORD COUNTER (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** Tune Warrior and Silent Swordsman LV5 standing side by side while Colossal Fighter vanishes above them.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent Synchro Summons a Monster. Negate the summoning and send the Synchro Monster back to your opponent's Extra Deck. Then, if the Monsters used for the Synchro Summoning are in your opponent's Graveyard, Special Summon them to your opponent's side of the field (your opponent chooses the battle positions). Your opponent cannot Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon a Monster until the end of his End Phase after his next turn.

_Note: "Discord Counter" was first used by Ushio the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Take-Back (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ATTACK GUIDANCE ARMOR (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A man wearing steel armor shaped like a demonic face, glowing with energy.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Change the target of the attack to a Monster on the field other than the attack target or the attacking Monster.

_Note: "Attack Guidance Armor" was used by Kaiba several times in the anime, originally in "Back to Battle City (Part Two)"._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SILVER CONTRAIL (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A pilot outside a hanger holding a helmet under his arm and looking at the sun.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 WIND Monster you control. Increase the selected Monster's ATK by 1,000 until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Silver Contrail" was first used by Yusei the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Blast From The Past (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SUMMON SPEEDER**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Dunames Dark Witch surrounded by the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 4 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from your hand.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Summon Speeder" was first used by both Yusei and Mukuro in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Surprise, Surprise". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_The search for the Silver Hemisphere continues, on another continent. In London, Hank does some investigating of his own, and runs into a Shadowkind underworld tipster who claims to have the information he needs – but who won't give it up without a challenge. There were several secrets to the Hidden Treasure Deck that Yanagi didn't know about (not that he knew about any of them at all), and next chapter, Hank puts them all to use against a diabolical onslaught. _

_And once that is done, you all are probably wondering, what the heck is the deal with Jalal? What makes him tick? Next chapter, he sits down to talk with Ember, and the past of the mysterious leader of the Shadowchasers is finally revealed!_

_It's all coming up in "Ancient Rules", coming soon._


	21. Ancient Rules

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**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Ancient Rules**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**We now must travel through distance and time once again. When it was nine AM in Neo Domino, which was when the problem in Dallas had started, it was midnight in Great Britain.**_

_**This was where the Shadowchasers was founded, roughly a thousand years ago. Only Jalal knew the exact date, as he was the only one of the founding Shadowchasers who was still alive. The location of his father's old lair – that had been converted into a tomb after he died – was a secret known only to him, but it was known to be in Britain somewhere. Jalal's public manor house was located a mile outside of Liverpool – emphasis on "public". It wasn't his true home, but only what he used when dealing with Mundanes. Shadowchasers who went to the house quickly took one of the many portals that led to the secret vale that held Shadowchaser Headquarters, where his true manor house, as well as the courts, administrative buildings, meeting halls, and many other important buildings needed for running the organization were kept far away from Mundane eyes. **_

_**As you might expect, Great Britain had more of a concentration of Shadowchasers in it than any other industrialized country. And the country had a great deal of Shadowkind too, as you might expect from its long history. In addition to the numerous clans, Britain was thick with sites of power, where magic was particularly strong. London itself was one of the few metropolitan areas, along with Rome, Hong Kong, and New Orleans, where the mystic ley lines that crisscrossed the planet were known to intersect. Other places of power were common in Britain, such as Stonehenge and other lesser known groups of standing stones. It may have been the concentration of supernatural energy that had caused a Shadow as powerful as Jalal's father to arrive here in the first place.**_

_**There would always be a need for Shadowchasers in Great Britain… And it would always be the place that they called home…**_

London.

At the stroke of midnight, the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster (often incorrectly referred to as Big Ben, which was actually the name of its largest bell) let out its low, monotonous chime over the whole city.

In a pub on the south side of the city, it was an hour to closing time. The elderly bartender was serving the few remaining customers, most of them folks who worked late and came in for a pint on the way home.

He was quick to notice when Hank walked in. Hank was a native of Britain, but business kept him from home most of the time. He was a rare sight here.

"Hank?" said the barkeep, somewhat surprised. "Heh, long time no see! What's been keeping you?"

"Business," replied Hank. "And I'm afraid that's it's business that's brought me back home for a little while.

"Give me the usual, will you?"

The bartender filled a glass at the tap.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," replied Hank. "I'm looking for the Colonel."

"Mmm…" said the bartender, shaking his head. "Afraid you got back about a week too late, Hank. The Colonel passed away last Monday. The doctor said he died in his sleep."

Hank sighed.

"Poor guy," he said. "He lived a long life, but everyone has to go sometime, I guess. So what did he do with all his money?"

"Well, he didn't leave it to me, that's all I know," said the bartender with a shrug.

Hank sipped from the glass.

"No one mentioned a… Silver Hemisphere, did they?" he asked.

The bartender gave a strange look.

"Well, I think I'd know if they did," he said. "What's that, half a globe?"

"Long story," sighed Hank.

_Looks like this is a dead end,_ he thought.

"Pardon me, guvnor," said a voice next to him.

Hank turned his head, and then looked down.

Standing next to him was a very short figure, about four feet tall. He was dressed in an old and worn jacket and pants, a wool hat, and a scarf covering the lower half of his face. Clearly, this person looked like he was concerned with catching cold, despite the fact that it was summer.

However, Hank could see his pointed ears, his olive-green skin, and his watery eyes. Combined with his short stature, it was clear that he was a goblin.

Goblins were Shadows that were related to orcs at some point in their ancestry. But while orcs were violent and warlike, goblins were sneaky and stealthy. While orcs were warriors, goblins tended to be thieves. It was very hard to ever trust one of them – any Aware who knew anything about goblins knew enough to watch his wallet whenever they were around. Goblins rarely had any loyalty at all, and most would turn in their own mothers if the reward was good enough.

"What?" asked Hank.

"You lookin' for the Silver Hemisphere?" asked the goblin.

"Buddy, I only listen to serious claims," replied Hank, "and I don't fall for con games easily. I doubt you even know what the Silver Hemisphere is."

"But I do," replied the goblin. "It's a silver display stand meant to hold the Regalia of Day, right?"

Hank looked at him.

"Okay, I'm listening," he said.

"Well, maybe outside…" said the goblin. "In places like this, the walls have ears, y'know…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The street was pretty much empty at this time of night. The goblin looked back and forth.

"Look, Mr… 'Snitch'," started Hank.

"No 'mister'," replied the goblin. "Just Snitch. I just want to cut a little deal with you. I hear you're a duelist…"

He took a Duel Disk from under his coat, and a deck.

"Okay, what do you want?" asked Hank.

"We have a friend in common," said Snitch. "Name's Al-Khazzir?"

"He isn't a friend," replied Hank.

"Whatever," replied Snitch. "He's in jail, you know, and I _am_ a friend. I just want to pay him a little visit before his trial starts."

"Then go to the detention center at Shadowchaser Headquarters and fill out a visitor's form!" replied Hank. "It's as simple as that."

"Well, that's kind of a prickly pear where I'm concerned," said Snitch. "See, I did some time about five years ago for breaking and entering…"

"…and ex-cons can't visit prisoners," replied Hank. "Well, sorry, but I can't change the rules."

"But I can!" replied Snitch. "All I gotta do, is get a signed permission form from either the arresting officer, or the judge presiding over his trial."

"And since I'm the arresting officer, you want it from me," sighed Hank, putting his hand on his hip. "You realize that I can't do that without going through the proper channels…"

"I'd ask the judge, but he's incredibly busy," replied Snitch. "Now look, we can do this like gentlemen if you want… I really know where this Silver Hemisphere is. And to avoid the red tape, I'll really make this worth your while."

"You want to duel so it counts as a wager as outlined by the Treaty," muttered Hank. "That way, the 'proper channels' can be avoided."

"But you'll benefit either way," replied Snitch. "You win, I'll tell you where it is, and I'll be on my way. If I win, you sign that form for me, and I'll tell you where it is anyway! Win-win situation. You couldn't ask for a better deal than that, could ya?"

Hank looked at the goblin.

He was well aware of an ancient saying that said, "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is".

But, if this goblin truly did know where the Silver Hemisphere was…

_I'll figure it out later,_ he thought.

He activated his Disk.

Snitch smiled a smile that Hank did _not_ like. He activated his own.

**(Hank: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Snitch: 8,000)**

Snitch grinned as he made his first draw.

_Perfect!_ he thought. _There it is… The card he gave me… This'll be a piece of crumb cake…_

"I'll start by summoning Demon Roar God Galbath," he said.

As he played the card, a waft of bright light struck the field. An ugly-looking Fiend with a gargoyle-like face, armor, and scaly, wing-like protrusions on his forearms appeared. He carried a weapon that looked like a huge, spiked, iron ball on a chain. (1,500 ATK)

_A Demon Roar God?_ thought Hank. _Never heard of that before…_

"What do you think?" asked Snitch, who now sounded a great deal more sinister than he did before. "He'll rip you a new one!"

"Let him try!" laughed Hank. "He's hardly the strongest Fiend I've ever seen."

"Yeah?" said Snitch, placing a card in his Disk. "Well, I'll toss down a facedown card for later. It's your move…"

Hank made a draw, and looked at it.

"I think I'll activate it now!" exclaimed Snitch.

His facedown card lifted, showing a Continuous Trap. It bore a frightening image of an armored Fiend appearing in a summoning circle.

"It's a rare Trap called Spell-Sealing Sigil," he said. "Now, I get to name one type of Spell Card, and for as long this Trap is in play, that type of Spell is off-limits for both of us.

"I'm naming Quickplay Spells."

_What the…_ thought Hank. _That means he knew about my Curse-Returner Hitogata… He came prepared._

"And all I gotta do to keep it," continued Snitch, "is make sure I've got a Light-Attribute Fiend on my field during each of my own End Phases."

"Light-Attribute Fiends are pretty hard to come by," replied Hank.

"Take a look," said Snitch, pointing to Galbath. "I got one already. And he ain't the only Demon Roar God. There are more, and they're all Light Fiends. No-one is quite sure why that is, but some folks think that they used to be fallen angels before they were Fiends."

Hank looked at his hand.

_Well,_ he thought, _whoever told him about my cards was a little misinformed…_

He played a card.

"I summon Ashoka Pillar!" he shouted.

With a rumble, the tall, thin, stone tower rose out of the ground. (0 ATK)

"And just what are you gonna do with that?" laughed Snitch. "You can't use your Curse-Returner! When I smash it, you'll lose 2,000 Life Points!"

"We'll see about that," said Hank. "I play the Equip Spell, Spirit Mask."

He played another card, and a large, colorful tiki mask bonded to the apex of the tower.

"And what does that do?" asked Snitch.

"If this Monster is destroyed with Spirit Mask," explained Hank, "its controller has to discard one card."

Snitch burst out laughing.

"Of all the idiotic…" he laughed. "That has to be the dumbest…"

Hank flipped a card in his hand around, and Snitch stopped short.

"…that has to be the smartest move I've ever seen…" said Snitch, nervously.

Hank played the card, and Creature Swap appeared on his side of the field. Instantly, both Monsters switched places, Demon Roar God Galbath appearing on Hank's side of the field, and Ashoka Pillar appearing on Snitch's.

"Need I remind you," said Hank, "Ashoka Pillar also has zero Attack Points."

"Hold on!" shouted Snitch.

"Now, let's battle!" shouted Hank. "Galbath, tear down Ashoka Pillar!"

Galbath twirled the ball and chain over his head, and hurled it at Ashoka Pillar, smashing it into shards of rock. Snitch groaned and shielded himself.

"And don't forget, you lose 2,000 Life Points from its effect," continued Hank.

The goblin screamed as lightning struck him.

"And also don't forget," said Hank, as Snitch started to get up, "you have to toss one card due to Spirit Mask's effect."

Snitch grinned a little.

"Actually…" he said, taking a card from his hand, "it would be my pleasure…"

He discarded it.

_Huh?_ thought Hank. _What just happened?_

**(H: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)**

He looked at Snitch.

"I've wiped out almost half your Life Points in one turn," he said. "That Spell-Sealing Sigil hasn't done you any good so far. So why don't you tell me who gave it to you?"

"No," said Snitch, drawing a card. "Besides, who said _anyone_ gave it to me? Maybe I just pulled it.

"And by the way, you might like to know that the Monster I discarded because of your Spirit Mask was a Level 6 Monster called Demon Roar God Solcius.

"And when he's in my Graveyard, I can toss two cards…"

He quickly discarded Magical Mallet and Bark of Dark Ruler.

"…to bring him to the field!"

In an eruption of light, a new Fiend appeared in front of Snitch. It was a large, muscular creature, with batlike wings and a long, snaky tail, wearing a black breastplate with a golden design, black pants, and a golden mask over his otherwise human face. (2,200 ATK)

"Ho boy," said Hank.

"Next, I Normal Summon Demon Roar God Kushano," continued Snitch.

In another waft of light, a new Fiend appeared who looked like an academia-type. He wore a formal black jacket and trousers with silver designs and spectacles, had unkempt, long, white hair, and white, feathered wings. He carried a large, leather-bound tome with a skull on the cover. (1,100 ATK)

Snitch looked at the last card in his hand.

_I'll save this for later,_ he thought.

"Solcius," he said, "wipe out Galbath with prismatic orb!"

The Fiend put his hands together, and formed a globe of multicolored lights. He hurled it, and Galbath was blown into gibbets of light.

"All right, Kushano, attack the guvnor directly."

Kushano adjusted his glasses, and fired a beam of energy from them, striking Hank.

"Ergh…" he groaned.

"That's my move, guvnor," said Snitch.

**(H: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,500)**

_Seems this guy is better than I thought he'd be,_ thought Hank, drawing a card.

He looked at the Monster on the card he had drawn.

"I play Stonehenge," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I get to bring Ashoka Pillar back from the Graveyard."

The standing stones of Stonehenge surrounded the two duelists, and Ashoka Pillar reappeared. (2,200 DEF)

"I play a facedown, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind Asoka Pillar.

"You think that oversized street lamp can protect you?" asked Snitch.

He drew a card.

"Trap activate," exclaimed Hank.

"Huh?" said Snitch, as the facedown card lifted.

"Rock Bombardment!" shouted Hank. "Now, by sending a Rock-Type Monster from my deck to my Graveyard, I get to inflict 500 points of damage!"

A large catapult manned by two soldiers appeared behind him. One of them lowered the basket, and the other loaded the Crystal Skull into it.

The first one pulled the lever, sending Crystal Skull shooting towards Snitch. He tumbled over as it beaned him on the head.

He slowly got up.

"Oh, aren't we clever…" he growled. "I summon Demon Roar God Urstos!"

With a cackling laugh, a hideous creature appeared next to the other two Demon Roar Gods. It was a skeleton, garbed in a tattered, black cloak, with rotting, molted, feathered wings. (1,500 ATK)

"This guy's effect comes into play whenever I have two or less cards in my hand," explained Snitch, "and as you can see, I only have one. Now, every Demon Roar God I 'ave gains 400 more Attack Points."

Solcius grew to 2,600 Attack Points, Kushano rose to 1,500, and Urstos rose to 1,900.

"Now let's see how you like it… Solcius, destroy Ashoka Pillar!"

Solcius blasted his prismatic orb, and Ashoka Pillar was blown into pebbles for the second time.

"And now, you get a taste of yer own medicine!" laughed Snitch.

Hank groaned as the lightning struck him.

"But what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger," replied Hank. "You see, because I just took damage from the effect of a card I control, I can Special Summon…

"…my Anubian Soldier!"

An explosion of sand burst from where Ashoka Pillar had been, and a tall, humanoid form rose out of the ground. It was a muscular man wearing Egyptian-style armor, holding a crescent-bladed battle-axe. He had the head of a black-furred jackal, the likeness of the Guardian of the Dead, Anubis. (1,000 ATK)

"Big deal!" laughed Snitch. "That's weak!"

"Yeah?" asked Hank. "He gains Attack Points equal to the amount of Life Points I had to lose to summon him."

Anubian Soldier glowed with dark energy. (3,000 ATK)

"WHAT?" shouted Snitch. "Rowan never told me about this!"

"Who's Rowan?" asked Hank.

"Uh, nobody…" muttered Snitch. "I move Kushano into Defense Mode, and end my turn."

Kushano knelt, and folded his wings over his chest. (800 DEF)

**(H: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,000)**

"I draw one card…" said Hank, making a draw.

He looked at the card, which was Cabrera Stone.

_Can't use this right now,_ he thought.

"And then my Anubian Soldier attacks Demon Roar God Urstos!"

The jackal-headed Warrior rushed at the skeletal Fiend, and made a savage slash with its axe. Urstos let out a loud cackle, and then burst into an explosion of bones and shards of cloth.

"Ergh…" muttered Snitch.

Both of his other Monsters' Attack Scores fell to their original scores.

"I throw down a facedown, and end my turn," said Hank, as a reversed card appeared.

**(H: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,900)**

_Criminy,_ thought the goblin, making a draw. _This is harder than I thought it would be…_

"I set a Monster," he said, "and move Solcius to Defense Mode as well."

He quickly played his last card. A set Monster appeared, and Solcius knelt and folded his own wings over his chest. (2,100 DEF)

"My move now," said Hank.

He drew a card.

_Just what I needed,_ he thought.

"I sacrifice my Anubian Soldier…" he said.

Anubian Soldier vanished into grains of light…

"To Special Summon his master… King Scorpion!"

Lightning flashed, and a powerful, muscular man with bronze skin appeared in his place. He was bare-chested, with leather trousers, wearing bronze gauntlets and a helmet with a scorpion design on the crest. He held a kopesh sword in his right hand, and a large shield with a scorpion painted on it in his left. (3,000 ATK)

"I don't get it," said Snitch. "You sacrificed one Monster to summon one with the same amount of Attack Points?"

"King Scorpion's Attack Points are the same as whatever Anubian Soldier had when I sacrificed it," explained Hank. "And he gains effects depending on how powerful he is. If he has 2,000 Attack Points or more, he inflicts trampling damage. 3,000 or more, and he can dodge any Spell or Trap that targets him."

"Trampling damage??" gasped Snitch.

He looked at Kushano.

"Oh no…"

"Attack Demon Roar God Kushano!" shouted Hank.

King Scorpion made a swipe with his kopesh, and the Demon Roar God exploded, knocking Snitch over.

"My turn is over," said Hank.

**(H: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 700)**

"I'm not finished yet," said Snitch, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"First I set this," he said, as a facedown card appeared.

"Then I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped up. Morphing Jar appeared, and let out a cackle. (700 ATK)

Hank discarded Cabrera Stone, and made five draws. Snitch discarded his one card, and drew five times.

"Now," said Snitch, "since this Trap Card of mine seems to have been nothing more than a waste of time, I'll use this…"

The card he had just set lifted up.

"Magic Planter. I'll send Spell-Sealing Sigil to the Graveyard, to draw two more times."

The Trap Card vanished, and he made two draws.

Then he chuckled.

"Even better," he continued, "since we can use Quickplays again, I can use Mystik Wok."

He played a Spell Card, and Demon Roar God Solcius vanished into grains of light.

"Now I gain 2,200 Life Points.

"Next, I'll summon Demon Roar God Raven."

He played the card, and a new Fiend appeared. This one was dressed in black armor with a skull design on the breastplate, and a helmet that covered his face like a cowl. His wings were attached to his forearms, and looked like blades. (1,300 ATK)

"Raven here is Level 2," said Snitch, "but for each card that I toss, he gains one Level for one round, and also gains 400 Attack Points."

He quickly discarded two cards, and Raven glowed with an aura of Light. (2,100 ATK)

_He could only have one reason for changing its Level,_ thought Hank. _A Synchro Summon… But what Synchro Monster could he have that could beat King Scorpion's Attack Score of 3,000?_

"And that's not all," continued Snitch. "The two Monsters I discarded are two guys named Demon Roar God Rulee. And when they go from my hand to the Graveyard, they go to the field next."

In two small bursts of light, two little imps with bat-like wings, big smiles, and red masks over their eyes appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (400 DEF x2)

"Up next," he said, as a Spell Card appeared, "I play Monster Gate. First I gotta sacrifice a Monster. So, I'll get rid of Morphing Jar…"

Morphing Jar vanished.

"Then I pick up cards from my deck until I reach a Monster. Then I Special Summon it."

He took a card from his deck.

"And I got just what I needed! Meet Demon Roar God Grimro!"

The Fiend that appeared this time clearly looked more like a fallen angel than a true Fiend. She (it was clearly a female) was a dark woman dressed in a black gown made of black feathers, with dark hair, pale skin, and large, black, feathered wings. (1,700 ATK)

"Just how many of these guys are there?" asked Hank.

"The best is yet to come," chuckled Snitch. "I Tune Raven and Grimro together!"

The two Demon Roar Gods spread their wings, and flew into the night sky. Hank felt a strange sense of foreboding as they split into eight stars, which quickly vanished.

Then a portal started to open…

A hulking, intimidating form started to walk out of the portal. It was a broad-shouldered Fiend dressed in sinister-looking, but elaborately decorated shogun armor, colored black, red, and gold, with many sharp edges. His wings were seemingly made of steel, and seemed to be part of the armor itself.

"Meet Demon Roar God Valkyurus," said Snitch.

(2,900 ATK)

"He still can't beat King Scorpion," replied Hank, narrowing his eyes. "He comes up 100 points short."

"Can he now?" asked Snitch, playing another card. "I play Banner of Courage. Now, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain 200 more Attack Points.

"So… Valkyurus… Take down King Scorpion!"

Valkyurus lifted his hand, and a flaming katana blade appeared in it. He let out a roar, his Attack Score rose to 3,100, and he charged at King Scorpion.

"Not so fast!" shouted Hank, as his facedown card lifted up. "I activate a Trap!"

The Trap Card was a very elaborate one, which showed an old fashioned, black and white picture of a man being held by his ankles over a castle parapet.

"It's called Blarney Stone," he said. "Legend says that kissing the Stone brings good fortune, and a kiss from this Trap brings luck to any Earth Monster, making him invincible in battle."

Valkyurus's sword slammed into King Scorpion, but the Warrior resisted it.

Snitch placed his last card into his Disk.

"I set this," he said, "and I end my turn."

**(H: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,900)**

Hank drew a card and looked at it.

_Okay…_ he thought.

"Trap activate," said Snitch.

"Huh?" said Hank.

"It's called Gamble," said Snitch, as his facedown card activated. "Since you have six cards, and I have none, I get to toss a coin. If I call correctly, I get to draw five times."

"You realize what's gonna happen if you call wrong, right?" asked Hank.

"Yeah, I'll have to skip my next turn, and I'll lose the duel," said Snitch, holding up a coin. "But I'm feeling mighty lucky today…

_Even more than you could ever believe,_ he thought, looking at the coin.

It looked like a Euro, but it was actually a fake, two-headed one that he had gotten from a novelty store catalogue. Normally, a Duel Disk was programmed to detect such fakes, but the person who had given Snitch this Disk had tampered with that feature.

"It's heads!" he shouted, tossing it.

The coin spun in the air, and he caught it, slapping it on his wrist. Hank's eyes narrowed a little…

"Heads it is," said Snitch.

Even if Hank suspected that the move had been underhanded (and he did), he wasn't going to waste time challenging it. He knew that this guy would likely use a fast move to switch the coin for a regular one before he could inspect it. He was full of suspicion already anyway about this whole deal.

As Snitch drew five cards, Hank looked at the cards in his hand.

_If I attacked one of those Rulee, I could bring him down to only 300 Life Points,_ he thought. _But with Valkyurus on the field and his Banner of Courage in play, I'd lose King Scorpion on his next turn, and I can't have that…_

"King Scorpion, destroy Demon Roar God Valkyurus!"

The powerful king made a slash with his blade, cutting down the evil Fiend, who was blown into slivers of brilliant light. Snitch shielded himself.

**(H: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,800)**

"Not bad, guvnor," chuckled Snitch. "But now it's time to bring out my best…"

_Valkyurus wasn't his best?_ thought Hank, in disbelief.

He made a draw.

"I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted. "Guess who's back…"

The fiery, glowing ankh appeared, and Valkyurus appeared again. (2,900 ATK)

"But he isn't staying," he continued. "I'm just gonna use him to summon someone even better.

"And it all starts with this guy… Demon Roar God Mihztorji."

He flipped a card in his hand around.

"See, he's a Tuner himself, but I can use him a different way. If I send him to the Graveyard…"

He discarded the card.

"…I can treat any other Demon Roar God on the field as a Tuner. So I'm gonna do that with one of my Rulee.

"And that lets me Tune all three of my Monsters together…"

All three of the Fiends flew into the sky, turning into a cluster of stars. Fog started to rise on the street, and Hank's eyes opened wide.

"That's ten Levels worth of Monsters!" he shouted.

"That's right!" laughed Snitch, as a large object appeared in front of him.

The large object appeared to be a granite throne, its back to Hank. Slowly, it rotated, showing another powerful-looking Fiend reclining on it. He was wearing armor and had a hair style each resembling the visual kei fashions, covered with decorated gold and crimson, with a mask over his eyes, and large, leathery wings on his back.

He yawned, and stretched, and stood up. (3,000 ATK)

"Meet the lord of the Demon Roar Gods," chuckled Snitch. "Demon Roar God Levuathan!

"And thanks to my Banner of Courage, he has enough firepower to atomize your King…"

Levuathan's eyes glowed with crackling energy. Thunder clapped. He lifted his hand, and lightning fell from the heavens, falling to his palm, and his Attack Score rose to 3,200. Then he hurled the lightning forward, and King Scorpion groaned before being blasted into shards.

"So much for him," said Snitch. "I'll set a facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared in front of him.

**(H: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,800)**

Hank glared at Snitch and drew a card.

_I wasn't sure before, but now I am,_ he thought. _Synchro Monsters are rare enough as it is… Level 10 ones are not cards that would ever be found in the hands of any goblin tipsters. This whole thing was a setup._

I'd better beat this guy and find out why…

"First, I play a facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then, I play the Spell Card, Valley of Kings."

A Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"Now, by removing a Level 8 Monster in my Graveyard from play, such as King Scorpion, I get to Special Summon three Monsters from it, so long as all three of them have zero Attack Points."

He quickly pocketed the King Scorpion card, and three surges of energy appeared on the field. Crystal Skull appeared first (0 DEF), then Ashoka Pillar (2,200 DEF), then Cabrera Stone (0 ATK).

"You just summoned your Crystal Skull!" shouted Snitch. "You know what that means!"

Hank groaned a little as the Crystal Skull glowed with eldritch energy and it shocked him.

**(H: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,800)**

"Since I played Valley of Kings," he said, "I'm not allowed to use any other Spell Cards or summon any other Monsters this turn. So I'll end my turn."

Snitch grinned as he drew a card.

_Your strategy couldn't be more obvious,_ thought the goblin. _You're planning to use Triangle-O next turn. The facedown card is likely a Trap that will protect those three Monsters… Most likely Totem Pole._

Well, you'd win the duel… If I let you use it…

"I play Card Destruction!" he exclaimed, playing a card. "Now, we each have to ditch all the cards in our hands and draw an equal number!"

Hank closed his eyes as he discarded the five cards he had, and made five draws. Snitch discarded his two cards, and drew two.

_Hmm,_ he thought, looking at them. _I can't get rid of Totem Pole with these… So I guess I'll just have to force him to use it up._

"Levuathan… Destroy his Cabrera Stone!"

Levuathan called lightning to his hand again, and shot it towards the artifact. Hank gestured, and his Trap Card lifted up, which was indeed Totem Pole. The tall, wooden monolith shot out of the ground, and the blue carved face shot forward, deflecting the blast.

"Fine, fine," said Snitch. "But you can only use that thing two more times, and those three Monsters are a liability to you now."

"So you say," said Hank. "It's my move!"

He quickly made a draw.

_Got her,_ he thought, looking at it.

"I summon Counselor Lily!" he exclaimed.

He quickly played the card, and a tall female appeared, with long, curly red hair, dressed in a long, white coat, with eyeglasses, and large, feathered wings on her back. She held a pen and a clipboard. (400 ATK)

"Eh?" said Snitch. "That there's Injection Fairy Lily…"

"No she isn't," corrected Hank. "Not anymore. She was called that when she was younger, when she a nurse. But she continued her studies, and received a promotion, becoming a counselor, an administrative position. Now she's Counselor Lily.

"And she has greater powers than before… She's a Tuner now.

"Okay, Lily… Let's Tune up this duel!"

Lily nodded, and spread her wings. She flew upwards, and Crystal Skull, Ashoka Pillar, and Cabrera Stone appeared behind her. All four Monsters turned into eight glowing stars…

"I Synchro Summon the legendary guardian of Crete," said Hank, as a hulking form arose behind him. "I call forth Talos the Iron Titan!"

A huge creature appeared next to Hank, standing fifteen feet tall. It was a humanoid made entirely or iron, cast in the shape of a man in Spartan-style armor, holding a short (relative for its size) sword in its right hand. Its eyes glowed with a fiery light, as if there was a core of flames inside it. (2,500 ATK)

"Heh," chuckled Snitch. "Levuathan is stronger than that guy…"

"Oh really?" said Hank. "Well, why don't I activate Lily's effect? Since she was used as the Tuner to summon it, I can spend 500 Life Points, and Talos gains 1,000 Attack Points this round."

Talos glowed with a powerful aura. (3,500 ATK)

"And then I'm using Talos's effect," continued Hank. "By destroying one of my own cards this round, it can destroy one of yours. So I'll get rid of Totem Pole, and take out your Trap Card!"

Totem Pole shattered, and Talos breathed a stream of fire at the facedown card. The Mirror Force – because that was what it was – lifted up, and was burned to a crisp.

_Another incredibly rare card,_ thought Hank. _This guy has some explaining to do…_

"Talos…" he ordered, "destroy Demon Roar God Levuathan!"

The Iron Titan charged forward, causing the ground to tremble with each step. It smote the Demon Roar God with its mighty blade, and an explosion of light lit up the street as the Fiend was blasted out of existence.

"You activated Levuathan's effect!" shouted Snitch. "When he bites the big one, I get to recover _three_ Demon Roar Gods from my Graveyard!"

Three cards fell out of his discard slot, and he took them.

"Well, my turn isn't over," replied Hank. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the ankh appeared again. Ashoka Pillar appeared again. (2,200 DEF)

"Ashoka Pillar?" laughed Snitch. "Why'd you bring that thing back?"

"I'll show you," said Hank. "I play Double Spell!"

A Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"Now, for the cost of one other Spell Card…"

He discarded a card in his hand.

"…I can use one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I think I'll use your Mystik Wok."

The Mystik Wok card appeared in front of him, and Ashoka Pillar dissolved into grains of light.

"Bet you're sorry you got rid of your Sigil now, huh?"

Hank took his last card, and placed it in his Disk. A reversed card appeared behind Talos.

"End turn…" he said, as Talos fell back to an Attack Score of 2,500.

**(H: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,300)**

"You think you're so smart," growled Snitch, drawing a card. "Well, you aren't!

"I play Magical Stone Excavation! So I'll ditch these two cards…"

He discarded two of the Monsters he had recovered.

"…and get back my Monster Reborn!"

Monster Reborn slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I'll play it!"

The golden ankh appeared, and Levuathan appeared once again. (3,000 ATK)

"And I'll summon back Grimro too!"

He played another card, and Demon Roar God Grimro appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"And finally, since Solcius is in my Graveyard, I'll toss my last two cards to summon him to the field again."

He quickly discarded his remaining hand, and in a blast of light, Demon Roar God Solcius appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

"Quite impressive…" muttered Hank.

"Levuathan, show him who the true Titan is!"

The Demon Roar God's eyes glowed, and his Attack Score rose to 3,200. He blasted his lighting, and Talos the Iron Titan was blown to pieces in an eruption of flames.

"So much for your Iron Titan," chuckled Snitch. "Grimro, attack…"

"You lose, pal," interrupted Hank.

"Say what?" said Snitch.

Then he noticed that Hank had activated his facedown card.

"I activate Curse of Akator," said Hank.

With a glowing surge of powerful energy, the Crystal Skull appeared, hovering over the field.

"What's happening?" shouted Snitch.

"This Quickplay Spell can be activated when a Monster is destroyed after Crystal Skull is used to summon it," replied Hank. "Now, we both lose Life Points equal to Talos's Attack Score.

"Now do you see why I padded my points using your Mystik Wok? Unfortunately, you didn't do the same."

Lightning flashed from Crystal Skull, striking both the duelists. Hank had time to brace himself, but Snitch wasn't so lucky. He tumbled over on the ground.

**(H: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Snitch looked up to see Demon Roar God Levuathan looking at him. The Fiend shook his head with a disappointed look, and then vanished.

The next minute, Hank had grabbed him.

"All right fellah, _talk_," demanded Hank. "Where did you get these cards?"

"From…" gasped Snitch. "From Toys R Us?"

"Don't lie to me, pal," said Hank. "You can't just walk into a store and buy a Level 10 Synchro Monster. Some of those cards would be worth hundreds of pounds on the open market, or thousands on the black market. Not to mention the fact that you knew how a lot of my cards worked. So I want to know what the whole deal is.

"Start talking, or I know an alchemist who'd pay good money for goblin warts."

"All right, all right!" shouted Snitch. "I'll sing! Rowan gave them to me! He's Al-Khazzir's lawyer…"

"So what was the deal?" asked Hank. "Did you want to visit him to slip him a weapon?"

"No…" muttered Snitch. "It's all because of the confession you got from him, which will likely be the biggest piece of evidence at his trial."

He sighed.

"Rowan is under a lot of pressure to get the judge to throw it out. All of the folks that Al-Khazzir named as his benefactors and buyers in that confession… They don't want to go to jail!

"But Rowan can't think of any legal arguments that the judge will listen to that will convince him that the confession can't be used…"

"Of course it can be used," said Hank. "I obtained it as part of a wager in the agreed-upon form of conflict between Shadowchaser and Shadowkind as outlined in the Treaty. It's completely legit."

"Yeah, but…" said Snitch, meekly. "Rowan was thinking… If he could get your signature… On anything, like a permission slip…"

He paused, nervously.

"He could type up a second confession," said Hank, "saying that Al-Khazzir's confession was obtained through an underhanded and illegal method, and then forge my signature on it, to make it look like evidence of a frame-up."

"More or less," squeaked Snitch.

Then Hank laughed. He laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" asked Snitch.

"It wouldn't have worked, pal," said Hank. "He would have been making a pretty serious accusation against a Shadowchaser, so any evidence he had, such as the forged document, would have been subjected to magical examination, and he would have been interrogated using lie-detection magic. Trust me, it would have quickly been exposed as a forgery.

"And once you tell the judge that, he's not going to like it…"

"Wait!" pleaded Snitch. "I can make all this worth your while! I still know where the Silver Hemisphere is!"

"So where is it?" asked Hank.

"Well, uh…" said Snitch. "You'd have to call a place, and ask for a certain person… It's kinda hard to describe, but if you had a pen and a paper, then I could, y'know…"

"Tell you what," said Hank, lifting up a gemstone. "You can do all that when we get to Shadowchaser Headquarters."

Snitch groaned.

"You might as well…" he said. "It's not so bad for a guy like me who has a lot of guys he can rat on…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Neo Domino, it was a quarter to noon.

As Sorsha napped on the mantle, Ember sat in front of her laptop computer, looking through message boards and chat rooms on the internet, trying to find a reference somewhere to a successful deck that had used the maximum number of cards. She had not yet met with any success.

She sighed. She remembered another evening she had spent with her cousin, about six months ago…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Akira's cards were all spread out on the counter. The Lightsworns were definitely not a group with specific membership rules. There were Warriors, one Beast, Spellcasters, Beast-Warriors… But one thing that Ember couldn't help but wonder about was the drawback that all of them seemed to share.

"I dunno, Akira," she muttered. "It seems like a deck that relies a lot on luck. With all of the self-milling, you never know if you're gonna have to toss the important cards."

"Well, the idea is to use that to your advantage," replied Akira. "I always pack three of these…"

He held up a Trap Card. It was Beckoning Light.

"This Trap predates the Lightsworns, but it works with them. You can use it to get any Light Monsters you want from your Graveyard, and that can be much easier than getting them from your deck."

"Assuming that you don't toss the copies of Beckoning Light with the self-milling," replied Ember.

"Well, that's where the laws of probability come into effect," said Akira. "If I have three copies of Beckoning Light, I have a pretty good chance of holding onto at least one. And one is usually all I need."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember sighed. The laws of probability were a big part of Duel Monsters. But you couldn't count on them in this case.

The rules of Duel Monsters said that a deck had to have a minimum of forty cards, and a maximum of sixty, not including the Extra Deck. But you'd have to be crazy to have sixty. Most players stayed as close to forty as possible. If you had too many cards, your chances of drawing the right card when you needed it diminished. You were only allowed to have three copies of each card in your deck, or less in the case of a Semi-Limited or Limited card, and the less cards you had, the better your chances of drawing a card that was essential to your strategy.

_Where do I start?_ she thought.

"Having difficulties, child?" said Jalal's voice.

Ember turned and saw Jalal's phantasmal image, which she was pretty much used to by now.

"I'm sure I'll figure out something," she replied.

"Oftentimes the solution to a problem comes when you aren't looking for it," said Jalal. "Archimedes figured out one problem that was troubling him when he was taking a bath.

"My father was a master of riddles and logic problems… No puzzle was so hard that he couldn't figure it out…"

Ember didn't speak for a minute.

"You know, boss…" she said. "I meant to ask you something… Everyone says you inherited your dad's wealth…"

"Yes?" asked Jalal.

"Well, how did that happen?" asked Ember. "Don't dragons live forever?"

A sad look crossed Jalal's face. A tear fell down his cheek.

"If you'd rather not talk about it…" said Ember, quickly.

Jalal sat down.

"No, child, sometimes I feel I must talk about it," he said. "Dragons don't live forever… I only wish that were so…

"It's quite a tale…"

He took a deep breath.

"My father was one of the greatest of dragonkind. A beautiful gold wyrm, the mere sight of which inspired bards and poets to write epic tales. The name Jamor Stormbringer was a name that was synonymous with majesty and glory."

Ember looked at him hard. Jalal nodded.

"Yes, it's my last name," he said. "I rarely use it these days anymore…

"But anyway, Jamor knew that even dragons must one day die. Before I was even born, he sought true immortality, so that his glory would live in person forever among Shadowkind, and not just in books.

"So, Jamor journeyed to a place where the barriers between our dimension and others were not as difficult to bypass. He discovered an in-between place that held the lair of Athentia the Great Sphinx.

"Now, dealing with Athentia is always incredibly dangerous. They say she is a creature who can trace her roots back to when the Titans reigned as the lords of existence, and her power is incomprehensible. Some seek her out for the great wisdom she holds. But one must be careful, because anyone who comes to her for knowledge must accept her dreaded Conundrum Curse as a payment. This legendary power turns the victim into a living riddle who can do nothing but attempt to solve it until he succeeds. If he can, he is deserving of whatever lore or wisdom was given to him.

"And woe to anyone who receives the Curse as a result of making her angry. These poor retches will likely be cursed forever. Athentia has a cruel streak at times, and has often required these victims to solve paradoxes of near-impossible complexity to gain their freedom.

"But Jamor approached Athentia not with a request for information, but with a bold offer. He challenged her to a contest of riddles. Had Jamor lost, he would have become her slave until he did die. But should he win, Athentia would make him immortal. The Great Sphinx thought she couldn't possibly lose, and accepted.

"And so the contest began. Each of them posed riddle after riddle, each one harder than the last, and each one was answered in kind. After the first day, a small crowd of planar beings had gathered to watch, and after several days, the crowd had grown to great size. Angels learned of the contest and took time from their schedules when they learned that Athentia had met a worthy challenge. Some of the viewers swore they saw Rao himself view from a distance…"

"Rao?" asked Ember.

"The Lord of Reason," replied Jalal. "A great being worshipped by the scholars and sages among Shadowkind. He is one of the greatest logisticians in existence.

"The contest literally lasted weeks, and consisted of thousands of riddles and logic problems posed by each participant. Finally, Athentia missed one, and it was enough for Jamor to claim victory.

"Athentia kept her word. She made Jamor immortal. And she spared him her Conundrum Curse as well, possibly because she figured it would be pointless using it on such a master of riddles.

"All went well for years. The young human maiden whom my father courted was honored when he took her as a consort, and I was born soon after. The years passed, and I grew into a man, and a powerful warrior in my own right.

"But there were other dragons in the world, and many grew envious of my father's glory, as well as his great horde. Dragons have vast riches, and my father was no exception. One exceptionally wicked wyrm named Malys was enraged by the fact that her horde was second best.

"Knowing she couldn't confront my father directly and hope to survive, Malys hired a reeve – a member of a race known for being the highest-priced and most skilled killers among Shadowkind. Promising a rich reward for the death of her rival, Malys sent him to assassinate Jamor Stormbringer.

"But the reeve would take a different approach than most did while slaying dragons. Rather than fight with armor and sword, he would approach under cover of darkness while my father slept, and stab with a blade that was envenomed with a powerful concoction called dragonsbane. It was a rare chemical, and one of the few things that dragons were afraid of; a poison that could deliver a horrible death to any dragon, killing him from within as it literally caused the victim's blood to burn."

Ember's eyes opened wide in fear. But Jalal continued.

"His blade struck, and my father roared as the poison infected his system. I arrived just in time to see the assassin fleeing. I couldn't take time to stop him – my father was in agony.

"He wasn't dying. He was truly immortal, and not even dragonsbane could change that. But I soon wished it had killed him, for his suffering was great. No remedy or medicine I could create could make the pain go away for longer than an hour.

"I worked without sleep for three days. At some point, my attempts to find a cure turned into an attempt to deliver euthanasia to end his suffering. But I couldn't kill him any more than that assassin could. Not with poisons, not with magic… Not even with a sharp blade.

"I dared to cast the most powerful ritual my father possessed, one he never risked using, in an attempt to banish the spell of immortality. In doing so, I drew power from the ley lines that crisscrossed Britain and tied the very land to the core of the magical power of the Earth itself. When I cast the spell, all of Britain shuddered.

"But it failed… The most powerful spell I possessed could do nothing to help him.

"The gift he had gotten was now a curse. I feared he would likely suffer forever. I had only one option left. I garnered the courage to seek out Athentia herself and beg her to take back her gift."

He paused.

"Were you scared?" asked Ember.

Jalal sighed.

"Michiko," he said, "I don't mind telling you that I was petrified. I knew of the horrible curse that befell those who angered Athentia. My father had forbidden me several times as only a parent could from ever attempting what he had done. But no matter how slim my chances were, I saw no other way.

"She was rather annoyed when I made that proposal. I remember the look in her eye when I spoke to her. She was looking at me like she might look at a grilled sirloin rather than someone who wanted to negotiate with her.

"But she did let me negotiate. I was willing to offer anything. I would even offer myself, giving her the prize my father had promised for her victory in that contest, with me in his place. But Athentia said it wasn't so easy. She said that giving immortality was much easier than taking it away, and it was out of her hands.

"The only way my father could lose his immortality was if he gave it to someone else. And he could not be tricked into giving it away via any means of deception, or threatened into parting with it via blackmail or any other means of force. He had to give it entirely via his own free will. He simply had to say the word, and whomever he wanted to receive the gift would get it, at the expense of losing it himself.

"And then she told me to be gone. No price, no Conundrum Curse… She just told me what I needed to know, and told me to leave. To this day, I have no idea why.

"I got back to see my father still in pain. I told him what the Great Sphinx had said, and offered to take myself what I now knew was a gift of incredible risk. He didn't want to, at first, thinking the same fate could befall any who had such a gift. But eventually, he relented, and bestowed his immortality upon me. I comforted him in his last hour, and said he would be avenged.

"I mourned, but not for long. After I laid him to rest, I went to confront his enemy. I took up my armor and sword, and went to confront Malys.

"I wouldn't strike like a coward like that reeve did. I stormed through the front gates of her lair, avoided her traps, and slew her guardians with ease. Then I confronted Malys herself, and attacked the wicked dragon head-on with sword in hand. The battle was long and terrible, as most battles between dragons and knights are wont to be, but finally, I drove my blade through her heart, and she was no more. For her greed, she only got doom.

"But my victory was short lived, for no sooner had I cleaned by blade, than the reeve appeared. Apparently, Malys had not paid him, claiming he had botched the job, and he was going to kill her and take his payment from her corpse. But when he arrived to see us fighting, he decided to watch, and finish off the weakened winner.

"I was exhausted, and in no condition to face him. He stabbed me with the same envenomed dagger that he had killed my father with, which he was planning to kill Malys with.

"I did the smartest thing I had yet done. I played dead.

"The reeve had made two mistakes. The first one was thinking dragonsbane had any special effect on half-dragons, which it didn't. My human heritage saved me from the same fate that almost befell my father. Also, the reeve didn't know that a dagger couldn't kill me. I was immortal now.

"When I recovered, I was the one in possession of my father's vast wealth, and that of Malys as well. That reeve could only take what he could carry from her horde, but I knew how to transport it all. I didn't know what to do with it. I had more money than I could use in thousands of years, and a life that would likely last for longer… I needed to find a use for it, and a reason to exist…

"That, dear Michiko, is how I started the Shadowchasers."

There was silence for a few minutes.

"Did you ever find this… reeve?" asked Ember.

"No, I didn't bother," replied Jalal. "I knew his days were numbered. Regardless of what his interpretation of the facts were, the job he did was botched. And reeves are not allowed to botch a job. Their race is supposed to be the greatest assassins in the world, and if a reeve ever fails, he quickly becomes the target of other reeves.

"I happens to all of them eventually. Reeves may be their own worst enemy as a race…

"Still, I only wish I could have gotten a good look at him… I never saw his face at all, it was obscured by his hood. All I remember were his glowing green eyes, and his horrible laugh that he made when he stabbed me. It made my blood run cold…"

Jalal looked at the computer screen.

"Keep working on it, Ember," he said. "The world of Shadow remains fraught with peril. Dangers like DaPen continue to challenge us, and we must remain ever vigilant…"

He turned, and then slowly started to fade.

Ember sighed, and leaned her head on her hands.

"DaPen," she muttered. "Yeah, yeah…

"Know what I think? I'd wager anything that DaPen's mental powers are a front to hide a body that's frail and weak. For all we know, he may just be a disembodied head in a jar who can't even move outside his stronghold without help."

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Ember had no idea that her comment had been heard by the last person she wanted to hear it.

In his office in Satellite, DaPen himself was leaning his head against his hand, staring at the wall, rather bored at the moment.

Members of DaPen's race did sleep, and they needed to sleep for roughly eight hours out of every twenty-four. But unlike most races, those eight hours didn't have to happen on a daily basis. They could stay awake when they had to, staying awake for days or even weeks at a time. Eventually, when fatigue did catch up to them, they would sleep to replenish their energy, sleeping every eight-hour cycle at once in a deep slumber that lasted days.

Naturally, they were smart enough not to go into this torpor unprotected. Their homes had secret vaults with deadly booby traps that made sure their sleep wasn't disturbed, and only their most loyal servants even knew about their resting areas.

DaPen wouldn't be ready to sleep for a few days now, but he was still bored. An appointment he had just cancelled. One trick he had learned long ago was to use his mental powers to hear any plots verbally made against him within the Neo Domino city limits. If a rival gang or member of Security made a plan against him and spoke it aloud, he'd hear it.

What Ember had said normally wouldn't have qualified. But he was so bored right now, his senses were more acute than normal, so he faintly heard it.

And he didn't like it. He sat up.

"So, the young apprentice thinks I'm helpless does she?" he muttered. "Maybe I should teach her some manners…"

He thought for a minute. What he could do to Ember right now was very limited. She was protected by the magical wards of the townhouse, and he was a great distance away…

But there was one little thing he could do if he put some effort into it… Maybe with a little unwitting help from one of the city's more annoying residents…

He picked up a remote on his desk, and turned the TV on. He turned on the guide section and perused over the listings.

No, there was nothing good on. There wasn't much on at noon anyway, unless you liked the midday news or game shows, which he didn't. He turned it off.

"Okay, then," he said. "Looks like I'll have to go elsewhere for entertainment… And Ember might fit the bill…"

He concentrated, and his eyes started to glow.

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Back at the townhouse, Ember suddenly felt very sleepy.

She lay her head on the desk, and fell asleep.

She started to dream…

_**My goal to make the perfect sixty-card deck had taken an abrupt detour. A strange sleep had overpowered me, taking me into a place where I would start to doubt what was real, or even whether or not I was real. DaPen's strategy was a plan of trickery, more than any malicious attack.**_

_**And I would soon learn that I wasn't the only victim of this plan. Someone else was included in it. I had never met this person, but that would change soon…**_

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**DEMON ROAR GOD RULEE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is discarded from your hand to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD GALBATH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** You can discard one card from your hand to destroy a face-up opposing Monster with a DEF that is lower than this card's ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD GRIMRO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When you control a face-up "Demon Roar God" Monster, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to search your deck for a "Demon Roar God" Monster, except for a "Demon Roar God Grimro", and add it to your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD KUSHANO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,100  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is in your Graveyard, you can discard one "Demon Roar God" Monster from your hand, except a "Demon Roar God Kushano", to add this card to your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD RAVEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can discard any number of cards from your hand. For each card discarded by this effect, increase the ATK of this card by 400 and increase its Level by 1 until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD VALKYURUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,900  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** _"Demon Roar God" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters._

Once per turn, you can discard 1 Fiend-Type Monster from your hand. Draw one card.

_Note: The proceeding six Demon Roar God Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States. (Note that Demon Roar God Monsters are NOT Archfiends. There are several words in Japanese that can be translated to mean "Demon" and the word that means "Demon" that makes certain cards Archfiends is a different word than the one on the Demon Roar Gods.)_

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**DEMON ROAR GOD URSTOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When you control this card face-up on the field and you have 2 or less cards in your hand, all "Demon Roar God" Monsters you control gain 400 Attack Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD SOLCIUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,100

**Card Description:** Activate this card's effect by sending two cards in your hand to the Graveyard, except for a "Demon Roar God Solcius". Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD MIHZTORJI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** Activate by sending this card in your hand to the Graveyard, and selecting one "Demon Roar God" Monster you control. Until the End Phase of the turn, the selected Monster is treated as a Tuner Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEMON ROAR GOD LEVUATHAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _"Demon Roar God" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters._

When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, activate by selecting three "Demon Roar God" Monsters in your Graveyard. Add the selected Monsters to your hand.

_Note: The proceeding five Demon Roar God Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 5: Champions of Chaos" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**SPELL-SEALING SIGIL (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** Demon Roar God Valkyurus appearing inside a summoning circle.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, declare either Equip Spell, Continuous Spell, Quickplay Spell, Field Spell, or Ritual Spell. Neither player can activate Spell Cards of the declared type while this card is face up on the field. If you do not control a LIGHT Fiend-Type Monster during your End Phase, destroy this card.

**SPIRIT MASK (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A colorful, African spirit mask.

**Card Description:** When the Equipped Monster is destroyed, its controller selects 1 card from his hand, and sends it to the Graveyard.

_Note: "Spirit Mask" was first used by Yanagi in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Facility (Part 1). Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TALOS THE IRON TITAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Rock-Type Monsters_

Once per turn, you may destroy one face-up Spell or Trap Card you control to destroy one card on the field.

_Note: This is an upgrade of a Monster that I first used in "City of Souls", which was a Normal Monster._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ANUBIAN SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned except by its own effect. When you receive damage due to the effect of a card you control, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is Special Summoned this way, increase the ATK of this card by the amount of damage you received.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KING SCORPION (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** ?  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Tributing 1 "Anubian Soldier" that you control. The ATK of this card is the same as that of the ATK that the Tributed "Anubian Soldier" had when it was Tributed. This card gains the following cumulative effects depending on its Attack Score:

* 2,000 or more: When this card attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of a Defense Position Monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.

*** **3,000 or more: This card is not affected by Spell and Trap Cards that target a specific Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**VALLEY OF KINGS (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The entrance to a tomb that has been excavated in the desert.

**Card Description:** You may only use this card when you control no Monsters. Remove from play 1 Monster in your Graveyard that is Level 8 or higher. Special Summon from your Graveyard up to 3 Monsters with zero Attack Points. On the turn you play this card, you cannot activate any Spell Cards except this one and cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon any other Monsters.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLARNEY STONE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** An old-fashioned, black and white picture of a man being held by his ankles over the parapet of Blarney Castle to kiss the Stone.

**Card Description:** Select one EARTH Monster you control. The selected Monster cannot be destroyed by battle until the End Phase of the current turn. (Damage calculation is applied normally.)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CURSE OF AKATOR (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A Mayan shaman in a golden robe and mask, chanting and holding a Crystal Skull above his head, as worshippers kneel before him.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a Monster that was Tribute Summoned using a "Crystal Skull" as a Tribute, or one that was Synchro Summoned using a "Crystal Skull" as a Synchro Material Monster, is destroyed. Inflict damage to both players equal to the base ATK of the destroyed Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_DaPen transports Ember to a dream realm so that she can amuse him. But Ember isn't the only victim. Someone else is there to meet her. And this other duelist happens to be a surprise guest star from the anime!_

_Who is he (or she)? Is this person friend or foe? I'm not telling yet, but it's going to be a wild ride._

"_Dreamsprite" is coming soon._


	22. Dreamsprite

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

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**Dreamsprite**

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_**With psychic powers, it's often hard to differentiate fact from fiction. There are many recognized types of psychic abilities; telekinesis, clairvoyance, precognition… The Black Rose Witch, who had suddenly decided to go public recently, had displayed powerful reality-warping abilities…**_

_**One type of psychic ability that scared people was the possibility of pyrokinesis. In theory, this was the ability to control, and possibly create, fire with your mind. A psychic who could do that, especially if he couldn't control his power, could be even more deadly than the Black Rose Witch.**_

_**But a self-respecting psychic would tell you that this was nonsense. Pyrokinesis did not exist. No psychic could control fire. It was an invention of contemporary science fiction, made famous by Stephen King in his novel, [/I]Firestarter[I].**_

_**Of course, psychics are also not supposed to be able to control the minds of others. I had read somewhere that you couldn't even be hypnotized against your will. But controlling the mind of a person using psychic powers was something that DaPen was certainly able to do, which made us doubt the word of these "self-respecting" psychics.**_

_**I would soon learn that he had even more powers. We had only scratched the surface…**_

Ember was falling.

She was plummeting into a dark, deep void.

Would she wake up before she landed? Most folks assumed that you always did when you dreamed… At least, no-one could ever recall a dream where they had crashed.

There seemed to be a first time for everything.

She didn't exactly crash, but she landed in a rather undignified manner, falling on her behind in the middle of a dark street.

"Ow…" she muttered, rubbing her backside.

She looked around. She got up.

Run down buildings surrounded her. Trash was strewn everywhere. She looked up, and smoke and soot filled the sky.

_Satellite… _she thought. _I'm in Satellite…_

She noticed that her Duel Disk was on her arm. She took the deck, and looked through it. It seemed to be her normal deck.

She reached into her pocket, but her cell phone wasn't there. So much for being able to call for help.

She looked down the street, but she couldn't see past about three-hundred feet. Beyond that was a shadowy void. Distance seemed to be warped beyond a certain point. Was this truly Satellite, or some facsimile of it?

"What do I do?" she muttered. "Am I even awake? Is this real?"

She sat down on the sidewalk. She remembered something that she had learned as a kid – if you're lost, the best thing to do is stay in one place. If you move around, you hinder the efforts of anyone who might be looking for you.

"That's it…" she told herself, nervously. "Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears will likely realize that something happened to me… They'll come looking…

"Besides… Something is bound to happen if I wait long enough…"

She secretly hoped that the "something" wouldn't be someone coming to hunt her down for sport. She still didn't like this place much, despite what Jinx had said to alleviate her fear of it.

She sighed. What does one do when waiting for help to arrive?

"Maybe I can sing _American Pie_…" she muttered.

Then she hit herself on the head.

"Get ahold of yourself, Ember! Now retrace your steps."

She thought for a minute.

"I was at the computer, looking through websites… Then I felt sleepy all of a sudden…"

She paused.

She gave herself a sharp pinch on the arm, hoping it would wake her up. Unfortunately, it didn't.

As she was wondering what to do next, she heard a noise. She had heard it enough to recognize it by now; it was the sound of a D-Wheel.

She watched as the rider drove out of the darkness. The D-Wheel looked incredibly fancy. It was colored black, had what looked like wings on the rear, as well as a rocket engine. The rider was only using a regular engine right now, however.

The rider wore a black helmet, which seemed to be the article of clothing he had that was in the best shape. He wore a dingy, brown, sleeveless jacket over an orange shirt, a pair of run-down jeans, leather boots, and gloves.

He pulled to a stop, and held his head, mumbling something incomprehensible.

"Eh?" said Ember, standing up. "You okay?"

The rider didn't answer right away. He took his helmet off, and Ember got a clear look at him. He was someone who would stand out in a crowd. He seemed about Ember's age or so. His hair, which was held back by a headband, was carrot-red and bushy. What really got Ember's attention was the fact that this guy certainly was not the law-abiding type; his face had no less than three criminal marks on it, one on each cheek, and one on his forehead.

Ember was a little nervous. If she was in the presence of a criminal who had a history of violence…

He looked at her.

"What's a good kid like you doing in a mess like this?" he asked.

Ember paused.

_Okay, not exactly what a mugger would say,_ she thought.

"I… I dunno," she said. "I was asleep… And the next thing I know, I'm here?"

"You too?" he asked.

He dismounted his bike.

"I remember dozing off too," he said. "Next thing, I know, I'm driving my bike without a clue where I'm going."

"Do you think we're both dreaming?" asked Ember.

He shrugged.

"Maybe," he said. "Or maybe one of us is dreaming, and the other is just part of the dream."

He chuckled a little.

"Man, do you think that could be possible? That one of us could be just a flight of fancy, and not even know it?"

Ember laughed nervously, and sat down again. The youth sat down too.

"The name's Crow, by the way," he said, extending his hand.

"Eh," said Ember. "How'd you get a name like that?"

"It's the name I chose for myself," said Crow, now a little annoyed. "That okay with you?"

"Just asking!" said Ember. "I'm sorry…"

"I used to be a big guy in Satellite…" said Crow. "The called me Crow the Bullet. Heh, more stuff happens in this place than the folks across the bay could ever imagine…"

"Uhm…" said Ember. "You wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you? Specifically, I mean."

"Not sure," said Crow, looking around at the buildings. "I thought I knew Satellite like the back of my hand, but this place seems to be a jumble of several parts of it.

"Hmm…"

He looked at Ember's Disk. Then he got up and walked over to his bike again.

"Got an idea," he said.

"I'm listening," said Ember.

"_Disengaging Duel Disk,"_ said the D-Wheel.

The Disk clamped to Crow's gauntlet. It looked like a standard Disk, except that it was made of black metal with silver trim.

"Wait, you want to duel me?" asked Ember.

"Well…" said Crow. "The way I figure, neither one of us is gonna get any answers until one of us wakes up. And just sitting here doing nothing isn't gonna lead us to that. We're both duelists… Can you think of anything better to do?"

Ember hesitated. Didn't Jinx say that the next time she dueled, she'd have to use the rules of Heavy Slump?

No… Only when she dueled in the service of the Shadowchasers. This would just be a friendly duel.

She shrugged, and got up.

"Okay…" she said. "But… No strings attached…"

"Hey…" said Crow. "I only hurt folks who have it coming to them, and you seem like a decent sort, unlike most of the folks here…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, DaPen was not only watching, but he was projecting the scene in front of him like a holographic projection. His two bodyguards had come in and shown an interest in this, so he saw no harm in letting them watch.

"This should be amusing," said DaPen. "My dream manipulation should manifest in both of them long enough for them to have a complete duel before either wakes up.

"If Ember loses, she'll hopefully learn a little respect, and maybe she'll be demoralized as well.

"And if that annoying thief loses, even better. Anything that leads to him being humiliated makes me happy. I can't stand him."

"What'd that guy ever do to you?" asked one of the bodyguards.

DaPen puffed on his cigar a few times before answering.

"You have no idea what that vigilante has put me though," muttered the crime boss. "My men lift something from Godwin's men, he lifts it from my men. If one of my men says he's in charge of an area of Satellite, this guy challenges him to prove it.

"I've tried to recruit him, but he won't give me the time of day. He just doesn't like _anyone_ who tries to enforce his will over others in Satellite, not Security, not the crime circles, no-one."

"Hey, Vince," said the other bodyguard. "I'll bet you a Whatchamacallit that Crow beats her skirt off."

The first bodyguard put a candy bar on the desk.

"You're on!" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Let's do this…" said Crow.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Crow: 8,000)**

"I always say," he said, "ladies first."

"I gotta ask," said Ember, as she drew her first card, "just how did someone like you get arrested?"

"Oh, this and that," muttered Crow. "Breaking and entering, larceny, burglary, safecracking… Anything I could do to get money out the hands of the slave drivers who push the good folks in Satellite around and get into the hands of the ones who deserve it.

"Sure, the law is always after me because of it… But in these times, often what the law says is right and what is truly right are two entirely different things."

Ember looked at him for a minute. She looked at the cards in her hand.

"Uhm…" she said. "I guess I'll just set a Monster for now…"

She set a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Crow drew a card, and looked over his hand.

"I'll start by playing the Continuous Spell Card, Black Whirlwind," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"Uh…" said Ember. "Interesting name. What does that do?"

"Simple," replied Crow. "Every time I summon a Blackwing, I get to search my deck for one that's a lower Level."

"Blackwing?" said Ember in surprise. "What are they?"

Crow grinned.

"Want to see?" he said.

He played a card.

"Since you control a Monster, and I don't, I can Normal Summon this one without a sacrifice. Meet Blackwing – Sirocco the Dawn!"

In an aura of shadowy energy, a tall Winged Beast appeared, hovering in the air in front of Crow. It was a bird man with black feathers, taloned feet, both arms and wings, claws on his arms, and the head of a bird of prey. Its only article of clothing was a fancy collar that formed a small vest. (2,000 ATK)

"Like I said," he continued, taking his deck, "I now get to use Black Whirlwind to get a lower Level Blackwing."

He pulled a card from his deck.

"And since I have one Blackwing on the field, I can Special Summon it! Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind!"

An intense windstorm erupted over the field, and a new Winged Beast appeared. This one was smaller than the first one, had midnight blue feathers over its whole body, and a green plume on its head and the back of its neck. (1,300 ATK)

"Sirocco, attack!" he commanded. "Feather blast!"

Sirocco the Dawn lifted its wing, and a gust of wind mixed with black feathers shot towards Ember's Monster. UFO Turtle appeared on the card, and was blown into scrap metal.

"You triggered its effect!" shouted Ember. "I get to Special Summon another low-powered Fire Monster… Like another UFO Turtle."

A second of the fiery Machines appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"In that case," said Crow, "I end my turn…"

He looked at another Monster in his hand.

_If she is asleep,_ he thought, _what I have planned next round should wake her up…_

Ember made a draw.

"I move UFO Turtle to Defense Mode…" she said.

UFO Turtle withdrew its head and limbs into its shell. (1,200 DEF)

"Then I'll set a new Monster, and set a card facedown," she said.

A reversed Monster, and a reversed card appeared.

"That's all," she said.

Crow made another draw.

"I summon Blackwing – Bora the Spear!" he exclaimed.

In another windstorm, a new Blackwing appeared. This one had a human torso, bare-chested, taloned legs, black-feathered wings on its back, and a bird's head with an orange plume. It carried a huge, black lance. (1,700 ATK)

"I use the effect of Black Whirlwind," he said.

He took a card from his deck, and reshuffled.

"Now, as you probably can guess," he continued. "My friends here all have some keen effects. Let's start with Gale…"

Gale the Whirlwind spread its wings, and a fierce wind started to buffet UFO Turtle. It groaned, and its scores fell to (700/600).

"It can cut a Monster's scores in half?" asked Ember.

"Yup," said Crow. "Next, I use Sirocco's effect. When he's on the field, I can add up the Attack Scores of all my Blackwings, and give one Blackwing the sum as its Attack Score for one round. That bonus is going to Bora."

Bora the Spear glowed with a dark shadow… (5,000 ATK)

"Of course, that also means that only Bora can attack this round."

"But that makes no sense!" said Ember. "My UFO Turtle is Defense Mode. Why would you go through so much trouble…

"Unless… Unless Bora's effect…"

"That's right," said Crow with another grin. "It has a trampling effect. And it's about to shish-kebab your UFO Turtle!"

Bora the Spear flew at UFO Turtle, aiming its lance…

However, to Crow's surprise, Bora missed UFO Turtle completely. Instead, it jammed its weapon into Ember, knocking her over.

**(E: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 8,000)**

"HUH?" said Crow. "How did it attack directly?"

Ember got up, holding her chest and sweating. She pointed to her activated Trap Card.

"It's called Martyr's Flame," she said. "I can activate it when you attack a Fire Monster. I take the attack myself instead."

"But then… You should have lost 5,000 Life Points…" said Crow.

"Uh-uh," said Ember. "In exchange for taking the attack, I only have to take half of it. The damage is halved. I would have lost 4,400 Life Points if you had attacked UFO Turtle, but instead, I lost 2,500."

Crow closed his eyes and chuckled.

"Well…" he said. "You aren't bad… So now what?"

He gestured to end his turn. Bora returned to an Attack Score of 1,700, but UFO Turtle's scores remained at their reduced state.

Ember made a draw.

"I flip Flame Ruler into Attack Mode," she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the fiery Pyro in the red jacket and blue pantaloons appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, I sacrifice UFO Turtle…"

The Machine vanished into motes of flame.

"To summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

In a bonfire of flames, the mighty Thestalos appeared in front of Ember. (2,400 ATK)

"Ho boy…" said Crow.

Then his hand of cards glowed, and five large cards appeared in front of them, backs to Ember. Thestalos hurled a fireball at one of them, and it was incinerated in a blast of flame.

"Fortunately…" muttered Crow, "that Monster was only Level 2…"

"Well I'm not done!" exclaimed Ember. "Thestalos, roast Sirocco the Dawn! Flame strike!"

Thestalos threw up its arms, and hurled a blast of fire at the Winged Beast. Sirocco the Dawn burst into an explosion of black feathers.

"Now, Flame Ruler, quell his Gale!"

Flame Ruler blasted a stream of fire at Gale the Whirlwind, and the smaller Blackwing exploded in another burst.

"Ergh…" muttered Crow.

"I'll set a facedown," said Ember, "and that will be all."

A facedown card appeared behind her two Pyros.

**(E: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,200)**

Crow made a draw, and quickly added it to his hand.

"I play Dark Eruption," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I get to recover a Dark Monster from my Graveyard, so long as its Attack Score is 1,500 or less."

Gale the Whirlwind slipped out of his discard slot.

"Uh, that's not good…" said Ember.

She stepped back in shock as Gale appeared again in a blast of wind. (1,300 ATK)

"Next, I use the effect of Black Whirlwind," he said, taking a card from his deck.

"Then, you remember how Gale's effect works, right?"

Gale spread its wings, and Thestalos stepped back as it was buffeted by the fierce winds. Its Attack Score fell down to 1,200.

"Okay, Blackwings!" shouted Crow. "Time to fly!"

Gale and Bora looked at each other, and nodded. Then, they both spread their wings, and flew up into the heavens. Both Monsters glowed with pale light, and then turned into seven glowing stars.

_Lovely…_ thought Ember. _A Synchro Summon…_

"I'm bringing out one of my favorites…" said Crow. "Blackwing – Armor Master!"

With a flourish, a new Monster landed. Unlike the previous Blackwings, this one didn't look like a bird at all. Rather, it looked like a faceless android covered in black armor, with two huge, metal wings that looked like blades. (2,500 ATK)

"If you think Armor Master here looks pretty sharp, that's because it is," said Crow, with a grin. "Armor Master, cut down her Firestorm Monarch!"

The Blackwing flew at the large Pyro, the sheen of its wings glimmering in the dim light…

"I activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Ember.

Her Trap Card shot up, and Armor Master was thrown back as a dome of force shot up. Crow grinned again.

"Then it's your move…" he said.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,200)**

Ember drew a card.

_Great,_ she thought. _I have just what I need…_

"I sacrifice Flame Ruler…" she said.

Flame Ruler vanished in a burst of flames.

"To summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In a great bonfire, the huge, centaurian Pyro appeared, burning with fire. (2,700 ATK)

"Nice…" said Crow.

"Here's something else that's nice," said Ember. "When he's summoned, I can remove up to five Fire Monsters in my Grave from play, to destroy just as many Spell or Trap Cards."

One UFO Turtle fell out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it. The Black Whirlwind card went up in flames, and collapsed into a pile of ash.

"Well… Shoot…" muttered Crow.

"Now for your Monster!" shouted Ember. "Infernal Flame Emperor, destroy Armor Master!"

The Emperor roared, and socked the armored Winged Beast with a fiery fist…

However, Armor Master didn't seem to care in the least. Infernal Flame Emperor, however, howled, and shook his hand in pain.

"What?" asked Ember, in shock.

"All this armor it's wearing isn't just for show, Ember," said Crow. "Armor Master can't be destroyed in battle. In addition, my Life Points aren't hurt if you attack him."

_Okay…_ thought Ember, nervously, looking at the last two cards in her hand. _Not impossible, not impossible…_

She turned a card on her Disk, and Thestalos knelt in Defense Mode. (500 DEF)

"That's all I can do," she said.

"I draw," said Crow, drawing a card.

"Then I attack! Armor Master, attack Infernal Flame Emperor!"

Ember opened her eyes in disbelief, as Armor Master flew up to the Pyro, aiming a punch to his chest. Infernal Flame Emperor wasn't harmed by it, and was seemingly just as confused as Ember was.

"I don't get it…" said Ember. "That was… pointless."

"Oh, it had a point," said Crow. "But you'll have to wait for me to make it. In the meantime, my turn is over."

Ember looked at him hard, and made a draw.

She placed two of her cards on her Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared on her side of the field.

"That's all," she said.

Crow made a draw.

"First, since I already control a Blackwing Monster," he said, "I can Normal Summon Blackwing – Elfen the Pitch-Black without a sacrifice."

In another burst of shadow, a new Blackwing appeared. It looked similar to the first three, but this one not looking as young as the others. Despite its name, its feathers were a shade of grey, and it wore a blue, sleeveless tunic over its chest, and two shoulder pads that looked like epaulets. (2,200 ATK)

"What is this?" asked Ember. "Some sort of swarming strategy?"

"More or less," replied Crow. "And Elfen has a special effect. When it's summoned, I get to change the Mode of one of your Monsters."

Thestalos stood up into Attack Mode. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, you were probably wondering about that 'pointless' attack last turn. Well, when Armor Master attacks a Monster, and doesn't destroy it, it leaves behind something… A Wedge Counter.

"And now I can get rid of that Wedge Counter, and…"

Infernal Flame Emperor groaned, and his limbs sagged. (0 ATK)

"You reduced his Attack Score to zero!" shouted Ember.

"You got it," replied Crow. "And now Armor Master's gonna finish what it started last turn!"

Armor Master flew at Infernal Flame Emperor, and made a slash with its wings, slicing the huge Pyro in half. Ember cringed.

"Elfen, take down her Monarch!" he shouted.

Elfen the Pitch-Black took to the air, and swooped on Thestalos, crushing it in its talons.

"And it's your move…" said Crow, with a smug look.

**(E: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,200)**

Ember quickly made a draw.

"My Trap Card activates," she said, as her facedown card lifted up. "DNA Transplant."

Two glowing double helixes appeared behind Ember.

"Now, I can change the Attribute of all the Monsters on the field to whatever I want. And I chose Fire."

"Huh?" said Crow. "What good would it do you to make my Monsters Fire?"

"I'll show you," said Ember. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Hiita the Fire Charmer!"

Ember's facedown Monster flipped up, and standing there was a young girl with red hair, dressed in a brown jacket, holding a staff with a shining ruby on the end. A small fox was sitting at her feet. (500 ATK)

"She may not look like much," said Ember, "but Hiita can control the element of Fire with ease. What that means is, by Flip-Summoning her, I get to take control of one opposing Fire Monster.

"I think Armor Master will do."

Hiita chanted and cast a mighty incantation. Her eyes glowed with flame. Armor Master looked confused. Then it flew over to Ember's side of the field.

"HEY!" shouted Crow.

"I'm not done," continued Ember. "Next, I summon the Blue Flame Swordsman!"

In another burst of fire, a Warrior appeared. He looked like the Monster that Jonouchi had called his favorite before he had won Red Eyes from Ryuzaki, but his armor and sword were – naturally – blue where the true Flame Swordsman's were orange. (1,800 ATK)

"Armor Master," ordered Ember, "attack Elfen the Pitch-Black!"

Armor Master flew at its former comrade…

"Not so fast!" shouted Crow, as he quickly discarded a card.

As Armor Master closed in, Elfen's Attack Score rose to 3,600, and it swatted away Armor Master with its claw.

\

"What?" asked Ember. "How did it get more points?"

"The card I just discarded was a Blackwing named Qal'at the Moonlight," explained Crow. "By tossing it when another Blackwing battles, that Blackwing gains 1,400 Attack Points.

"You may not have lost any Life Points due to Armor Master's effect, but when you end your turn, you're gonna have to give it back!"

"I don't think so," said Ember. "You see, I get to sacrifice Hiita and one other Fire Monster…"

Hiita and Armor Master vanished into plumes of flame.

"…in order to summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!"

In the two Monsters' place, a new fiery Spellcaster appeared. It was Hiita, but she was older now, dressed more maturely, and her fox was now bigger and fiercer-looking. (1,850 ATK)

Crow chuckled a little.

"Well…" he said. "I see that you're more powerful than I had thought… You managed to take out one of my best Monsters… Not even the Magician's Four were able to do that…"

"Who were they?" asked Ember.

"A group of guys you'd never want to meet," replied Crow. "But anyway…"

He drew a card.

"I was gonna go easy on you," he said. "But I can see that you mean business. So from now on, I'm not gonna give any quarter or expect any!

"I summon a blue, flaming Monster of my own… Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame!"

In a cyclone of blue, fiery wind, yet another Blackwing appeared. It had a larger wingspan and bigger arm talons than the others, and a bright, blue plume. (1,800 ATK)

"Elfen, attack Hiita!" he ordered.

Elfen the Pitch-Black squawked, and flew at the Fire Charmer.

"Not so fast!" shouted Ember. "I activate Blue Flame Swordsman's effect! At any time, I can reduce his Attack Score to increase the Attack Score of another Monster by the same amount.

"So I'll reduce his score by 400 and give it to Hiita!"

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to an Attack Score of 1,400, while Hiita rose to 2,250. Hiita fired a blast of flames from her staff, and Elfen the Pitch-Black was incinerated in a blast of fire.

"In that case," continued Crow, "I'd best deal with him… Shura, attack Blue Flame Swordsman!"

Shura the Blue Flame swooped upon the Warrior, raking him with its talons. Blue Flame Swordsman groaned, and then shattered.

"And when Shura crushes a Monster," continued Crow, "I get to Special Summon another Blackwing from my deck with 1,500 or less Attack Points. So I'll bring out Blackwing – Foehn the Iron Chain."

The Blackwing that appeared this time was a strange one. It was dressed in a black martial arts _gi_, with a mask over the lower part of its face. Its blue plume was tied back in a topknot. It crossed its wings over its chest in Defense Mode. (800 DEF)

"And I activate Blue Flame Swordsman's effect," replied Ember. "When he goes down, I get to bring out the _real_ Flame Swordsman!"

In a fiery flourish, the true Flame Swordsman stepped onto the field, holding aloft his great bronze sword. (1,800 ATK)

"In that case…" said Crow, "I'm finished for now…"

**(E: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 7,150)**

Ember quickly drew a card.

"I activate Emergency Provisions," she said, playing it. "So I'll get rid of my Trap Card, to gain 1,000 Life Points."

DNA Transplant vanished, and she glowed with energy. Then she took the last card in her hand.

"I summon Guard of Flamvell!" she shouted.

She played the card, and a small, fiery Dragon with a scaly hide appeared. (100 ATK)

"And guess what?" she added. "He happens to be a Tuner Monster!

"So I Tune him and Flame Swordsman…"

Guard of Flamvell and Flame Swordsman leapt into the air, and then faded into six glowing stars…

In a fiery burst of energy, Flamvell Urquizas landed on the field. (2,100 ATK)

"Not bad…" muttered Crow.

"Flamvell, barbecue his Shura!" ordered Ember. "Attack with fist of flame!"

Frembell Urquizas slugged the Winged Beast with his molten fist, and Shura of the Blue Flame groaned before exploding into a blast of feathers.

"And now, Urquizas gains 300 more Attack Points," she continued.

(2,400 ATK)

"Now Hiita attacks your other Monster. And due to her own trampling effect, its defending is not gonna protect you."

Hiita fired a blast of flaming energy, and Blackwing – Foehn the Iron Chain was blown to pieces.

"ERGH!" groaned Crow.

**(E: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 5,400)**

"Man…" he said. "If this is a dream, I've really gotta watch what I eat before going to bed…"

"It's your move…" said Ember.

Crow drew a card.

"All right, Ember," he said, "I play my Pot of Avarice Spell Card."

He played the card, and took Armor Master, Sirocco the Dawn, Shura the Blue Flame, Elfen the Pitch Black, and the Monster that Thestalos had made him discard from his discard slot. He shuffled his deck, and then made two draws.

"I'll set a Monster," he said, "and then set a facedown."

A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

Ember quickly drew.

"I have news for you," she said. "Urquizas has a trampling effect too.

"But first, I'll summon my Molten Zombie!"

In another blast of flame, the lumbering, hunched-over Pyro with an ugly face appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Urquizas, crush his Monster!"

Urquizas flew towards the facedown Monster.

"I activate… Fake Feather!" shouted Crow, as his Trap Card flipped up.

"Fake Feather?" said Ember, in shock. "What does that do?"

Crow quickly discarded a Blackwing Monster called Blizzard of the North Pole.

"Simple," he said. "At the cost of one Blackwing Monster from my hand, the effect of this Trap becomes that of one in your Graveyard. Think I'll use that Draining Shield you used a few turns ago…"

The art of the Fake Feather card turned into that of Draining Shield, and Urquizas's fist struck a dome of energy. Invigorating power flowed into Crow.

"I'm not done with you!" shouted Ember. "Hiita, _you_ attack his Monster!"

Hiita blasted a bolt of fire, and a second Bora the Spear appeared on the card before it was burned to ashes. Crow cringed a little.

"Molten Zombie, direct attack!" ordered Ember.

Crow groaned and sweated as the Pyro breathed a cloud of cinders on him.

**(E: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 4,750)**

"Seems I'm in the lead…" said Ember.

"For now…" said Crow. "It's my move…"

He drew a card, and looked at it closely.

"All right, time to try something new," he said. "I play this… The Spell Card, Earthquake!"

The Spell Card appeared, and a tremor struck the whole street. All three of Ember's Monsters stumbled, and then knelt in Defense Mode, Molten Zombie simply collapsing in a heap (400 DEF), Hiita kneeling and holding her staff in her lap (1,500 DEF), and Urquizas kneeling and crossing his arms. (400 DEF)

_Nuts,_ thought Ember. _The biggest problem with Pyro Monsters is, they tend to have weak Defenses…_

"Now," continued Crow, "I play the Spell Card, Against Wind."

The Spell Card flashed into existence.

"Now, I get to recover any Blackwing Monster I want from my Graveyard. The downside is, I take damage equal to its Attack Score."

He glowed with red energy as a card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I'll summon it… Blackwing – Blizzard of the North Pole."

A blast of chilling, Arctic wind blew over the field as a new Blacking appeared. Unlike all the others, this one didn't appear humanoid at all. It looked like a large albatross with black highlights in its wings and plume, which were otherwise white. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, when this guy is summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or less Blackwing from my Graveyard…"

Bora the Spear appeared once again, crouching in Defense Mode. (800 DEF)

"Now, I Tune my two Monsters together… Fly!"

The two Blackwings took to the air, flying over the street again.

_That's only six Levels,_ thought Ember. _He couldn't be summoning Armor Master again…_

"Synchro Summon…" said Crow, "Blackwing – Arms Master!"

A Blackwing flew from above, and this one truly looked like it meant business. Unlike Armor Master, it wasn't covered only by armor, but rather by a combination of feathers and armor, with a black mask over its face, a plume of orange feathers, and large, bladed wings. It held a nasty-looking shotgun in its upper talons. (2,300 ATK)

"Uh… oh…" said Ember.

"And this guy not only can inflict damage by attacking a Monster in Defense Mode," continued Crow, "it gains 500 more Attack Points when it does so."

Arms Master aimed at Urquizas, and its Attack Score rose to 2,800…

Ember cringed as the shot fired, and Urquizas was blown to bits.

"I set a card facedown," said Crow, as a facedown card appeared, "and that will be all."

**(E: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 3,450)**

Ember took some deep breaths.

_Okay, Ember…_ she thought. _You can do this…_

She drew one card.

It was Sakuretsu Armor.

If she was able to use this to get rid of Arms Master, she might have a chance…

She quickly set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown. Then she turned both the cards in her Disk. Hiita stood up in Attack Mode (2,250 ATK) and Molten Zombie did the same. (1,600 ATK)

She nodded.

Crow drew a card.

"You remember Elfen the Pitch-Black, don't you?" he asked.

In another burst of wind, Elfen the Pitch-Black appeared again. (2,200 DEF)

Hiita struggled against the wind, but fell into Defense Mode again. (1,500 DEF)

"Now," said Crow, "I activate Monster Reborn."

He played the card, and the golden ankh appeared. Gale the Whirlwind flew onto the field again. (1,300 ATK)

Then Gale spread its wings again, causing the familiar storm and buffeting Hiita. (750 DEF)

"Now, I activate Ebon Arrow," continued Crow, as his facedown Trap Card lifted.

Arms Master's shotgun vanished, and was replaced by an equally nasty crossbow. The Winged Beast's Attack Score fell to 1,800.

"Yeah, it has to give up 500 points, but since it will gain 500 when it attacks, it's no big deal.

"So, Arms Master, attack…"

Arms Master aimed at Hiita. Then Crow stopped short.

"Heh… Where's my mind?"

He took the last card in his hand.

"Since I have three Blackwings on the field, I can activate this… Delta Crow – Anti Reverse!"

The fiercest wind yet started to blow, and Ember struggled to maintain her footing. Her facedown Trap Card was swept up and blown away.

Arms Master fired his crossbow, and Hiita exploded. Ember screamed as a spectral arrow hit her in the chest.

"Ebon Arrow inflicts direct damage equal to your Monster's original Defense Score," said Crow. "In addition to the battle damage. So that's all she wrote."

Ember fell to her knees.

**(E: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (C: 3,450)**

Ember was gasping for breath.

"I lost…" she said, sadly.

Then Crow put her hand on her shoulder.

"Don't dwell on it," he said with a smile. "You lasted longer than most of the thugs I'm used to dueling around here. Heck, you're even better than most of the Duel Chasers who give me a hard time, although that's really not saying much. You have a lot of promise…"

"I do?" asked Ember.

"Yup," said Crow. "We could have used someone like you way back when… Before everything fell apart…"

And then his hand fell through her shoulder.

"What's happening?" said Ember, looking at her hands.

She was fading away.

"I think you're waking up," said Crow. "Or I am… Look, Ember, you're a good duelist, remember that! If I never see you again, don't give up! Whatever you're planning to do, put everything you've got into it!"

"I will!" shouted Ember. "Thanks…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In DaPen's office, the crime boss leaned his head against his hand.

"I win," said the first bodyguard, picking up the candy bar.

Vince sighed, and looked at DaPen, who didn't look like he was in a good mood.

"What's wrong, boss?" he asked.

"What's wrong?" asked DaPen. "Everything… I had hoped to humble Ember… To dissuade her…

"And instead, I _encouraged_ her. When she wakes up, she'll be more willing than ever to continue…

"Seems I'm going to have to start taking her more seriously from now on… I can't simply play games with this one…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember woke up.

She found herself looking at the computer screen, which was now on screensaver.

She heard a loud rumble, and then realized it was her stomach. She looked at the clock on the computer. One PM. It was past the time she usually had lunch.

"Boris…" she called.

The skull flew into the room.

"You called?" he asked.

"Uh, can you make me a BLT?" she asked.

"Comin' up!" said the chef, and he flew back into the kitchen.

Ember leaned her head on her hand.

_What a weird dream,_ thought Ember. _That was quite a powerful group of Monsters he had…_

_That Black Whirlwind was a pretty powerful Spell Card… If I hadn't destroyed it, it would have let him keep searching for Monsters…_

_Searching for Monsters… Cards that search for Monsters…_

She paused.

Then the idea hit her suddenly.

She moved onto the couch, and took out her boxes full of cards. She looked through them, quickly finding the ones she needed, as very few of them were very rare. Even as Boris brought the BLT, she put card after card into a deck that quickly grew. Monster after Monster, then Spells, then Traps. Then she added some more essential Monsters, the key points of the strategy to this idea.

After an hour of this work, she held it up… She counted…

Sixty. A deck with sixty cards. One that she felt had a solid strategy.

"Success!" she shouted.

_**I had gotten past stage one, at least in my eyes. I had built a deck that I thought would work that had sixty cards in it. And I wouldn't be reckless or careless in doing my test this time. This time, I would do it under the proper supervision, following the proper procedure.**_

_**I owed a lot to the young man who had called himself Crow… The youth who seemed to be the Robin Hood figure of the ruins of Satellite. His words of inspiration and the Spell Card he had used had inspired the deck. I knew that he had not simply been created by my dream, and I made a pact with myself at that point; when I became a full-fledged Shadowchaser and had to go to Satellite alone, I would look him up.**_

_**After all… I wanted a rematch.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GUARD OF FLAMVELL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Tuner  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Flavor Text:** _The guardian warrior of Flamvell who can manipulate flames at will. Creating a red-hot barrier, he rejects the attacks of his enemies._

_Note: "Guard of Flamvell" was released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLUE FLAME SWORDSMAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** You may decrease the ATK of this card (in increments of 100) to increase the ATK of any other face-up Monster on the field by the same amount. This effect may be used during any Phase of the turn, and may be used during your opponent's turn. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Flame Swordsman" from your Extra Deck or Graveyard.

_Note: "Blue Flame Swordsman" was first used by Jonouchi in the original anime episode "Fighting for a Friend (Part 4)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MARTYR'S FLAME (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** St. Joan standing in front of a wounded Hiita the Fire Charmer as Tyrant Dragon prepares to attack.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when 1 of your FIRE Monsters is the target of an attack. Turn the attack into a direct attack on your Life Points. Battle damage you receive by this attack is halved.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_All Blackwing Monsters and support cards that were used in this chapter that have not yet been released will be released either in the "Raging Battle" set or the "Ancient Prophecy" set._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_I'd like to point out to anyone who has seen today's episode that it was pure coincidence that I decided to debut this chapter at this time. As far as the anime is concerned, this occurs shortly (about an hour or so) before Crow meets up with Yusei at the end of Episode 30._

_Coming up next:_

_Ember is ready to do her next test, and in preparation, Shichiro and Jinx take her out to dinner at a local fast food place that's a favorite for Shadowkind. But where's Gears? He'll show up… But first, he gets sidetracked by a mysterious rider on a D-Wheel with strange powers who challenges him to battle, with the promise of answers at the end. What secrets is this stranger hiding? _

"_Union Rider" is coming soon._


	23. Union Rider

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Union Rider**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**After Jinx and Shichiro got back (I'm not exactly sure where they had gone) they were pretty surprised that I had been so quick in putting the deck together. Jinx wanted to help me find a way to get the Heavy Slump test done with as soon as possible.**_

_**Unfortunately, we had a little problem. It seemed to be a rather slow day for Shadow-related felonies. The ophidia were behaving themselves, the orc gangs were quiet, and Satellite seemed a peaceful place for a change.**_

_**By four o'clock, not even a flicker had appeared on the docket. So, Shichiro suggested that we go where things were bound to happen among the Shadowkind community…**_

_**He suggested we go out for cheeseburgers and fries.**_

In all major cities of the world, fast food theme restaurants had come and gone. Not all of them had met the success of giant conglomerates like McDonalds, or MOS Burger, its equivalent in Japan (both chains were well-represented in Neo Domino), but some had left their mark. Pandora's Box was the next likely candidate to do so.

Pandora's Box was the latest hot property. It was owned by Fantastic Foods Inc, a relatively new corporation headquartered in New York, and the franchise was quickly growing, with new storefronts opening at a rate of about one every three days, worldwide.

The first thing you noticed when you entered a Pandora's Box was that the dining area was built to resemble a medieval tavern. But all the staples of a thematic fast food place were there: arcade games, puppet shows, and costumed characters, including the chain's mascot, Marty the Monster (who looked like a cartoon version of a kobold), who had been appearing in commercials, on t-shirts, and would headline a new line of action toys. It was all very commercial (and extraordinarily trite), but it had struck a chord with kids, both human and Shadowkind alike.

And in areas with high Shadowkind populations, local elves, dwarves, goblins, bugbears, and many others creatures of Shadow could easily find jobs at the Pandora's Box simply by being themselves.

The menu consisted of such items as minotaur burgers, spicy roc wings, filet of nixie sandwiches, dryad garden salad, and the ever-popular Monster Meal (rumor had it that the magic toys included with these kids' meals truly _were_ enchanted). However, all this was nothing more than regular fast food fare with thematic names. A plaque hung by the counter in each restaurant, saying, "No sentient beings were harmed in the making of this food".

This had not been the first time Ember had gone to a Pandora's Box for a quick snack, but this was the first time she recognized so many of the customers as Shadowkind. With all the diverse creatures chowing down on burgers and fries, it was almost like a contemporary Mos Eisley Cantina for the big city.

"So, Ember," said Shichiro, "are you sure you're ready to do this test? In a place like this, a problem could come up at any minute…"

"Am I ever," said Ember, tapping her Duel Disk.

Jinx looked at the Disk, which wasn't Ember's normal Duel Disk. It looked bigger, bulkier, and much more high-tech.

"Uhm, correct me if I'm wrong," asked Jinx, "but isn't that one of the new KaibaCorp Duelmaster Prism 10-90 Disks?"

"Calm down," replied Ember. "I'm renting it. See, with this new deck's strategy, I have to shuffle my deck a _lot_, so I figured I'd rent a Disk with an auto-shuffler to save time."

_Let's just hope I get to use it soon…_ she thought.

"And I've made a decision," she continued. "If I pass this test, I'm going to resign my job as Mr. Draco's secretary. I only have three vacation days left, and I guess it would be kind of hard to work for him and be a Shadowchaser at the same time."

"Probably," replied Shichiro.

"So…" continued Ember. "Where's Gears?"

"He'll be here soon," replied Shichiro. "Mistle was feeling better, so he took her to the greenhouse to check on things. Unseen Servants are usually dependable, but they aren't foolproof."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They most certainly were not.

Gears and Mistle had arrived at the greenhouse to find that no less than three of the Servants had malfunctioned while she was gone, and the place was a mess because of it. The three malfunctioning Servants were spilling potting soil, potash, fertilizer, and anything else they could get ahold of. It was rather a hilarious sight – the competent Servants were busy cleaning up each mess, only for the malfunctioning ones to make a new mess, in a vicious cycle that had lasted for who knows how long. Several flowerpots had been broken, two windows were cracked because of it, and Mistle's display of seashell wind chimes that were regularly sent to her by a tribe of merfolk living offshore had been knocked over.

After deactivating the three malfunctioning Servants, Mistle told Gears that she needed to call in some living help to clean this up, and that he'd only be a third wheel. She told him to go to the Pandora's Box without her, so Gears left, saying he'd pick her up later.

Unfortunately for Gears, rush hour had just started, and traffic was heavy. Not to mention the fact that the weather had suddenly gotten incredibly hot all of a sudden. As he stopped at a red light, he took off his helmet to wipe his brow.

He appeared out of nowhere. A rider on a very large and very noisy D-Wheel, one that was jet black, and almost as high-tech as Gears's. Gears quickly took notice of the rider – he seemed to be wearing black armor of some kind that covered him from head to toe, and a black helmet that completely covered his face. He looked like a character in some Japanese live-action superhero TV show.

The rider pulled in front of Gears, and looked at him.

"Hello, Gears," said the stranger, in a voice that seemed incredibly formal.

"Uh, the light just turned green," said Gears.

His eyes narrowed.

"But you don't seem to care, right? How did you know my name? And who are you?"

The stranger took something out of his armor. It looked like a golden pocket watch on a silver fob.

"Who am I?" asked the stranger. "An ally of your enemy. Whether that makes me an enemy too is up for you to decide.

"Let's just say for now I'm a person with a lot of curiosity… And a lot of time on my hands."

They he pushed a button on the top of the watch, and all of a sudden, the whole world froze.

Gears looked around him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It looked like everything had just frozen in place.

The cars had stopped. Pedestrians had stopped in mid-stride. A little girl on the sidewalk who had been eating an ice cream cone had been frozen in mid-lick. Two deliverymen lifting a crate had been frozen lifting it halfway up. Even a group of birds overhead had stopped cold in mid-air.

He dismounted his bike.

"Confusing, isn't it?" asked the stranger.

"What did you do to them all?" demanded Gears.

"Absolutely nothing," replied the stranger, shrugging his shoulders. "The spell I just cast only affects the two of us. I believe that the League of Wizards refers to this as the Tempus Fugit effect…"

"Advanced acceleration…" gasped Gears. "But… That's impossible…"

"Oh, it's very possible," said the stranger. "By warping the temporal field around us, in simple terms, we are now moving so incredibly fast, the rest of the world has, to our point of view, slowed to a halt. No-one else can perceive us, and we cannot manipulate anyone else. We are all alone, in a state of advanced acceleration."

"Doing this would take exceptional magic…" muttered Gears.

The stranger shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm an exceptional wizard," he replied.

Gears looked at him.

"Don't you know what happens when you do things like this?" he asked. "The dangers? How doing things of this nature could attract the attention of a platonic?"

"Don't know, don't care," replied the stranger. "I simply thought it would be the best way for us to have privacy for our Turbo Duel."

"And what if I refuse?" asked Gears. "I suppose you're gonna threaten to leave me in an accelerated state forever?"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh," laughed the stranger. "Boy, _that_ was a good one… Gears, you give me too much credit."

He looked at the pocket watch again.

"There's no way I could make a spell this powerful last for longer than a half-hour from our point of view. And to even make it last that long, I had to enchant this 19th Century gold-plated Swiss timepiece to use as a focus. It's more accurate than a Rolex. And once the magic is depleted, it won't be able to do anything more than tell time. I'd have to get a second watch of equal value to cast the spell again.

"But I can afford it. If you don't want to duel me, just say the word, and I'll hit play again. You'll be free to go."

"Then why did you bother?" asked Gears. "Why risk casting a spell like this when you can't force me?"

"Oh, I could force you if I wanted to," replied the stranger. "But I don't feel like doing that. I'll give you one good reason for dueling me. I've cast this mighty, time-warping incantation. You have no idea just who I am, or where I came from… Heck, you don't even know if I'm human under this armor.

"If you refuse to duel me, they'll be no answers. And I'm sure you want them. So why don't we duel?

"After all… It will only take a second of your time…"

Gears looked at him.

"You're on," he said.

He mounted his bike. The stranger quickly did the same. Simultaneously, both engines started.

"I'll activate the Speed World Field Spell," said the stranger.

With a whir, the streets of Neo Domino, now frozen in time by the powerful incantation, were transformed into the realm of Speed World. Only two vehicles ran on this once busy street to Gears's point of view – his D-Wheel, and that of his opponent.

"_Duel mode activated,"_ said the D-Wheel.

Gears felt an eerie feeling as he sped off from his starting point – who wouldn't feel weird to see the entire world around him frozen in place, caught at one point in time by magic that shouldn't have existed?

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Stranger: 8,000)**

The stranger leaned forward, and made his first draw.

"I'll start by summoning Shining Angel in Attack Mode," he said.

He threw a card on his console, and a man in a toga with large, golden, feathered wings appeared, flying in front of his bike. (1,400 ATK)

_He's using Light Monsters?_ thought Gears. _Clearly, he doesn't know much about my deck…_

"Then I throw one card facedown," continued the stranger, as a facedown card appeared beside his bike.

The facedown card shimmered out of view, and he waved his hand to signal the end of his turn.

"Then I draw!" shouted Gears, drawing a card.

Both Speed Counters rose to one.

"I summon Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

The portal opened behind him, and the female android in armor emerged, holding her wavy, glowing sword. (1,600 ATK)

_Time to find out just what he's up to,_ he thought.

"Attack!" he shouted.

"YA!" shouted Nanobreaker, swinger her blade. Shining Angel was thrown backwards, and was blown into particles of light.

"I activate Shining Angel's effect," said the stranger. "I can…"

"I know, I know!" said Gears. "You get to Special Summon a Light Monster from your deck that has 1,500 Attack Points or less. I'm not stupid. So do it already."

"Be careful, Gears," said the stranger, holding up a card. "With a tongue so sharp, you could cut your own throat.

"I summon Y-Dragon Head."

In a burst of digital symbols, a large Machine appeared in front of his bike, flying in front of it. It was fire-engine red, and shaped like a streamlined, mechanical dragon. (1,500 ATK)

_Y-Dragon Head? _thought Gears. _So he's using XYZ Machines?_

He took a card from his gauntlet.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn," he said, as a facedown card appeared.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)**

The stranger made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

"I summon X-Head Cannon," he said.

He played the card, and in another digital burst, another Machine appeared. This one was blue and yellow, and had a head, torso, and large arms, but no legs, with large rifles protruding from its shoulders. (1,800 ATK)

"Now I activate Y-Dragon Head's effect," he continued, "and Union Equip it to X-Head Cannon."

X-Head Cannon flew up higher, and Y-Dragon Head flew under it. A hatch opened on Y-Dragon Head's back, and X-Head Dragon lowered itself onto it, the two Machines bonding together in a blast of sparks and steam. (2,200 ATK)

"Now, attack!" he shouted. "Destroy Nanobreaker!"

The Union-Equipped X-Head Cannon aimed its blasters at Nanobreaker…

"Go!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around. "Draining Shield!"

X-Head Cannon fired, and the blast hit an invisible shield. Nanobreaker took a deep breath in relief.

"Not bad," said the stranger. "Seems you're safe for now…"

**(G: 10,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,800)**

Gears drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to three. Both of the bikes swerved, turning down another avenue.

"I sacrifice Nanobreaker…" he said.

Nanobreaker held up her blade with a stern look on her face, and transformed into a globe of light.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Rudra!"

With a roar, the large, mechanical wolf leapt onto the field, and started running beside Gears's bike. (1,900 ATK)

"And since your Machine is a Light Monster," said Gears, "mine can easily take it down.

"Rudra, destroy his Machine!"

Rudra pounced, and leapt at the merged Monster, its Attack Score rising to 2,600. There was an explosion at the point of impact…

But when the smoke cleared, Y-Dragon Head was gone, but X-Head Cannon was still there.

"What?" said Gears.

"Didn't you know how Union Monsters worked?" asked the stranger. "When a Monster is attacked while Equipped with one, only the Union Monster gets junked."

"Of… course I knew that…" muttered Gears.

_That is, I know it now,_ he thought.

"And now's a perfect time to activate my Trap Card," said the stranger, as his facedown card spun around.

"It's called Roll Out! Since Y-Dragon Head is a Union Monster that I can Equip to X-Head Cannon, I can take it out of my Graveyard, and Equip it to X-Head Cannon again."

Y-Dragon Head appeared again, and X-Head Cannon bonded to it again. (2,200 ATK)

Gears looked at the rest of the cards in his hand.

He threw another card down, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all," he said.

**(G: 10,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

The stranger drew again, and both Speed Counters rose to four.

"I separate Y-Dragon Head from X-Head Cannon," he said.

X-Head Cannon blasted its rockets, and lifted off of the Union Monster. (1,800 ATK) Y-Dragon Head moved onto the field. (1,500 ATK)

"Then, I summon Z-Metal Tank."

He played a card, and another Machine appeared in a digital burst. This one was a headless, limbless tank, colored yellow, on caterpillar tracks. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I remove all three of my Monsters from play, to fuse them together!"

The rockets on all three Machines blasted. Y-Dragon Head lowered itself onto Z-Metal Tank, fusing to it. Then, X-Head Cannon bonded to the top of the two bonded Machines. All three of them glowed with an aura of golden flames.

"I summon XYZ-Dragon Cannon," said the stranger.

(2,800 ATK)

"Super," said Gears, sarcastically.

"Oh, but it is," said the stranger, as he discarded a card.

XYZ-Dragon Cannon blasted its guns, and Rudra was blown to shards.

"And just wait until you see its real attack," he continued. "Attack directly! De-fission lasers!"

The Machine blasted three sets of laser blasters, and they slammed into Gears's bike. He grit his teeth and held on, as his Life Points fell, and his Speed Counters fell to two.

"I'll set another card facedown," said the stranger, as a facedown card appeared. "And that will be all."

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

Gears quickly drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to three, while his opponent's rose to five.

_Got to do something,_ he thought, _before that three-part beast takes me apart…_

"I set a second facedown card," he said, "and then summon Robotic Knight."

A facedown card appeared, and then the portal opened, disgorging the Machine sergeant, holding its rapier. (1,600 ATK)

"It's your move."

The stranger made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to six.

"I summon V-Tiger Jet," he said.

The now familiar burst of digital symbols summoned a new Machine. This one looked like a cross between a jet plane and a robot tiger, colored yellow and green. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I activate a second Roll Out!" he said, as his facedown card lifted. "Now I can Equip V-Tiger Jet with the W-Wing Catapult that I discarded last turn."

In a flash of light, another Machine that looked like a blue jet plane with two cockpits appeared on the field. Then, V-Tiger Jet lowered itself on top of it in a blast of electric sparks. (2,000 ATK)

"V-Tiger Jet, attack his Robotic Knight!"

Two missile launchers opened on the sides of the Union-Equipped Monster…

"I activate… Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as one of his facedown cards spun around.

Judge Man loomed over the field, holding his two axes.

"Now, you gotta choose whether to end your Battle Phase, or continue your attack… But if you continue, the Attack Scores of your Monsters get cut in half."

"I believe I'll end my Battle Phase," said the Stranger. "And I'll end my turn too."

_He didn't use XYZ's effect,_ thought Gears. _That means, for whatever reason, the three cards he has left in his hand are too valuable to discard._

_Either that, or he's toying with me…_

Gears made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to five.

_Hmm,_ he thought. _I could use this Monster to wipe out both of his Machines… But not if he uses XYZ's effect to destroy it…_

_Better not chance it yet…._

"I set a Monster," he said, "and then move Robotic Knight to Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared, and then the android shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

The stranger made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to eight, while Gears's rose to six.

"W-Wing Catapult, separate from V-Tiger Jet," he ordered.

The two Monsters split apart. V-Tiger Jet lifted off of its base (1,600 ATK), and W-Wing Catapult moved onto the field. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, I bond them together again in a more permanent fashion, forming the VW-Tiger Catapult."

V-Tiger Jet's rockets ignited, and it lowered itself onto W-Wing Catapult once again. (2,000 ATK)

"And now for my big surprise…" said the stranger.

"You don't have the guts, pal!" shouted Gears.

"I summon my ultimate beast!" said the stranger, not acknowledging the comment. "A Machine that's five Monsters in one…"

Both XYZ-Dragon Cannon and VW-Tiger Catapult split into their component Monsters. Then all of them started to change shape, and piece together like a giant puzzle.

The end result loomed over Speed World, flying above the stranger's bike. It was a giant, humanoid mecha, over twenty feet tall, seemingly made from all five of the Machines used so far.

"I give you… The VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!"

(3,000 ATK)

"Okay…" said Gears. "I guess you _do _have the guts…"

"And it has a lot of power under the hood," continued the stranger. "Like the power to remove one card from play every turn."

Gears gasped as his reversed Monster simply vanished.

_Me and my big mouth…_ he thought.

"Also, defending doesn't help with this mecha," said the stranger, "because it can change the battle position of any Monster it attacks."

Robotic Knight stood up in Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK) The V-Through-Z fired its cannons, and the robot was atomized.

"Ergh…" mumbled Gears.

His Speed Counters fell one point, down to five.

"It's your move…" said the stranger.

**(G: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

Gears drew a card. He gave it a strange look.

His Speed Counters rose to six, while the stranger's rose to nine.

"I set a card facedown," he said, as he placed it on his console. "Then, I activate Soul Resurrection."

The facedown card he had set earlier spun around, and Robotic Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Then I set a Monster…"

A reversed Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn."

"You're only prolonging the inevitable," said the stranger, drawing a card.

He looked at it. It was Speed Spell – The End of Storm.

The two bikes swerved again, and started racing down the main thoroughfare of Neo Domino. The site was chilling to behold. A news helicopter was frozen in midair. Pedestrians were as still as statues, some in the midst of speaking on cell phones, or exiting taxis, or buying hot dogs. A woman was giving a bottle to her infant child at the point the spell was cast.

If a platonic didn't notice this, it would be a miracle…

The stranger's Speed Counters rose to ten, while Gears's rose to seven.

"I use the effect of my Monster to remove your facedown Monster from play," he said.

"Oh, no you don't," said Gears, as his facedown card lifted.

"Huh? A Trap?" said the stranger.

"It's called Skill Shock," said Gears. "By sacrificing a Monster…"

Robotic Knight vanished.

"…your Monster can't use any effects this round, and it can't attack either."

The stranger grunted a little.

"I end my turn!" he shouted. "But keep this in mind… If that Monster is a Flip-Effect Monster, you'd better flip it yourself this turn if you want to use it, because if V-Though-Z moves it to Attack Mode, that effect is negated."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Gears, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to eight.

"I'll set a second Monster," he said, as a second reversed Monster appeared. "And I'll end my turn."

The stranger made a draw. Flames shot out of the back of his bike, as his Speed Counters hit the maximum of twelve. He pulled ahead of Gears.

"I summon a second Shining Angel!" he shouted, as another Shining Angel appeared. (1,400 ATK)

_This is it…_ thought Gears. _Fifty-fifty chance…_

"V-Through-Z," he said. "Eradicate the Monster on the left!"

Gears grinned as the reversed Monster on the left vanished.

_Gotcha,_ he thought.

"Now, my Monster will move your other Monster to Attack Mode, and attack!"

Gears's Monster flipped into Attack Mode. It looked like nothing more than a metal golf ball the size of a watermelon. (400 ATK)

Gears screamed as the guns blasted, and it exploded…

But then he grinned…

"You just destroyed my Ally Bomb!" he shouted. "And when an Ally Bomb is blown up in a battle with a Light Monster, I get to destroy two cards on the field!"

The stranger gasped…

Then a much bigger explosion erupted around him, as the VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon was consumed in a fiery series of blasts. Shining Angel was burned to a crisp immediately, and the huge robot crash landed, illuminating Speed World in a great explosion of fire and pure light.

"Well?" asked Gears. "What do you have to say to _that_?"

The stranger said nothing. He simply set a card on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move," he said.

**(G: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,400)**

Gears deftly made a draw, and his Speed Counters rose to eight.

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the portal opened. The armored, robotic cockpit with arms and six legs flew out. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Gears.

Blind Sucker fired its missiles, striking the stranger's bike. The stranger made very little reaction at all, so it was hard to say whether it did much to hurt him.

**(G: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,800)**

"My move," said the stranger.

He drew a card.

Then he paused. He lifted up the pocket watch, and looked at it.

"Gears, this has been quite a duel…" he said. "Unfortunately, according to my watch, my Tempus Fugit spell is going to wear off in less than five minutes, so I'm going to have to cut this short…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Return From the Different Dimension! Now, I cut my Life Points in half, and every Monster I removed from play comes back."

Lightning flashed, and a glowing, multicolored portal appeared overhead. Monsters started flying out of it; X-Head Cannon came first (1,800 ATK), then Y-Dragon Head (1,500 ATK), Z-Metal Tank (1,500 ATK), W-Wing Catapult (1,300 ATK), and finally, V-Tiger Jet. (1,600 ATK)

"HEY!" shouted Gears. "Wait a minute!"

X-Head Cannon fired its lasers, and Blind Sucker was blown to pieces.

"Aw… Crap…" said Gears.

Four more lasers blasted, and Gears screamed as they plowed into him. He struggled to control his bike, and slammed on the brakes, just as Speed World vanished, and the Tempus Fugit spell wore off. The world started moving again, and everything was as it was before.

**(G: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,900)**

Smoke poured out of the engine of Gears's D-Wheel. He took some low, deep, gasping breaths, as the stranger pulled up in front of him.

"Thanks, Gears, that was fun," he said.

"Yeah, fun…" muttered Gears. "I haven't had so much fun since the last time I had a root canal…"

"Well, I'll be leaving now…" said the stranger.

"WAIT!" shouted Gears. "You said there'd be answers…"

"Mmm, yes, I did," said the stranger. "I got plenty of answers… I learned that you are a very dangerous man who is not to be taken lightly. Not many duelists would have been able to defeat a Monster that powerful…

"And if you didn't get any answers yourself yet, I suggest you think about it for awhile. While you're doing that, I bid you adieu."

As he started up his bike, Gears considered chasing him…

But then he thought of something…

Perhaps he _had_ learned something from this encounter.

This sorcerer, whoever he was, called himself a "ally of his enemy". He was an ally of DaPen, most likely. He knew magic powerful enough to create the Tempus Fugit effect, something that even the council of leadership of the League of Wizards warned against researching into. What other powerful spells could he cast? And he was a duelist powerful enough to best him at a Turbo Duel. That wasn't easy for anybody.

Clearly, DaPen was keeping some powerful company, and it would be in the Shadowchasers' best interests to be careful.

He looked up.

He couldn't believe it. He was right outside the Pandora's Box that he was supposed to meet the others at.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The stranger drove his D-Wheel into an alley.

He dismounted, and muttered a hasty incantation which made the bike vanish. Then he waved his hand, and his armor and helmet disappeared, replaced by dark, heavy robes and a hood. It was the same strange man that had met Takasu in that bar.

There was one difference, however. If an Aware looked at him, he would notice that his face wasn't a face at all, but a ceramic mask made to look like an old man's face.

He took a cell phone out of his robe, and dialed a number.

"Louis?" he said into it. "It's me…"

"How did it go?" asked DaPen.

"It was satisfying," replied the robed man.

"Satisfying?" said DaPen, now a little irked. "Edmund, I expect a spell as dangerous as that one to have more results than being 'satisfying'! You've got to stop playing with them and start something more substantial."

"Patience, Louis," said Edmund. "It's something we're both going to need. You know, that was the whole problem with idiots like Marik and Dartz. They thought that they could conquer the world and be done by five o'clock. They didn't realize that it just doesn't work that way. If you really want to conquer the world, you have to start small. Maybe conquer a small country first, then move up to bigger things.

"Anyway, I can't truly challenge them on that front until the chest appears."

"And when is that going to be?" asked DaPen. "It's been a few hours now…"

"It might take a few more," said Edmund. "The Astral Plane is a big place, and retrieving something from there takes time. Just have your men keep their eyes and ears opened for any strange things that happen around Satellite. We should have it by late evening…"

"I hope so," said DaPen. "And by the way, if it lands in the bay this time, you're going to have to find a way to fish it out, because I'm not gonna."

Edmund hung up, and looked around.

Then he walked into the alley, and vanished into the shadows.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears walked into the restaurant, with a frown on his face.

"Gears!" shouted Jinx. "Over here!"

Gears walked over to their table, and sat down.

"You look happy," said Shichiro, obviously noting that Gears wasn't happy. "You want to get a burger?"

"Not hungry," muttered Gears.

"Gears isn't hungry?" said Jinx. "Something _must_ be wrong."

"We'll talk later," said Gears.

In truth, he was less concerned about losing the duel than about the fact that there was a very powerful, but incredibly careless sorcerer out there. How could he not care about the fact that he could attract a platonic to Earth? That was just stupid. A wizard who repeatedly cast spells that broke the laws of time was likely going to attract a platonic that was going to stop him from doing so, and punish him for it as well.

Platonics were extradimensional beings from another reality, where Law was worshipped, and Chaos was a sin. They were not living beings – they were humanoid automations, much like robots, given sentience and intelligence. No-one knew who built the first ones, but they had quickly learned how to build more of themselves. Platonics believed that the universe was held together by laws, both man-made and natural, and took it upon themselves to enforce them wherever they were broken. No-one knew just who gave them the authority, if anything did, but they seemed to believe that they had it.

A mortal could conceivably attract an platonic by breaking an oath or a contract, but it would have to be one whose violation bore _very_ dire repercussions to attract their attention. More often, platonics came forth from their extradimensional crèche forges to correct violations of the natural laws of the universe… To punish those who violated the laws of science and nature. Dangerous magics that interfered with the temporal flow certainly qualified. Those who raped nature and caused pollution on a very large scale might attract their attention too, as could those who dared try to create life, something that mortals simply were not allowed to do.

When they found the lawbreaker, they either forced him back onto a law-abiding path, or dealt out any "punitive damages" that they believed were sufficient. And they were incredibly powerful – no record existed of a mortal being ever winning a physical confrontation with a platonic.

Platonics were single-minded in ways that no mortals could comprehend; once committed to its mission, virtually nothing could sway a platonic from it. And once it found its target, it was utterly without mercy. Any pleas of extenuating circumstances were sure to fall on deaf ears. All of them had heard every excuse a thousand times, and to a platonic, no excuse was sufficient for blatant violations of such vital axioms.

As he thought this, his friends snacked on burgers, fries, and shakes, while someone outside the restaurant had an eye on Shichiro… Someone who wasn't very friendly.

_**I didn't know at the time what had made Gears so upset, but as for me, I was waiting for a chance to do my second test. Shichiro said that if you wait in a place frequented by Shadowkind for long enough, something was bound to happen sooner or later. I personally hoped it would be sooner rather than later.**_

_**I would get my wish sooner than I thought. Someone was about to enter the Pandora's Box, and he hadn't come for a Monster Meal…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY BOMB (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed as a result of battle by a LIGHT Monster and sent to the Graveyard, destroy 2 cards on the field.

_Note: "Ally Bomb" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SKILL SHOCK (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** Sasuke Samurai surrounded by bolts of lightning.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent activates the effect of an Effect Monster. Tribute one Monster you control to negate the activation of that effect. The Monster whose effect was negated cannot attack or be Tributed this round.

_Note: "Skill Shock" was first used by Judai in a fourth season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Who here remembers Hisao? Let's have a show of hands. You know, the orc with the Spirit Deck? Well, next chapter, he's coming back! He hasn't forgotten that pounding that Shichiro gave him, and he's coming gunning for revenge. So why is he dueling Ember? Whatever the reason, Ember puts her sixty-card deck into play next chapter, as she tries to make it two-and-two. "Grave Lure" is coming soon._


	24. Grave Lure

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

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**Grave Lure**

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_**Ask the typical Shadowkind what he thinks of orcs, and he'll likely tell you that they're a militaristic, violent race of warmongers. Then he'll take you aside and tell you what he really thinks, in words that are likely not printable.**_

_**In the world where Shadows come from, from what we know, orc tribes have little purpose other than to wage war. Tolkien's version was pretty much on the money, except for his assumption that they were once a cursed race of elves (both races would consider it disgusting to think that they were even the slightest bit related). An orc tribe that isn't involved in some conflict is more than likely trying to start one. They don't even care who the enemy is, and will gladly start a conflict with a rival orc tribe if they think they would benefit. Indeed, the orc language has no word for "peace" in it. The closest they have is a guttural expression that means, roughly translated, "temporary restraint from aggression".**_

_**What gave a whole race this outlook? Well, one creation myth told by orc spiritual leaders (which only orcs believe) says that at the beginning of time, the creator deities drew lots to decide which lands would go to which races, but they rigged the drawing so that the orcs got the worst of it. Thus, the orc gods taught their people that the best way to compete for land and resources was to take it by force, since they were cheated out it anyway. **_

_**As a result, orcs who end up on Earth find it hard to cope. There are no large orc cities, and no huge orc armies, so they can't wage wars against their neighbors like they did before coming here. They can't try to form large armies of orcs to do so without the Shadowchasers stopping them – it would violate dozens of articles in the Treaty. **_

_**Orcs are allowed to join other military forces, and some try, but it never works. Mundane armies require discipline, something that orcs are notorious for not having. Orcs aren't big on military classes, patrolling areas, peacekeeping, and anything else that the armed forces do that doesn't involve actual fighting. They can't understand why militaries need medics or other medical facilities – to them, a soldier who was wounded is a weakling who doesn't deserve aim. And orcs quickly become disgusted at the thought of having to cooperate with human soldiers, and downright insulted when given orders by human officers. **_

_**It's with little wonder than, that this race with such aggression in their blood, gets into so much trouble when trying to fit in to the Mundane world.**_

"Well, we've been here an hour," said Ember.

"S'okay," said Shichiro. "I'm not worried… I have a feeling that something will…"

"SHICHIRO!" shouted a surly voice from the entrance.

"What did I tell you?" chuckled Shichiro.

All of the customers in the restaurant turned to the door, and saw a burly orc in a leather jacket and punk attire, along with sunglasses (orcs didn't like sunlight too much) and a Duel Disk. The two workers behind the counter (who were both kobolds) slunk behind it in fear. Their experiences with orcs had always been bad.

It was Hisao, but only Shichiro knew that.

"What can I do you for, Hisao?" asked Shichiro, as the thug stormed up to their table.

"You think you're so smart," grumbled the orc. "I'm gonna wipe that smile off your face by time I…"

Shichiro picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, turning it from a smile to a frown in the process.

"Like that?" he asked.

"Smart ass…" growled Hisao.

"What do you want, pal?" asked Shichiro.

"Do you have any idea what that duel did to me?" asked Hisao. "I'm the laughing stock of my clan!"

"Pardon me for asking," said Shichiro, "but how did they find out? There were no other orcs around."

"Yes there was!" shouted Hisao. "There was one on a fire escape right above us! A jerk named Nomura.

"Nomura is what we call a runt…"

"A runt?" asked Ember.

"A 'runt' is what orcs call an orc who has absolutely no aptitude for fighting," replied Gears. "Rare, but they turn out from time to time."

"The only way a runt can survive is by getting a stronger orc as a protector," continued Hisao. "He does whatever the stronger orc tells him to, and the stronger orc protects him. I was Nomura's protector.

"He was on that fire escape, and was supposed to holler if he saw a Security coming when I was shaking down that duelist. But he didn't think you were a threat, unfortunately.

"After he saw me lose to you, he figured that I was the last person he'd want protecting him, so he left. I didn't care. What orc would believe a runt?

"Well, he found a new protector who would believe him… My biggest rival in my clan! A big lug named Kaneko. He started spreading the word, and before I knew it, the whole clan knew about it."

"What do you want me to do about it?" asked Shichiro. "Cry?"

"No," said Hisao, placing his deck into his Disk. "I want to duel you again. See, I figure if I beat you in a place this public, I can redeem myself, and get some of my respect back. Then I can confront Kaneko on equal terms."

"Hisao," said Gears. "A wise duelist once said, a duel fought for revenge will please only the shallowest of souls."

"Gears, this guy belongs to a clan that calls itself the Horned Skull," said Jinx. "You can't get much shallower than that."

Shichiro sighed.

"Hisao, normally I'd just _love_ to feed your ego and duel you," he said. "But the Shadowchasers kinda discourage pointless challenges…"

"Oh, so you think this is pointless?!" shouted Hisao. "Well, what if I took out some heat and held up this place?! You'd have to try to stop me then, wouldn't you?"

"Hisao, I don't like what I'm hearing…" said Shichiro, getting angry.

"I'll do it if that's what I have to do to get you to duel me!" threatened Hisao.

Shichiro paused. He looked around. Everyone in the restaurant was a little nervous now.

He didn't really know whether or not Hisao was really carrying heat… It was awfully hard to get a firearm in Neo Domino, after all. But if he did…

"Tell you what," said Shichiro. "Duel Ember."

"Eh?" said Hisao.

"Huh?" said Ember.

"Duel Ember," said Shichiro. "You beat her, then I'll duel you."

Hisao looked at Ember.

"Why?" he asked. "Did she just dump you?"

"I have my reasons," said Shichiro.

"Alright, fine!" shouted Hisao. "I don't care who I have to trash in order to get to you…"

"Ember, a word…" said Jinx.

Ember stood up, and Jinx held her by the shoulders.

"Keep calm," said Jinx. "That's your main advantage over Hisao. You can keep calm and composed, while he likely has the same anger management problem that his whole species does. If you just keep a cool head, you can beat him."

"Yak, yak, yak!" shouted Hisao. "Let's get this duel done with before this place stops serving dinner and puts out the breakfast menu! After all, the whole reason I waited until now to confront you here was to get a bite to eat when I was done…"

"Well," said Ember, activating her Disk, "chew on this!"

Hisao activated his own.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hisao: 8,000)**

"Seniority rules, kid," said Hisao.

He drew a card.

"I'm goin' first."

He looked at the six cards in his hand.

"I'll play a facedown, and a Monster in Defense Mode."

A reversed card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That'll do," he said.

Shichiro rubbed his chin.

_If Hisao is still playing his Spirit Deck, he'd have little choice but to set a Monster on his first turn,_ he thought. _Summoning it in Attack Mode would be pretty pointless._

Ember made a draw, and she looked at her cards.

"I play Gather Your Mind," she said, playing a Spell Card.

In an aura of soft light, a woman in a loincloth, halter top, hood, and veil, sitting in the lotus position in a meditative trance appeared behind her.

"This card lets me take another Gather Your Mind from my deck," she said, taking a card from her deck. "Then I shuffle…"

She hit the auto-shuffler, and the Disk shuffled the deck.

"Next, I play Toon Table of Contents," she said, playing another Spell Card. "Now I get to take any card with the word 'Toon' in its name from my deck."

She held up a card.

"Even another Toon Table of Contents. I think I'll play that one too."

She played the card, and took another Spell Card from her deck.

"Then, I'll play a third Toon Table of Contents!"

"I had to pick a duel with a weirdo," muttered Hisao. "At least that was your last one…"

"True, but there's one more Toon card I can get with it," said Ember, adding a fourth card to her hand.

"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and that will be all."

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"Finally," said Hisao, making a draw.

"I flip Maharaghi into Attack Mode," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a large, clay jar, carved in the style of a Dogū idol. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, by doing that, I get to look at the top card on my deck, and then decide whether to keep it on top, or put it on the bottom."

He took the top card from his deck and looked at it.

"Think I'll keep that on top," he said, putting it back.

"Next, I activate my Trap Card… Embodiment of Apophis!"

His Trap Card flipped up, and dark purple smoke started emitting out of it. A creature with the body of a man and the lower body of a snake, with a serpent's head behind its human one, slithered out, holding a sword and shield. (1,600 ATK)

"Ugh," said Ember.

"Now, my Trap Monster attacks your Monster!" shouted Hisao.

The Embodiment slithered towards the facedown Monster, and Sangan appeared on the card. With one swipe, it was cleaved in half.

"Thank you," said Ember, taking a card from her deck.

"Big deal," said Hisao. "Maharaghi, direct attack!"

The clay jar hurtled through the air, and smashed into Ember, knocking her upside the head. She fell down on her behind.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Hisao. "How does that feel?"

"Rotten…" muttered Ember. "But I think I'll activate this now…"

She gestured, and her facedown Spell Card lifted up.

"Scapegoat!"

In four bursts of energy, four multicolored Sheep Tokens appeared. (0 DEF x4)

"HUH?" gasped Hisao. "Wha… You could have activated that _before_ I attacked with Maharaghi and blocked my direct attack! Why the heck did you wait?"

"Well…" said Shichiro. "I think I know why she waited… But since Ember is the one dueling, I'll let her explain it."

Hisao growled.

"I end my turn…" he said. "And that means that Maharaghi returns to my hand, since it's a Spirit."

Maharaghi turned to pure energy, and flew back to Hisao's hand, turning back into a card.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 8,000)**

Ember drew a card, and looked at it. She added it to her hand.

"I play my second Gather Your Mind," she said, as the meditative woman appeared behind her again. "Now I get to search for my third one."

The auto-shuffler shuffled the deck again.

"Now I summon the Monster I searched for with my third Toon Table of Contents… Toon Cannon Soldier!"

In a burst of stars and swirls, a grinning, pastel-colored parody of Cannon Soldier leapt onto the field. It let out a throaty laugh. (1,400 ATK)

"You think I'm scared of that?" asked Hisao. "I happen to know that Toons can't attack on the round they're summoned."

"Who needs to attack?" asked Ember. "This guy has the same effect as the regular Cannon Soldier. By sacrificing my four Scapegoats, it can blast you for 500 points of damage for each one."

"Eh?" said Hisao.

The four Scapegoats vanished into energy, and Toon Cannon Soldier shot a spray of multicolored silly string from its hands all over Hisao. Hisao grunted and cursed as the Toon Machine laughed.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,000)**

"Yeah, Ember!" shouted a voice from one of the tables. "Teach that goon a lesson!"

Everyone looked over, and saw that the cheers were coming from a female elf who was sitting at a table with a male who looked a little more serious. Hisao looked at them and sneered.

Shadowkind knew that orcs hated elves even more than they hated anyone else. The two races had been enemies for eons. The mythologies of both races told of a battle between the elf and orc creator gods, where both races were born from their blood shed in the battle, where the elf creator was the ultimate winner.

"My move…" growled Hisao.

He made a draw.

"I sacrifice my Apophis Monster…"

Embodiment of Apophis vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon the Spirit Monster, Great Long Nose."

A hulking creature rose in front of Hisao. It was a muscular ogre, dressed in a white robe. Its face had red skin, pointed ears, long, white hair, a long, white beard, and true to its name, a long, pointed nose. (1,900 ATK)

"Kinda weak for a Level 5 Monster, wouldn't you say?" asked Ember.

"Mmm," replied Hisao, "but he has a nifty effect, which we'll get to in a minute. For now…

"Flatten that Toon! Spiritual lightning!"

Great Long Nose's eyes glowed with anger, and its claws crackled with electricity. It threw bolts of burning lightning, and Toon Cannon Soldier's eyes bugged out. It burst into a spray of colored lights.

**(E: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,000)**

"I set one card," said Hisao, as a facedown card appeared, "and I end my turn. Once again, my Spirit Monster returns to my hand…"

Great Long Nose turned to energy, flying back to Hisao's hand and transforming into a card.

"But then, we get to that effect we mentioned. Since it dealt damage, you skip your next Battle Phase."

Ember paused. Then she drew a card.

"I'll set one card, and then summon UFO Turtle," she said.

A facedown card appeared in front of her, and then UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"If I can't attack, then I'll just end there."

Hisao drew a card.

"I suppose that you're going to use UFO Turtle's effect to Special Summon another Fire Monster, huh?" he said. "Well, sorry. That's not gonna work…

"I summon Asura Priest!"

He played the card, and one of the most popular Spirits in the game appeared in front of him. Asura Priest was technically a Fairy, but the Monster had been based on a race of demons mentioned in Hinduism and Buddhism lore. The humanoid creature had six arms, three faces, and was garbed in a loincloth and a red cloak. (1,700 ATK)

"Asura here can attack all of your Monsters in one Battle Phase," he said. "And I'm going to Special Summon someone else to deal with you once it's done. But first, I gotta remove a Spirit in my hand from play."

He flipped Great Long Nose in his hand around.

"Think I'll get rid of this one."

He pocketed the card.

"So, I Special Summon Izanagi!"

In a gust of wind, the Japanese deity in a stuffy, white suit, with long, white hair, carrying a decorative spear appeared. (2,200 ATK)

"Alright, Asura, clobber that Turtle!"

Asura Priest flew forward, and smashed the Machine with its fist, blowing it to scrap.

"I use its effect, and summon a second UFO Turtle," said Ember.

A second UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Weren't you listening a minute ago?" asked Hisao. "Asura, destroy that one!"

Asura Priest punched the second one, and it blew up.

Ember gestured, and a third UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Just how dumb do you think I am?" asked Hisao.

Asura Priest attacked again, and the third UFO Turtle was destroyed.

_Pretty dumb,_ thought Ember, with a slight grin.

"I use the effect of my last UFO Turtle to Special Summon Masked Dragon!" she shouted.

In a blast of fire, a large, metallic, rust-red Dragon wearing a metal mask appeared. (1,400 ATK)

Hisao snarled. Asura Priest attacked a fourth time, blowing it to shards.

"When Masked Dragon is destroyed, I get to Special Summon another weak Dragon," said Ember. "Like another Masked Dragon!"

A second Masked Dragon appeared, this time in Defense Mode. (1,100 DEF)

"This is insane!" shouted Hisao. "Don't you realize that my Monster isn't going to run out of attacks, no matter how many Monsters you summon?"

Asura Priest attacked again, and the second Masked Dragon blew up. Ember gestured, and a third one appeared. (1,100 DEF) Asura Priest attacked that one too, and it burst.

"No more Masked Dragons!" shouted Hisao.

"But I have a few Troop Dragons," replied Ember.

In a burst of energy, a small, green Dragon-man in armor, holding a sword appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (800 DEF)

"ARRGGHH!" shouted Hisao. "Asura Priest, rip them apart!"

Asura Priest punched the small Dragon, blowing it to shards. Ember gestured, and a second Troop Dragon appeared. (800 DEF) Infuriated, Hisao ordered another attack, but Ember just summoned a third Troop Dragon. (800 DEF) Finally, Asura Priest destroyed the last one.

"No more shields!" screamed Hisao. "Izanagi, direct attack!"

Izanagi flew forward, and jammed his spear into Ember's torso. Ember gasped, and toppled over.

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,000)**

"Uh, Jinx…" asked Gears. "I just gotta ask… What was the point of that whole thing? Why did Ember waste nine Monsters?"

"You got me," said Jinx, with a shrug. "I didn't exactly look over this deck of hers."

"I end my turn," said Hisao. "And thanks to Izanagi, Asura Priest gets to stick around."

"I draw one card," said Ember, making a draw.

She looked at the card.

Then her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Hallowed Life Barrier. Now, by discarding one card, I can't lose any Life Points this turn."

She discarded her last Gather Your Mind.

"Then, I summon Giant Rat."

She played the card, and the huge rodent materialized in front of her. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, it's gonna attack your Asura Priest."

"Say what?" asked Hisao.

Giant Rat pounced, and leapt at the Spirit. Asura Priest punched it, and it shattered into shards.

"I use Giant Rat's effect to summon a second Giant Rat," said Ember.

Another Rat appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Now it attacks too."

The second Rat appeared, and it was blown to bits. Then a third Giant Rat materialized. (1,400 ATK) Just like the others, it attacked, and was cut down.

"I use my third Giant Rat's effect to Special Summon a critter called Hyena," continued Ember.

A new Beast materialized in front of her. It was, as its name suggested, a Hyena. (1,000 ATK)

"And what's that gonna do?" asked Hisao.

"What do you think?" asked Ember. "Attack!"

Hyena leapt at Asura Priest, and was blown to shards.

"When Hyena is destroyed in battle, I get to Special Summon another Hyena," said Ember, as a second Hyena appeared. (1,000 ATK)

Then the second Hyena leapt at Asura Priest, and was blown to pixels.

"I'll Special Summon my third Hyena, this time in Defense Mode."

A third Hyena appeared, sitting on its haunches. (300 DEF)

"I set one card facedown, and end my turn."

"I think I see part of Ember's strategy," said Shichiro.

"Well, do tell," said Gears. "Because I sure don't."

"She had to make a sixty-card deck," replied Shichiro. "So she filled it with cards that could search for copies of themselves. The ultimate in deck-thinning strategy. Of course, I really don't know how she can manage to mount any sort of offensive using them, seeing as none of them are very strong…"

_Unless…_ he thought.

"My move…" growled Hisao.

He made a draw.

"I summon Susa Soldier!" he shouted.

In a blast of electricity, the tall humanoid soldier in Eastern oriental armor appeared, holding its sword. (2,000 ATK)

"Asura Priest, destroy Hyena!" he shouted.

Asura Priest flew up and gave the Beast a solid punch, flattening it.

"Now I'm gonna finish you off! Susa Soldier, attack directly!"

Susa Soldier slammed its sword down to the ground, and a wave of lightning shot towards Ember.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Ember.

Her facedown flipped up, and the blast was halted by a dome of pure force.

"Then I end my turn," said Hisao. "But next turn, my Spirit army is coming at you full-swing."

Ember made a draw.

_Well,_ she thought, _it's about that time…_

"I toss two cards facedown, and then summon Shining Angel," she said.

She played all three of the cards in her hand, and two facedown cards appeared, followed by the angel with golden wings in a white toga. (1,400 ATK)

"What kind of dumb strategy is this?!" shouted Hisao.

He whipped a card off of his Disk.

"Fine!" he shouted. "You keep settin' 'em up, and I'll keep knockin' 'em down!

"I summon Maharaghi again."

The clay jar appeared again. (1,200 ATK)

"Not that I really need to, but…"

He checked the top card on his deck, looked at it, and then put it back on top.

"Asura Priest, attack!"

Asura Priest punched Shining Angel, blowing it to shards. Ember quickly gestured, and a second Shining Angel appeared. (1,400 ATK) Hisao growled, and Asura attacked again. The second Shining Angel went down, and a third one appeared. (1,400 ATK) Asura attacked a third time, destroying the third Fairy.

"I use my third Angel's effect," said Ember, "to summon Chaos-End Master!"

In a flash of light, a radiant Monster appeared. It was an angelic being, wearing a white bodysuit with golden highlights, a golden circlet, and white, feathered wings. (1,500 ATK)

"Eh?" said Hisao. "Well, I admit I've never seen that guy before… But I'll kill him anyway! Asura Priest, attack!"

Asura Priest flew at Chaos-End Master.

"Hisao," said Ember with an evil grin, "this is what you get for losing your temper. Now, my trap is finally sprung!"

Both of her facedown cards shot up.

"First, I activate Shrink!" she shouted.

Asura Priest was reduced to half its size, and fell to an Attack Score of 850.

"Then, Emergency Provisions! I'll sacrifice Shrink, and gain 1,000 Life Points.

"But it's all over for your Asura Priest…"

Chaos-End Master blasted a beam of pure light from its hands, and the wicked Fairy was blown to pieces.

"Wha… buh… guh…" said Hisao. "Why…"

"And now I activate Chaos-End Master's effect," said Ember, taking her deck from its holder. "When it destroys a Monster in battle, I get to Special Summon any Monster from my deck that meets two criteria. It must be Level 5 or higher, and it must have 1,600 or less Attack Points."

"What sort of Monster would _that_ be?" asked Hisao.

"This one," replied Ember.

An explosion of energy erupted over Ember's side of the field. A large, hideous Monster rose beside her, looking like a large, decayed horse with four clawed legs and two clawed arms. Its face had nine red orbs on the front that could possibly pass for eyes. (1,600 ATK)

"Shadow Ghoul!" exclaimed Gears. "Of course!"

"Not the most… Orthodox strategy," said Shichiro, "but go with what works, I guess."

"And guess what, Hisao?" asked Ember. "For each Monster in my Graveyard, Shadow Ghoul gains 100 more Attack Points. With a little help from you and that Asura Priest, I've got twenty Monsters in my Graveyard right now."

(3,600 ATK)

Hisao started to sweat heavily… He looked at Maharaghi.

_If she manages to use that guy's effect to summon a second Shadow Ghoul, I'll be finished!_ he thought. _Losing to Shichiro was bad enough… I can't lose to his girlfriend!_

"Izanagi, attack Chaos-End Master!" he shouted.

Izanagi charged, and struck Chaos-End Master with his spear. The Warrior exploded into shards. Shadow Ghoul's Attack Score went up slightly, to 3,700.

Then Hisao gestured, and his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Legacy of Yata Garasu," he said. "Now, I get to draw one card."

He made one draw.

"I move Susa Soldier to Defense Mode, and end my turn."

Susa Soldier knelt, and held its sword down. (1,600 DEF)

**(E: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,350)**

Ember drew a card, and looked at it.

"Shadow Ghoul," she ordered, "destroy Maharaghi! Death breath!"

The Ghoul roared, and blasted a cloud of corrosive green gas at the clay jug, reducing it to powder. Hisao was thrown backwards, and landed on his seat.

"All right!" cheered the elf. "You go, girl!"

Several more folks were cheering for Ember now. She could hardly believe it.

"Aw, shaddup!" shouted Hisao, getting up.

"It's your move," said Ember.

**(E: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,850)**

Hisao grunted as he drew a card.

"I throw one card facedown," he cursed, "then move Izanagi to Defense Mode, and end my turn!"

A reversed card appeared, and then Izanagi knelt and held his spear in his lap. (1,000 DEF)

Ember quickly drew.

"I play the Spell Card, Dian Keto the Cure Master," she said, as she played it, "to gain 1,000 more Life Points.

In an aura of soft light, the goddess of healing appeared over her, and cast her benevolent spell.

"Then my Monster attacks Izanagi!"

Shadow Ghoul blasted its wave of death, and the master of Spirits was eradicated.

_And they say a cute little girl who wore pigtails used to use this card?_ thought Hisao, getting nervous.

"It's your move," she said again.

**(E: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,850)**

Hisao drew a card.

He quickly chose another card, and set it in his Disk. Another reversed card appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

_He's up to something,_ thought Ember, drawing a card.

She looked at the two cards she had.

"First I set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I attack Susa Soldier!"

Shadow Ghoul breathed its death breath, and Susa Soldier was blown to pieces.

"I activate Vessel of Illusion!" shouted Hisao, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "Since my Spirit Monster was destroyed, I get a Spirit Token."

A duplicate of Susa Soldier, looking ghostly and transparent, appeared where it had been. (2,000 ATK)

"I end my turn," said Ember.

_This was the same strategy he used to summon Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi,_ thought Shichiro. _But… Even that Monster can't beat Shadow Ghoul…_

"Then stand back!" said Hisao, drawing a card.

"First, I summon Izanami."

In an aura of white light, the soft, female version of Izanagi, garbed in a white Miko robe appeared. (1,100 ATK)

"Next, I activate her effect, I toss one card, and I get to recover a Spirit Monster from my Graveyard."

He made a discard, and Susa Soldier slipped out of his discard slot. He took it, and added it to his hand.

"Then, I play Double Summon," he continued, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, I get to make a second Normal Summon this turn.

"So, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Both the Token and Izanami erupted into bonfires of flame.

"To summon one of the most powerful of Spirits… The mighty Yamata Dragon!"

A titanic, hulking form rose behind Hisao. It was hard to find a body in the huge Monster – it looked more like eight incredibly ugly heads on long necks, all connected to a central point. It glared at Ember with sixteen beady eyes. (2,600 ATK)

"My Monster is stronger than that," said Ember.

"Not for long," said Hisao.

His other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Rising Energy! So, I toss one card…"

He quickly discarded an Orb of Yasaka.

"…and my Dragon gains 1,500 Attack Points for one round."

(4,100 ATK)

"Then, I Equip it with Mirror of Yata."

He quickly played an Equip Spell.

"Now, attack! Eight-headed flame strike!"

Yamata Dragon belched fire from all eight of its heads, and Shadow Ghoul let out an unholy howl. Everyone watched in horror as it was reduced to ashes.

"So much for that," said Hisao. "And thanks to Yamata Dragon's effect, whenever it dishes out damage, I get to draw cards until I've got five of them."

He made four draws, and looked at them.

"I end my turn. And thanks to Mirror of Yata, my Dragon doesn't have to leave."

**(E: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,850)**

Ember closed her eyes and drew a card.

She looked at it and her other card.

"I set one card facedown," she said, "and I end my turn."

A facedown card appeared behind her defensive Monster.

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Hisao, making a draw.

He quickly played a card, and Susa Soldier reappeared. (2,000 ATK)

"You remember this guy, right?" he asked. "Attack her Monster!"

Susa Soldier slammed its sword down, and lightning shot towards the hidden Monster. Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and was blasted to pulp.

"I use its effect to summon a second Mystic Tomato!" shouted Ember.

A second of the goofy Tomatoes appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Have it your way," said Hisao. "Yamata Dragon…"

The Dragon belched its flame, and the second Tomato was blown to bits.

Ember glared at him.

"I use _that_ one's effect to summon a beast even stronger than that Shadow Ghoul…" she growled.

A dark shadow crept behind her…

"The insidious… Chaos Necromancer!"

With a cackling laughter, a gaunt creature that looked like a cross between a Zombie and a Fiend, wearing colorful clothing, with sharp teeth and large claws, surrounded by an aura of darkness, appeared behind Ember. (0 ATK)

"He may not look like much at first," continued Ember, "but he gains 300 Attack Points for each Monster in my Graveyard, a total that's grown by three since you destroyed Shadow Ghoul."

(7,200 ATK)

Hisao gulped. He looked at his hand.

"I'll set a facedown…" he said, placing a card in his Disk, "and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared, and then Susa Soldier turned into glowing energy, and flew back to Hisao's hand.

**(E: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,850)**

"My move!" shouted Ember, making a draw.

"Chaos Necromancer, destroy his Dragon with rage of restless spirits!"

Chaos Necromancer's eyes glowed, and it cast a mighty spell. Small, green fires started to appear around it, vaguely shaped like all the Monsters Ember had played during the duel so far. All of them gathered around Chaos Necromancer, and it gathered them all together…

And then it deftly hurled them at Yamata Dragon, causing them to fly at the beast with a series of ghostly screams. The whole restaurant shook as a deafening explosion hit at the point of impact…

The smoke started to clear…

Unfortunately, Yamata Dragon was still there, and Hisao's Life Points had not gone down by even one point.

"What?" said Ember.

"I had a Trap Card," gasped Hisao, pointing to a card he had activated. "Spirit Barrier. Now, I can't take any damage so long as I have at least one Monster on the field."

He took some deep breaths.

"And the reason I still have one," he continued, "is because my Dragon managed to survive by ditching the Mirror of Yata."

He discarded the card.

"It's like I told your friend over there… We're not as dumb as you all think. We can think up clever plans and strategies when we want to."

"Then make your move," said Ember.

Hisao drew a card.

"Oh, I will," he said. "And I'm gonna finish you off!

"I Equip Yamata Dragon with Sword of Kusanagi."

He played the Equip Spell, although the change seemed to be minimal.

"Now, I summon Otohime!"

He played another card, and the female Spellcaster in braids, wearing a halter top and skirt appeared. (0 ATK)

"I don't much like this Spirit… We don't care for wizards that much…"

"Why not tell the truth?" shouted the elf from her table. "You don't like them because you're scared of them!"

"I'll deal with _you_ later!" shouted Hisao. "As I was saying, she does have one good ability… The ability to switch the battle position of one Monster."

Chaos Necromancer quickly knelt and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"By the way," said Hisao, with a grin, "thanks to the Sword of Kusanagi, my Dragon inflicts trampling damage now…"

"If this attack hits, it's all over!" gasped Gears.

_C'mon, Ember…_ thought Shichiro. _I really don't want to duel this guy again…_

Yamata Dragon breathed its eight blasts of flame, and Ember cringed as Chaos Necromancer exploded into a blast of debris.

"Well…" said Hisao. "That's tha… HUH?"

**(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,850)**

"Your Life Points went UP?" he shouted.

"That's right," said Ember. "I had a useful Trap Card, too. Ironically, it's the same card that one famous duelist used to counter the attack of a Yamata Dragon. Nutrient Z! Since your attack was enough to inflict at least 2,000 points of damage, I gained 4,000 Life Points as a buffer before I lost any."

"Then Yamata Dragon's effect activates, and I get to draw one card," said Hisao.

He made a draw.

"Next, I play Fairy of the Spring."

The glowing fairy holding two swords appeared behind him.

"Now, I get my Mirror of Yata back, so long as I don't use it this turn."

The Equip Spell slipped out of his discard slot.

"Then I end my turn…"

Otohime turned to energy, and then flew back to Hisao's hand.

"Now, let's see… You have no cards on the field, and only one in your hand… While I've got my Yamata Dragon with an Equip Spell that lets it trample. What can you do now?"

_Not, much, honestly,_ thought Ember, looking at that one card, which was Flying Kamakiri #1. _I'm gonna need the best draw ever…_

She made a draw.

She looked at it.

She placed both cards in her Disk. First, the winged, green mantis appeared in front of her. (1,400 ATK) Then a facedown card appeared.

She nodded.

"Ah, heh!" laughed Hisao. "So that was the best you could do? This is like target practice…"

He drew a card.

"I summon…"

"Time to end this," said Ember.

"Eh?" said Hisao.

Ember's facedown card shot up.

"Here's the best I could do, and it's a doozy," she said. "A Trap Card called Blasting the Ruins. I can only use it when I have at least thirty cards in my Graveyard, and I have thirty-eight."

Then all the cards that Ember had used started to appear behind her.

"Since I do, you get pounded, for 3,000 points of damage!"

The ground started to shake, and the cards turned into boulders.

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Hisao.

The time for waiting was past. The boulders barreled into the vengeful orc, and he screamed as they buffeted him, sending him to the floor face-first.

He groaned, not only in pain, but in utter humiliation.

**(E: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)**

Everyone in the restaurant cheered. Jinx rushed up and hugged Ember.

"You did it, Ember!" she beamed. "Two tests down, two to go, and then you'll be ready for the rite of passage!"

"Rite of passage?" asked Ember. "Uh, what's that?"

Then Jinx suddenly looked a little worried.

"Uh…" she said. "I'm not allowed to tell you until you're ready. But don't worry about it just yet."

"So who's up for going out for ice cream?" asked Gears. "I'm suddenly in the mood for ice cream."

"Why don't we meet for that later?" asked Ember. "Like I said, I have to go meet with Mr. Draco.

"It's gonna be hard saying goodbye after so long, but I guess I have to move on… I just hope he's in a good mood…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Satellite, very few of the buildings still served the purposes they were originally built for. Ruined tenements were still used as living quarters sometimes, and some factories were still in use. But buildings that had not been abandoned had been converted into other living quarters, storehouses, and markets, by a populace who was good at recycling, if nothing else.

The building that was once the Domino Mall stood almost completely in ruins, having almost no purpose now. The roof had almost completely fallen away, making the place poor shelter from anyone seeking it. Nothing valuable remained here; everything of worth had been looted a long time ago.

Nothing, perhaps, until today.

"I'm telling you Lou," said the streetwise to his partner as they made their way into what was once the mall's promenade. "It was like it just fell out of the sky!"

"Oh, come on!" said his partner. "You can't be…

"…serious…"

They looked, and in the center of the floor next to what remained of the fountain of the mall's main promenade was a stone chest, about four feet long, by three feet wide, by three feet deep. It was covered with strange sigils and runes, and odd writing.

"What do you think it is, Mike?" asked his partner.

"Dunno," said Mike, as they walked up to it. "But maybe there's something valuable inside it… Something that we can sell…"

They looked at it.

"Uh, Mike?" said Lou. "There's no latch… And no hinges… There doesn't seem to be any way to open it…"

"Hmm…" said Mike. "Then grab hold a' it. We'll carry it back to Chuck's place, and he's got some tools we can use ta open it."

The two men grabbed hold of the chest to try to lift it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't budge. It seemed to weigh a ton.

"Geeze, what's in here?" asked Lou. "Bricks?"

"Maybe there's gold inside!" said Mike. "I heard that gold is _really _heavy…"

"So is lead, lead-head," muttered Lou.

"Oh, come on," said Mike. "Who would go through all the trouble to pack a load of lead in a box like this? Look at it! I'll bet the box itself might be worth a few thousand yen…"

"Halt!" shouted a voice.

"Aw, naw," said Mike. "It's Security!"

No chest was worth being caught by Security, so Lou and Mike took off, and were gone before the member of Sector Security walked in holding a flashlight.

_**I had passed two tests, and all I could say was, bring on the third. I didn't exactly know what this rite of passage was, even if it did seem a little ominous. However, things were afoot that we didn't exactly know about. Before we could go out for ice cream, Shichiro would get involved in something that would cause DaPen to make up his mind about his next step, and it wouldn't bode well for any of us. The day was hardly over… In fact, it may have just been beginning.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAOS-END MASTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, you may Special Summon from your deck a Level 5 or higher Monster with 1,600 ATK or less.

_Note: "Chaos-End Master" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**A desperate plea from a member of Security sends Shichiro on a high-speed chase through the streets of Satellite after a thief. And DaPen's plan begins in earnest, as he takes steps to oppose the Shadowchasers in a more underhanded fashion. "Respect Play" is coming up next.**_


	25. Respect Play

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

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**Respect Play**

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_**Can you trust a police officer? The answer to that question could differ greatly, depending on where you were in the world, and what the time period was.**_

_**For example, in Great Britain in the early 20**__**th**__** Century, it was a definite yes. The constabulary there acted like paternal figures, and only had to talk to a group of troublemakers to restore peace. To this very day, the typical British patrolman doesn't usually even carry a gun.**_

_**But at other times, and other places, things could be very different. In Prohibition-era Chicago, you had to think twice about trusting an officer – a lot of them were on the take. In Apartheid-era South Africa, only the upper class could depend on them for anything. And Germany under Nazi rule had a special police force called the Gestapo who existed to combat enemies of the Third Reich, not to truly help anyone. They were little better than actual Nazis, and often worked with them.**_

_**Basically, how trustworthy the local constabulary is depends on who's in charge of running the system. That's the short end of it.**_

_**I used to think that the police force of Neo Domino, the forces under Godwin's control, was a group that I could trust. But as my time with the Shadowchasers grew, I was starting to doubt this. Little by little, I was beginning to hear about things I didn't like, now that my eyes had truly opened. And as we left the restaurant, it seemed I was about to learn more…**_

"So," said Ember, "I'll meet you guys in about an hour. I've got to go, and…"

"I don't believe it…" said Shichiro, looking ahead. "Gakushi?"

About twenty feet in front of them was a Security officer next to a police motorcycle, making a call on a radio.

Shichiro knew Gakushi only too well. He was a Security whose rank went up and down so often, his captain called him a yo-yo. It usually went up when he blackmailed some other Security into letting him take the credit for some big collar, but then went down again when he loused up and had no-one to pin it on. From what Shichiro had last heard, his rank was up again. But right now, he seemed incredibly nervous…

"This is officer Gakushi," he said, in a nervous tone. "Requesting assistance…"

"I don't believe it," said Shichiro, walking up to him. "A thug threatens a whole fast food joint full of customers while a Security sits outside doing nothing…"

Gakushi looked at him and scowled.

"Don't start with me, Shichiro!!" he howled.

Shichiro saw that Gakushi was not in the best shape. He had a black eye and a fat lip.

"Were you in some sort of fight?" asked Jinx.

Gakushi sighed.

"If you must know, nosey," he said. "I had just gone to get a hot dog, when some bum dressed in rags, with the worst case of body odor, swiped the deck of cards off of my bike!"

"Huh…" said Gears.

"Uh, this deck of cards…" said Shichiro. "It wouldn't happen to be a Special Pursuit Deck, would it?"

Gakushi sighed again, and held his head with an embarrassed look.

"Yes…" he groaned.

"Oh, man…" said Jinx. "You are in _big_ trouble this time!"

"I tried to stop him," moaned Gakushi, "but he slugged me twice and ran so fast he was out of sight before I could get up. What do these bums eat that make them so tough?"

"A bum dressed in rags," whispered Gears, "with a bad smell, who's both very strong and very fast…"

"Wererat," whispered Shichiro.

"What are you blabbering about?" shouted Gakushi. "Do you know who did this?"

"I have a general idea," said Shichiro, turning away.

"Could you get the deck back?" asked Gakushi, eagerly.

"Yeah, I could," said Shichiro. "C'mon guys, let's split."

"WAIT!" shouted Gakushi. "You said you could…"

"Yes, I said I _could_, Gakushi, and I can," replied Shichiro. "I didn't say I would, and I won't."

"Oh, c'mon!" shouted Gakushi. "I'll make it worth your while!"

"Where have I heard that before?" asked Shichiro.

"You can trust me!" pleaded Gakushi.

"Stop right there!" said Shichiro, spinning around.

He glared at Gakushi.

"How can I trust a word you uniformed dictators say?" he asked. "I seem to remember one other Security who promised to make it 'worth my while' if I helped him. So like a fool, I helped him.

"The next time I saw him, he claimed he didn't know who I was, and then threatened to arrest me if I didn't leave."

"Uh… That was Officer Kohara, wasn't it?" asked Gakushi, nervously.

Shichiro nodded.

"Next time you see him," replied Shichiro, "ask him what it's like working mall security, will you?"

"Look, Shichiro," said Gakushi, nervously. "I can't let any other officers know about this, but I have to get that deck back! If I don't, I won't just get demoted this time… The cost of those cards will be coming out of my salary for the next year!

"So, I can offer you this much… If you get it back for me… Tell you what… I'll… I'll owe you a favor…"

Shichiro crossed his arms.

"Well, it's a start," he said.

He started to walk to his D-Wheel.

"You know he's likely going to break his word just like Kohara did," said Jinx.

"And be demoted two ranks and lose his benefits like Kohara did?" asked Shichiro. "Kohara didn't know that we knew who we knew. But I'm sure that anyone who knows Kohara won't make the same mistake.

"And it might benefit us in the long run to have Gakushi owe us a favor. I _really_ don't like having to go talk to you-know-who when I have to deal with Security.

"Ember, you go talk to your boss. Gears, you go check on Mistle. I'll go find this wererat. I think I know where he might be. We'll meet at the place on Cherry Blossom for ice cream at seven o'clock. Okay?"

"Great," said all three of them at once.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In Satellite, in the ruins of the Domino Mall, a group of more competent Security had cordoned off the large room where the mysterious chest had appeared. The sergeant in charge was talking on a radio.

"Yes, sir, it's very strange," he said. "This stone chest of some sort just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Some witnesses say it fell from the sky. No, frankly I _don't_ believe them…

"Anyway, it's covered with weird symbols that we've never seen before. Kinda looks like runes of some sort, maybe Old English or some Gaelic language.

"Gaelic, it's one of many old languages of the British Isles? I kinda took an elective at the Academy. No, I can't translate them! I'm just guessing here.

"Yeah, we checked. The portable Geiger counter didn't detect any radioactive materials, but for all we know, the stone might have a lead lining on the inside. I don't think we can open it right now anyway. There doesn't seem to be any latch or lock or hinges or any way to open it. And it seems too heavy to lift.

"Uh huh… Uh huh… Okay, roger on that…"

He turned the radio off.

"Okay folks, they're gonna send some people to watch this thing until they can do a more thorough test. We've just gotta watch it before they get here."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At the Limburger Cheese Co. factory, where Gears had fought Maccal, a wererat thief stopped for a minute to ponder his plunder. A Special Pursuit Deck that Security used was full of very powerful cards that only law enforcement officers were allowed to use, and thus couldn't be obtained anywhere else. To the right person, this deck was worth a small fortune.

He ranked higher in Neo Domino's wererat clan than Maccal did, having become admired by other wererats because he was so smart. At least, he was smarter than the typical wererat. A while back, some of the other wererats had started calling him Algernon, believing it to be the name of a rat in a short story who was very smart. He was flattered, and started using the name.

Of course, those wererats were _not_ all too smart, and had never read _Flowers For Algernon_. If they had, they'd have realized that Algernon was actually a mouse rather than a rat. Algernon himself had read it, but he kept the name, as his underlings seemed to respect it more than his previous name.

As of right now, he was talking on his cell phone.

"Yes, I've got the goods," he said, in his soft, seedy voice. "It was easy to get… The Security in this city couldn't protect a playground.

"I'll have the deck to you within the hour.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm very discreet…"

"But I'm a big blabbermouth," said Shichiro's voice.

Algernon leapt off of his chair and spun around, to see Shichiro standing in the doorway.

"Stealing a deck of cards from Security," he said. "That takes guts…"

Algernon squawked, and dashed towards a loading bay at the far end of the room. Shichiro gave chase as he dove through a door.

Then Shichiro heard the roar of an engine starting…

Shichiro dove aside, as Algernon drove at full speed out the door on a D-Wheel built in the style of a motorbike. It was painted black with flame decorations, with rat skulls hanging from the seat and handlebars.

"You want this deck back?" he asked. "Well… Come and get it!"

"I never turn down a dare like that," replied Shichiro.

As he drove out the door, Shichiro ran after him, leaping on his own D-Wheel parked right outside. He started it up, and started to drive after the wererat.

Then he was shocked, as Speed World activated on his Disk, and the Duel Mode engaged.

"HEY!" shouted Shichiro. "I didn't…"

He paused.

"Oh yeah, that's right…" he said. "When you're up against someone who's using a Special Pursuit Deck, you don't have a choice.

"You realize, pal, that now you've just added another offense to what I can arrest you for," he shouted. "Impersonating a law enforcement officer!"

"Only if you can beat me!" laughed Algernon, as Shichiro chased him. "I was just itching to try this deck out anyway!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was about five-thirty in the afternoon as Ember walked into the office she had been so familiar with since getting the job as Mr. Draco's secretary.

It seemed that her desire to find Mr. Draco in a good mood would be a pipe dream. He seemed to be very upset as he spoke on phone.

"I'm really sorry, Onimako," he said, "but I have to cancel.

"Yes, I know it's short notice, but I don't have time for golf tomorrow. I have to work. This whole place has been a mess since my secretary left on vacation. The temp agent wouldn't know a good worker if she bit him on the…"

Then he saw Ember.

"Uhm, I gotta cut this short. Look, I'll still be able to meet you for lunch on Monday. Probably."

He hung up.

"Ember!" he said, trying hard to smile. "Didn't expect to see you so soon. There are still a few days left of your vacation… I thought you'd be at some resort hotel right now, with a cocktail in one hand and some gorgeous hunk in the other."

Ember giggled.

"So, how have things been while I've been gone?" she asked.

"Oh, just great," muttered Draco, standing up. "Ember, I am a billionaire…"

"Then… Why aren't you happy?" asked Ember. "I thought you were already a billionaire…"

"I'm a billionaire," growled Draco, "because the amount on my paycheck this morning had two extra zeroes! Everyone's did!"

"Oh…" said Ember. "Problems with the payroll, huh?"

"The worst," replied Draco, as he sat down, and leaned his head on his hands. "And the temp secretary that the agency gave me keeps messing up. She can't even make decent coffee…"

"Heh…" said Ember. "Seems that this place needs me in order to function… Kind of a nice feeling, in a surreal way…

"That's why I'm so sorry I have to give you this."

She handed him a slip of paper.

"What's this?" asked Draco.

"My resignation, sir," said Ember. "I'm sorry… But I've found a new job, at a… new company, with a better position. It's time I moved on."

Draco looked at her closely for a second.

"Well…" he said. "I guess I can understand… I knew you weren't planning to be a secretary all your life…

"Is this a company I'm familiar with? Can I write you a recommendation?"

"I don't believe so," said Ember, "and that won't be necessary. If you really need me, I'll work part time until you find a replacement."

Draco got up.

"No, no, no need," he said. "I can manage…

"It was good to know you, Michiko… I wish you good luck wherever your road may take you."

He extended his hand, and they shook.

Draco watched, as Ember walked out of the office, towards the elevator.

Once he was sure she was gone, he sat back down, and opened his laptop. Then, he input a second password, one that let him access his most confidential files. He opened one file.

The file contained eight lists. These lists were unofficially named "People of Power". Lists of individuals who could conceivably benefit or threaten him in one way or another. List 1 had the names of the most powerful individuals, while List 8 had the least, although those on List 8 were worthy of notice. Each name had a file within the file that could be accessed by clicking on it. Some were more extensive than others.

Some of the names were marked. A gold mark next to a name meant that the person was considered an ally. A red mark meant he or she was an enemy or a threat. No mark meant that he was neither – yet. These lists were subject to change, and the number of gold marks wasn't very high. It was well-known that being a power player in the world of business and finance was similar to swimming in a tank full sharks, and you didn't have many true allies in such a place.

Only seven names were on List 1 currently. One of them was Godwin, who was unmarked. (Draco didn't trust Godwin, but didn't truly distrust him either.) Five others were heads of state in very powerful countries where Draco Industries had a foothold. The seventh name was only a set of initials: S.S. It had a gold mark.

List 2 was longer. It consisted of less powerful heads of state, as well as the four known Signers (Godwin's plan was hardly a secret to Draco), and the three current Dark Signers (neither was theirs). The true Signers were unmarked, while the Dark Signers had red marks.

Jalal was also on List 2, with no mark. So was Divine, who had a red mark. (Again, Divine's true plan was pretty obvious to him. It was very hard to keep any secret from someone as well-informed as he was. Draco paid people well to find out what everyone on these files was up to.)

DaPen was slightly further down, on List 3. He had no mark.

What concerned Draco right now was someone way on the end, on List 8. Near the top of the list (they were alphabetized) was "Eiko Michiko". Her name had no mark.

Draco highlighted the name, then input an option. The name moved to List 5. He left it unmarked. Then he clicked on the name to open the file.

He sighed, and leaned his head on his hand. He stared at the screen for a few seconds…

He started to type in the new information.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro chased after the wererat, the very streets of Satellite having been changed into Speed World.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Algernon: 8,000)**

"Catch me if you can, Shadowchaser!" he laughed, drawing a card.

"I'm calling out my Assault Dog!"

The portal opened, and a large greyhound dog with a gun harness mounted on its back leapt out. It started running next to his bike. (1,200 ATK)

"I like dogs," he chuckled. "Dogs hate cats, and I hate cats too."

"Yeah?" said Shichiro. "I rather like cats."

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to one.

"You can kiss your Assault Dog goodbye," he said. "Come on out, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!"

The portal opened behind him, and the elven soldier in armor, holding his gleaming sword appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Attack his mutt!" shouted Shichiro. "Silver blade slash!"

The Guardian made a swipe with his blade. Assault Dog howled, and burst into pixels.

"Mutt?" said Algernon. "Don't you know that the law uses careful, selective breeding techniques to raise police dogs?

"And you may have gotten rid of one of them, but when you take down one Assault Dog, I get a bonus. I get to summon another one."

A second Assault Dog flew out of the portal, sitting in Defense Mode. (800 DEF)

"It's your move," said Shichiro.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,800)**

Algernon drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

"I'll toss two cards facedown, and that will be all," he said.

Two facedown cards flashed into existence, and then faded from sight.

_Got to be careful,_ thought Shichiro, as he drew a card. _I'm pretty sure that this deck he's using has some pretty powerful Traps…_

Both Speed Counters rose to three.

"I call out Marauding Captain!" he shouted.

The portal opened, and the armored soldier holding twin blades leapt out. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect," he continued, "to summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!"

The portal opened again, and Gearfried flew out as well. (1,800 ATK)

Both duelists turned down a side street, the three Warriors following close behind Shichiro's bike.

"Captain, take out that Assault Dog!" ordered Shichiro.

Marauding Captain flew at Assault Dog, and made a swipe with his blade, blowing it to pixels.

Algernon gestured, and a third Assault Dog appeared. (800 DEF)

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian flew at the third one, cutting it in half.

"You're out of dogs," said Shichiro. "Gearfried, direct attack!"

Gearfried grunted, and flew at Algernon, slamming his bladed hands into the lycanthrope's bike. Algernon grunted as his vehicle shivered. His Speed Counters fell down to two, and he started falling behind Shichiro.

"My turn is over," said Shichiro.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,000)**

"Okay, Shadowchaser," said Algernon, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to three, while Shichiro's rose to four.

"I was gonna be nice about this, but you're starting to get on my nerves…

"So, I'm bringing out the serious stuff. I summon Gate Blocker."

He played the card, and a large barrier materialized in front of Shichiro. It looked like an ominous, rectangular stone tablet, with the Eye of Wdjat on the front. (100 ATK)

"Big deal," said Shichiro. "You should have set it in Defense Mode."

"I'm not keeping it," replied Algernon. "I'm sacrificing it…"

Gate Blocker dissolved into particles.

"…for Gate Blocker 2!"

In an intimidating burst, a Gate Blocker twice the size of the first one appeared in front of Shichiro, with two Eyes of Wdjat, and this one was in Defense Mode. (3,000 DEF)

"That's trouble…" muttered Shichiro.

"I hope that four Speed Counters are enough for you," said Algernon, "because so long as my Blocker is there, you aren't gonna get any more. I end my turn."

Shichiro made a draw. As the wererat had said, his Counters stayed at four, while Algernon's went up to four.

Shichiro quickly set a Monster, and it appeared concealed.

"That all?" asked Algernon, drawing.

Once again, his Speed Counters went up, while Shichiro's stayed the same.

"I summon Pursuit Chaser!"

In a flash of light, the robotic drone with two arms and a siren on top blaring flew out of the portal. (1,400 ATK)

"Destroy his defensive Monster!" he ordered.

Pursuit Chaser blasted beams of energy from its hands. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to plasma.

"And now you lose 500 Life Points!" laughed Algernon.

"But I still get to use Skelengel's effect," replied Shichiro, "and draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Aw, make your move," said the lycanthrope.

**(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,000)**

Shichiro drew, again not getting any faster, while Algernon went up to six.

"Gearfried," he said, "destroy Pursuit Chaser!"

The Iron Knight flew at the drone, and with one slash of his blade, sliced it in half.

"That's all for now," he said.

**(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,600)**

Algernon drew a card, his Speed Counters rising to seven.

"Now you've made me mad," he muttered. "So I'm bringing out Gonogo to deal with your merry men…"

He played a card, and a huge shadow fell over Shichiro's bike. He looked behind him to see a Monster that was literally huge. It looked like a gigantic bowling ball with eyes and a pointed nose on the front. (1,350 ATK)

Gonogo simply bowled forward, rolling over Marauding Captain and crushing him.

"I'll set a card facedown," continued Algernon, "and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared next to his other two on Shichiro's screen.

**(S: 7,350) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,600)**

Shichiro quickly made a draw. His opponent's Counters rose to eight.

_Darn,_ he thought, looking at his hand. _The only Monster I have right now is Jack's Knight. That usually isn't a good card to have on hand…_

_Oh well, his 1,900 Attack Points are better than Guardian's 1,400._

"I sacrifice Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…" he said.

The armored elf vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon Jack's Knight!"

Jack's Knight flew onto the field, holding his longsword aloft. (1,900 ATK)

"I was hoping you'd do that!" laughed Algernon, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "Activate… Intercept!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

A net shot out of the Trap Card, and Jack's Knight grunted as he was snagged by it.

"Intercept let's me commandeer any Monster that's summoned with one Tribute," chuckled Algernon.

Jack's Knight was pulled over to the front of the wererat's bike.

"Oh yeah?" said Shichiro. "Well, you still made one mistake…

"Gearfried, destroy Gonogo!"

The Iron Knight flew upwards and backwards, flying behind the huge boulder. He made a mighty swipe at it with his blade, and Gonogo's eyes bugged out. It exploded in a huge blast of flames and pebbles.

"Now, Gonogo's effect activates," continued Shichiro, "and Gearfried moves to facedown Defense Mode, meaning I won't lose any Life Points when you attack him."

Gearfried vanished, changing into a reversed card, which faded from sight.

"What you should have done was set Gonogo in Defense Mode," continued Shichiro. "Any smart Duel Chaser knows that it isn't an offensive Monster. I'd have been in real trouble if I had attacked it then."

He took three cards from his hand, and set them on his Disk. Three facedown cards appeared.

"End!" he exclaimed.

**(S: 7,350) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,150)**

"Oh, aren't we smart," said Algernon, drawing a card, as his Counters went up to nine.

Then another of his facedown cards shot up.

"I activate Level Retuner!" he shouted. "This Trap Card lets me reduce the Level of one Monster by up to two. So I'll reduce the Level of Jack's Knight by one.

"Next, I summon the Tuner Monster Tora Part."

A cackling laughter sounded over the field, and a bizarre-looking clown materialized next to Jack's Knight. Actually, it was more like two clowns, joined at the waist, one above, and one below. (600 ATK)

_Uh oh…_ thought Shichiro. _A Level 6 Synchro Summon in a Special Pursuit Deck can only mean one thing…_

Then both duelists drove at full speed into a dark tunnel. It was pitch black inside, but fortunately, the autopilot turned on the headlights. Shichiro glanced at the duel field on his console, and saw both Jack's Knight and Tora Part disappear, and a new Monster appear in their place…

As they emerged from the tunnel, Shichiro saw the Synchro Monster standing in mid-air, twenty feet in front of him. It was an intimidating Warrior, with the makeup, costume, and hair style of a kabuki actor, but with a far more muscular build, holding a weapon that looked like a leather rope with a jutte as a grapple.

"Meet Goyo Guardian," said Algernon.

(2,800 ATK)

"Next," continued the lycanthrope, "I activate the Trap Card, All-Out Attacks."

His last facedown card lifted up.

"And by the way, if you're thinking of using those facedown cards to block this attack, forget it. Since I used Tora Part to summon this guy, you can't use Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step.

"Now, my Guardian attacks!"

Goyo Guardian twirled its grapple, and hurled it at the reversed Monster. Gearfried briefly appeared on the card before dissolving into grains of light.

"And that's not all," continued Algernon. "Now, your Monster comes over to my side…"

Gearfried appeared next to Goyo Guardian, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"…and thanks to my Trap Card, he moves into Attack Mode, and gets to attack right away!"

Gearfried stood up into Attack Mode. (1,800 ATK) He leapt at Shichiro, and slammed his blade into him. Shichiro groaned a little, as his Speed Counters went down by one, down to three.

"I set one more card facedown," said Algernon, as a new facedown card appeared, "and I end my turn."

A facedown card appeared, and then faced from view.

**(S: 5,550) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,150)**

Shichiro drew a card, as Algernon's Speed Counters rose to ten. He was threatening to lose Shichiro at this rate.

"I set a new card," said Shichiro.

A new reversed card appeared, giving him a total of four.

"Then, I summon Queen's Knight!"

He played the card, and the lovely lady Warrior in crimson armor appeared, flying in front of his bike. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, she's gonna smash down your Gate Blocker."

"I'd like to see her try it!" laughed Algernon.

To answer him, one of the three facedown cards Shichiro had set last turn flipped up.

"Activate… Micro Ray!" he shouted.

A beam of energy shot out of the Trap Card, striking Gate Blocker 2. (0 DEF)

"No… Way…" said Algernon.

"Way," said Shichiro. "Attack!"

"YA!" shouted Queen's Knight, as she struck the huge tablet with her blade. It smashed into little shards of rock.

"Ooh, you'll pay for that!" screamed Algernon.

"It's your move," said Shichiro.

Algernon made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to eleven, and now that the Blocker was gone, Shichiro's rose to four. He began to pick up speed again.

Algernon turned into a run-down building, one that had been so devastated by the urban decay that you could drive through it. Shichiro followed him, swerving around the dangerous twists and turns.

"I sacrifice your Gearfried…" said Algernon.

Gearfried burst into pixels.

"…to summon Handcuffs Dragon!"

In a great blast of energy, a huge Monster appeared with a roar. It was likely the most bizarre Dragon that had ever been spawned. Its reptilian body was thin and lithe, but it had two large sets of mandibles, one on its head, and one on its tail, which made its entire body look vaguely like a set of handcuffs. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, I activate a Trap Card. The powerful Ceasefire!"

His other facedown card spun around.

"Now you lose take 500 Life Points in damage for each Effect Monster on the field."

"Fortunately, Queen's Knight isn't an Effect Monster," replied Shichiro.

"But my Monsters sure are," replied Algernon.

Shichiro groaned as a red aura of energy surrounded both of Algernon's Monsters, and him as well. His Counters fell one notch, to three.

"Now, then," said Algernon, "I'll be taking your Queen's Knight!"

Goyo Guardian hurled his grapple again, and Queen's Knight burst into pixels. Shichiro's bike shook, as his Speed Counters fell down to two. Then Queen's Knight reappeared next to the Guardian. (1,600 DEF)

All-Out Attacks glowed, and she stood up into Attack Mode. (1,500 ATK) She made a rush at Shichiro's bike.

"I activate… Birthright!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card spun around. "Now, I can bring Jack's Knight back from my Graveyard!"

The glowing portal opened, and Jack's Knight leapt out, leveling his blade at Queen's Knight. (1,900 ATK)

"Queen's Knight, stop!" screamed Algernon. "Stop your attack!"

"She can't, stupid!" replied Shichiro. "Your Trap Card forces her to attack, remember?"

Jack's Knight swung his blade, and Queen's Knight shattered into pieces.

**(S: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,750)**

Algernon just stared with a vacant expression for a second or two…

"Getting the picture yet?" asked Shichiro. "Using a deck full of new and powerful cards might seem like a thrill, but it isn't as easy as it seems. Those cards all have complex and complicated effects, and can't be used on a whim. It takes a lot of practice to adjust to any new deck, much less one that was designed for use by law enforcement. Using such a deck now and pinning your chances for escaping from me on it was a dire mistake."

"Have it your way!" shouted Algernon. "Just make your move…"

"Oh, I will," said Shichiro, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters went up to four again.

"Come on out, Junk Synchron!"

The portal opened, and the cute, robot Tuner flew out. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, let's bring this home!"

Junk Synchron gave its ripcord a yank, and its motor started to hum. Then it and Jack's Knight flew into the sky above the rooftops of Satellite, turning into eight glowing stars.

With a loud roar, Colossal Fighter descended, moving in time to Shichiro's bike. (2,800 ATK)

"Right now, there are six Warriors in my Graveyard…" he said.

A small phantom regiment appeared behind him: Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, Gearfried, Marauding Captain, Jack's Knight, Queen's Knight, and Junk Synchron.

"And I believe that there's one in yours too," he added.

Tora Part appeared with the group, and grinned at Algernon with its two faces. Then all seven of the Warriors vanished, and Colossal Fighter's Attack Score rose to 3,500.

"Now, since a Synchro Summon is considered a Special Summon," he continued, "your All-Out Attacks requires my Monster to attack this turn. But hey, that's gonna be a pleasure…

"At least it will be, once I activate this!"

Another facedown card lifted.

"Synchro Strike! Now, my Monster gains 500 more points for each Monster I used to summon it!"

Colossal Fighter glowed with energy. (4,500 ATK)

"Clobber his Handcuffs Dragon!" shouted Shichiro. "Mega knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter roared again, and socked the bizarre Dragon hard, blowing it into shards of metal. Algernon screamed, and his D-Wheel wobbled. His Speed Counters fell down two places, to ten.

**(S: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 2,050)**

…and then he grinned.

"Heh, heh, heh," he chuckled. "I still have one trick… That attack may have cost me some Life Points, but your Fighter is gonna pay for it in spades! That Monster isn't called a Handcuffs Dragon for nothing!"

Then a phantom version of Handcuffs Dragon appeared, and flew at Colossal Fighter. Its two sets of mandibles clamped to its wrists, pinning its arms behind its back like a true set of handcuffs would.

Colossal Fighter growled a little… (2,700 ATK)

"Bet you weren't expecting that," laughed Algernon.

"Actually," replied Shichiro, "it was exactly what I was expecting."

"Eh?" said the wererat.

"You see, I knew that Handcuffs Dragon was usually part of a Security's deck, even though it isn't officially included in the deck recipe for the Special Pursuit Deck. It's like a mascot for them, so I assumed that Gakushi's deck would have one.

"So, taking inspiration from another duel where it was used, I added this little number to my deck…"

His last facedown card shot up.

"The Trap Card, Equip Shot! Now, I can take Handcuffs Dragon off of my Monster, and put it on yours!"

Colossal Fighter roared again. It wrenched the Dragon off of its arms, and then hurled it at Goyo Guardian. The Guardian screamed as the Dragon latched onto its arms.

Colossal Fighter rose back to an Attack Score of 4,500, while Goyo Guardian fell to 1,000.

"No fair!" shouted Algernon. "Grr… This isn't over!"

"I'm afraid it is," replied Shichiro. "Because Equip Shot also lets my Monster attack again."

"Oh… no…" gulped Algernon.

"Colossal Fighter…" said Shichiro. "Take him down."

Colossal Fighter flew towards Goyo Guardian, and socked the mad kabuki in the gut. Algernon hollered as his Monster shattered, and his D-Wheel went into a tailspin.

**(S: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)**

Shichiro walked up to the D-Wheel, which was smoking and knocked over. Algernon was lying on his back, groaning.

The Shadowchaser reached down, and collected the deck. Then, he reached into Algernon's pocket. In it were his cell phone, and also a game card.

Cloudian – Cirrostratus.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his office, DaPen was watching his own cell phone. He hadn't made any move for about a half an hour.

Then it rang. He picked it up.

"Isn't it interesting what numbers some people will put on their speed dials?" asked Shichiro's voice. "I'm calling to inform you that Algernon will not be delivering 'the goods', as he referred to them.

"By the way, I know who this is, DaPen. And if you think you can keep thumbing your nose at both the Mundane and Jalal's authority, you're in for a rude awakening. We will find you. We will find out who or what you are. And we will take you down.

"I seem to remember you comparing yourself to Al Capone and me to Eliot Ness. Well, let me tell you something about Ness. He was a lawman to the core. He couldn't be bribed, and he wasn't scared by threats. That's why he and his group were called the Untouchables.

"I'd say your comparison was right on the money."

He hung up.

DaPen put the phone down.

He picked up a piece of paper. On it was written his to-do list for tomorrow. It had five items on it at present.

He picked up a pen and wrote down a sixth item under them:

6. Change number on cell phone.

"Interesting call?" asked Edmund, who had been watching.

"Quite," said DaPen. "But Shichiro's little threat helped make up my mind…

"It's time to end the preliminary phase, and start the true plan…"

Then the phone rang again. DaPen looked at the number.

He answered it.

"Speak," he said.

He listened. After about a minute, he hung up again.

"Good news, Edmund," he said. "Your package is waiting at the old Domino Mall…"

He started dialing a number.

"And we can go to get it, just as soon as we give our… friends something to do. And maybe benefit from it as well."

"You sure it's wise to trust that creature?" asked Edmund.

DaPen chuckled. Then his form warped and twisted, as he shed his disguise. Edmund simply glared at him. DaPen's true form was hideous, but Edmund had seen much worse.

"I doubt it will ever come after me," replied DaPen. "Looking like I do is difficult in this world… But it does have its upside…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the heart of downtown, a bookstore stood; _Aquarius; Books for a New Age_.

Inside, it looked like the typical bookstore; the shelves were organized by topic, new fiction up front, science fiction and fantasy in one wing, nonfiction in another, historic fiction in other, and so forth…

Only Shadowkind and Awares could see the special books that were on sale. They included spellbooks, scrolls, books of alchemy, and books on the history of Shadowkind clans.

The owner and proprietor of the shop was a female elf named Soelma Nilaenish. There's a stereotype surrounding female elves – most think that all of them are ravishing, enchanting beauties. But it wasn't true for Soelma, at least not anymore. She was mousy and plump for an elf, and was getting on in her years, which for an elf, meant that she was _quite_ old. Elves were not immortal, as some thought they were, but their life spans were measured in many centuries. Her dress was plain, her hair was cut short, and her eyes were bloodshot from all the reading she did.

Soelma was a moon elf, a rare offshoot of the elf species who were even more in tune with the magic of the fey world than high elves. Soelma had been a powerful wizard in her youth, but it had been ages since she had used spells for much more than research and the crafting of magic items, mostly potions and scrolls.

Research was her main focus now, the bookstore her means of funding it. She had an extensive library on artifacts and magical items hidden from view, as well as a vault to hold them. Unraveling the secrets of the arcane was her specialty, and the Regalia of the Day was one of her current projects.

Right now, she was sitting behind the counter, going over a moderate-sized text written in Sylvan that she had been asked to translate. Sylvan – the language of fey – was pretty much a second language to elves, so this was going to be a rather boring night…

Then she looked up, as the door to the shop opened.

"Jinx?" asked Soelma, looking up.

It sure looked like Jinx, although she was looking at Soelma with a cold, icy stare that didn't look at all friendly.

Then she smiled slightly.

"Hi, Soelma," she said. "Look, Gears needs the Sword of Noon for a few hours. He got a lead on a possible source for the runes on it."

Soelma looked at Jinx nervously.

"Uh… sure Jinx…" she said.

Soelma nervously walked to the vault. She didn't know if Jinx was acting via her own free will, or if something sinister was afoot, or even if this was Jinx at all. But she _did_ know that all was not right, and she would never be a match for Jinx in any sort of conflict. She didn't want to put her life in danger.

_What do I do?_ she thought, as she approached the vault. _If this is a trick, I can't let her get away with it…_

Then she got an idea.

She took the Sword of Noon from its shelf on the wall, and then turned to see if she was being watched.

Less than a minute later, she handed it to Jinx, smiling.

"Just call me when Gears is done with it, okay?" she asked.

Jinx nodded, and smirked a little.

Soelma breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her walk out of the store. She slumped in a chair.

"What a fright!" she gasped.

She looked at her watch.

"I'll wait half an hour… She should be gone by then…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**You don't become a wizard by being dumb. Soelma realized that the young woman with the icy cold expression that looked like Jinx likely wasn't her. And since Soelma was smart, she also realized that refusing to hand over the Sword would more than likely result in the Jinx look-a-like trying to take it by force. Soelma had no idea of her abilities, was too old to fight it in a spell battle, and she didn't duel. She was an old dog, and Duel Monsters was a new trick as far as she was concerned. **_

_**Still, who was this imposter? Soelma was still on our payroll, and she was going to help us find out, just as soon as she knew she was in the clear. DaPen had made a serious move, and it would prove incredibly dangerous for at least one member of our group.**_

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**ASSAULT DOG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Assault Dog" from your deck.

_Note: Assault Dog was first used by Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Ready, Set, DUEL!" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Coming up next:**_

_**What monster did Professor Lupin use to teach Harry Potter how to cast the Patronus Charm? If you know, then you have a vague idea of the threat that impersonated Jinx. However, next chapter, you'll see that J.K. Rowling isn't well-liked among Shadowkind because of the numerous things she got wrong about magical beings. A powerful Shadow Game starts where Jinx risks her very existence and must wager everything against the roll of a die. DaPen isn't playing around any more.**_

"_**Physical Double" is coming soon.**_


	26. Physical Double

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

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**Physical Double**

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_**Everyone has bad days at work. And when your stress headache is the worst, you can't help but think up creative ways to tell your boss off when you finally get a better job and are able to leave for good.**_

_**Well, I had seemed to leave Mr. Draco's employ on good terms, without any angry feelings, but I still felt satisfied. I had left my boring nine-to-five routine behind forever – hopefully – and started on a new path. I was part of an organization bigger and more powerful than Draco Industries could ever imagine, and the sky was the limit.**_

_**As you might expect, I had a pie-in-the-sky attitude when I met my three "co-workers" for ice cream, something that I had never done with anyone I had worked with in Mr. Draco's company… No-one had ever invited me before…**_

Gears walked over to the pair of park benches outside of the ice cream parlor, holding a cardboard tray containing four sundaes.

"All right!" exclaimed Ember. "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"

"Man," said Shichiro, as they were passed out. "If you say that again, I really _am_ gonna scream."

"I gotta admit, Ember," said Gears, as he started on his, "that deck of yours was awfully clever…"

"Well, I can't take all the credit," said Ember. "It was all cause of a weird dream I had this morning…"

"A dream?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah…" replied Ember. "I dreamt I was in Satellite, and got into a duel with this guy about my age… A tough guy with a D-Wheel…

"He called himself Crow."

Then Shichiro started to cough loudly, almost as if he was choking on the bite of ice cream he just took.

"Ah, heh…" he said. "Went down the wrong… tube there…"

Gears and Jinx looked at him.

"He had quite a deck," continued Ember. "Dark Attribute Winged Beasts, I believe. And to think I thought all Winged Beasts were Wind…

"Anyway, we dueled, he won… But a Spell Card he had let me think, if you can constantly search for Monsters, you can thin out a deck fast, and…"

She looked at Shichiro.

"You know," she said, "it's awfully hard to talk while you keep making those weird faces!"

Then Jinx laughed.

"The duel gods move in mysterious ways," she said.

"The duel gods must be crazy," muttered Shichiro.

"What?" asked Ember.

Then Shichiro's cell phone rang.

"Saved by the bell," he muttered, answering it.

"Yeah? Soelma? What's the matter? Yeah, Jinx is here…

"What? Yes, I'm absolutely sure that it's Jinx. What happened?"

He stopped to listen.

"We're on our way… Lock the door and wait for us."

"What's going on?" asked Jinx.

"You just stole the Sword of Noon," replied Shichiro. "Or rather, someone who looks just like you did. DaPen is trying a new trick…

"We have to get to Soelma's bookstore, pronto…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, the four of them were listening to a detailed explanation by Soelma, while Gears was doing a scan of the store with the same device that he had used when he first detected the joystealer.

"I knew it wasn't Jinx," said Soelma, nervously. "Jinx is warm, happy, and kind… This… thing was cold and definitely unfriendly."

"This is very odd," said Gears, looking at the device. "The aura that this creature left seems to have the same levels of supernatural ability possessed by the real Jinx… Except that everything in Jinx's aura that's positive is negative here.

"I'm sensing hatred and anger where Jinx has love and joy…"

He paused.

"Boggart," he said.

"Lovely," said Shichiro.

"Boggart?" said Ember. "I thought boggarts were creatures who hid in dark places and took the form of the greatest fear of whoever saw them."

Gears sighed.

"Shichiro, why don't you explain it to her," he said.

"Ember, listen up," said Shichiro. "J.K. Rowling was an a-list author who was admired the world over for her works… But _only_ among humans.

"Most Shadowkind didn't like her much at all. The Harry Potter books portrayed many supernatural races in ways that got real ones up in arms."

"How so?" asked Ember, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for instance," said Shichiro, "when _Chamber of Secrets_ came out, the Shadowchasers received a petition signed by the members of a clan of pixies who happened to live in Cornwall, calling for the book to be banned."

"You gotta be kidding," said Ember.

"I'm deadly serious," said Shichiro. "As if the Shadowchasers actually had the authority to do that. Things got worse when _Goblet of Fire_ came out. It seemed that half the merfolk in world wrote complaint letters saying that Rowling made them look too primitive.

"And you do not even want to _start_ with the complaints elves have made about the house-elves that appeared in every book starting with the second. First, there's no such thing as house-elves, elves are rural creatures; second, those creatures were ugly, and elves pride themselves on beauty; and third, Rowling's elves were a slave race. Rowling's name was found on numerous hit lists belonging to elf clan leaders with considerable power because of the whole thing."

"Those creatures were _not_ elves," said Soelma. "I would have given Rowling the benefit of the doubt and called them brownies, but not even brownies would enjoy slavery. Dobby may have been a heroic figure in those books, but that still doesn't excuse how elves were portrayed."

"Pretty much the only Shadowkind race who ever had a good word for Rowling were goblins," said Shichiro. "They could only wish that they were as smart as the ones in those books.

"Also, a lot of real wizards thought that some of the magic in the books was unrealistic. And a few of them thought that the idea of the Killing Curse was too sensitive a subject to be used in any caricature."

Ember's eyes opened.

"There's… really a spell that lethal?" she asked.

"Of course not," replied Soelma. "It's a magical impossibility. There are spells that can kill, sure… But ones that you can't counter or defend yourself against? Nonsense.

"The thing that made wizards uneasy about it was the trouble that hoaxes about spells like that have caused. Throughout history, many unscrupulous sorcerers have claimed that they were indeed able to research horrible spells that could do what Avada Kedavra could do, or worse, and offer no defense. They were always bluffing, but they used these bluffs to threaten or blackmail everyone from peasants to emperors."

_Worse?? _thought Ember.

"Know how the Magna Carta was _really_ signed?" asked Gears. "King John was at first prepared to die before he abdicated his power to the barons by agreeing to it. But three of the barons who drafted it were Aware, and one of them was a wizard. After proving his power, the wizard threatened to inflict a powerful and irreversible curse on John that would doom him and every male descendant to a long and miserable death from leprosy.

"As you probably know, during this time period, leprosy was one of the most feared diseases known, and victims of it were social outcasts. John believed it, and gave in. Those three barons believed that their wealth and social status would protect them from any form of retribution.

"But they quickly discovered that neither was any good when you do something that falls under Jalal's jurisdiction. The Shadowchasers stepped in, and they were apprehended. The wizard actually made the same threat to Jalal, bu Jalal was smart, and knew that such magic was beyond the power of mortals to create. He called his bluff, which it clearly was.

"Still, Jalal didn't do anything to reverse the signing of the document… He feared that if he did, another rebellion would start, and blood would be shed, and regardless, he thought that limiting the power of the monarchy was a good idea."

"But you get the idea," said Jinx. "The whole idea of curses that lethal is nothing to make light of, at least from the point of view of a real wizard."

"Bottom line is," continued Shichiro, "Rowling was pretty much clueless about true supernatural beings. And her depiction of boggarts wasn't very accurate."

"Well, are you going to tell me?" asked Ember.

"Boggarts are shapeshifters," replied Gears. "That's pretty much the only thing that Rowling got right. It finds its victim, takes a 'snapshot', and is then able to transform into a carbon copy… One that reflects the victim's darker emotions. Any pent-up aggressions or vices that the model might have had are brought to the surface in this being, who is not held back by any conscious or moral standards that the model had. These beings live to enjoy themselves, and don't care about rules or other taboos."

"Oh, this is just _great_!" exclaimed Jinx. "Someone who looks just like me is out there, and it's probably going to go do everything illegal, immoral, and fattening that I ever considered doing!"

"Calm down, Jinx!" urged Gears.

"Calm down?!" shouted Jinx. "What if it lets some guy have his way with it, and then gives my cell phone number to him?"

"Uhm, if I may butt in," said Soelma, "I did something so you can find this rogue…"

They all turned to her.

"Before I handed over the Sword," she said, "I covered it Dust of the Bloodhound. It's a magical substance that will let you find anyone who handled the Sword within fifteen minutes after I treated it, so long as they're still in the city."

She held up a test tube full of red liquid.

"Just drink this, and you'll be led right to this imposter."

They looked at it.

"Maybe I should do this…" said Shichiro.

"To Hell you should!" said Jinx. "This is between me and myself, Shichiro."

Shichiro held up his hands, and stepped back, as Jinx took the potion. She undid the top, and drank it, slowly.

"YUCK!" she gasped.

"Uhm, I should have warned you…" said Soelma. "Since it was a rush job, I didn't have time to make it taste very good… If I had a few hours, I could have added some sweetener, I could have…"

"That's okay…" muttered Jinx, holding her head. "Wait… Actually, I'm sensing two beings…

"One of them…

"One of them is in this bookstore."

Everyone paused.

"Oh, that would be me," said Soelma. "I guess I spilled a little of the Dust on my hands when I coated the Sword with it."

"Okay then," said Jinx. "The other one is the one I'm after."

She started to walk outside.

"I'll leave my cell phone on, people… But I don't think this will be easy…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In some large cities, there is a part of town that caters to the sins and impulses of its populace. There are many names for this part of town, not all of them printable. The most universally used term is the red light district.

Red light districts host a large number of bars, nightclubs, and adult movie theaters. Also common are video rental places, strip clubs, peep shows, casinos, tattoo parlors, and other less reputable businesses. Prostitutes, pimps, and drug dealers are also common sights in these districts, doing a brisk business with anyone who seeks them out.

Some cities simply tolerate their red light districts, while in others, they are persecuted and harassed. Some cities, like New Orleans and Las Vegas, actively promote their red light districts, hoping to attract tourists with a taste for serious adult entertainment. Neo Domino didn't promote theirs, but it was a place where it was tolerated.

Shadowkind flourished in this part of town, blending in with the local populace who rarely questioned anyone on the street. Some monsters even set up shop here, establishing themselves as drug dealers, hired muscle, and even crime bosses.

Night was falling on the red light district, and this was the time when it was the busiest. Jinx knew from the potion that her quarry was at a nightclub called the Mermaid's Cups. She _really_ hoped that if the Mermaid's Cups was a strip club, her duplicate was a customer, and not a performer.

She drove her D-Wheel down the street, and saw the nightclub. It seemed like an old place, which had apparently gotten its name from the wooden carving of a mermaid with shells over her breasts that hung over the entrance. Halfway down the street was a business that she had heard of – Dr. Morston's House of Wax. This wax museum had once been a business in the original Domino, but the owner relocated to Neo Domino a few years before Zero Reverse.

Jinx slowly walked into the Mermaid's Cups carrying her Duel Disk. It seemed like a posh place. What she first took notice of was the singer who was sitting on the edge of the grand piano, singing while the pianist played. Most humans would simply see a beautiful woman in a low-cut green dress, but an Aware like Jinx could tell that she was a real mermaid.

Jinx was rather surprised at this. Only an oddball merfolk spent more than the briefest amount of time on land, due to their inability to move about there. Those who did usually required a wheelchair or similar convenience.

Then she saw _her_. A woman by the bar who looked like her, dressed in a trashy outfit, flirting with a well-dressed man who was obviously past his limit.

"So…" said the imposter with a big smile. "This place is so formal… What say we go somewhere where the dress code is more lax?"

Jinx had several options right now. She decided to take the direct approach.

"You know what?" she said. "You look just like me when I'm having a bad day."

The boggart spun around. She grinned.

Then she turned to the guy, and gave him a big, wet kiss. Jinx gasped.

"I'll call you," said the boggart.

Jinx made a grab for the beast, but it slipped free, and made a run for the door. Jinx chased it out the door, and saw it run down the street, and dive into a building.

Jinx followed, and then saw where it had gone. She looked up at the museum entrance.

"A shapeshifter in a wax museum…" she muttered. "Talk about a needle in a haystack…"

She opened the doors, and walked into a dark hallway.

There are two major genres of wax museums. Some, like the famous Madam Tussaud's of London, specialized in sculptures of celebrities and other famous people. Most others specialized in horror icons. It was clear that this museum was one of the later.

Three of the most famous horror icons were right inside the door: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Wolfman. Jinx slowly walked past them, past display stands featuring the Creature From the Black Lagoon and the Invisible Man.

Down another hallway stood Quasimodo and the Phantom of the Opera…

She paused. She was taken a little by the irony. Both characters were famous roles played by Lon Chaney Sr., The "Man of a Thousand Faces".

She wasn't picking up any bad vibes from these or any other of the classic monsters, so she moved on. She saw another annex – the Hall of Science Fiction.

She slowly walked in, and was greeted by a display featuring Robby the Robot from _Forbidden Planet_. Slightly past him was a far less friendly robot – Gort from _The Day the Earth Stood Still._

A chill started to creep down her spine. She drew her sword.

She walked further, past displays of the aliens from _War of the Worlds_, past Ming the Merciless and Daleks, and finally to a very large display featuring the classic lightsaber battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker from _Return of the Jedi._

Something was wrong… Her eyes went to the statue of Darth Vader…

His lightsaber… It was a mistake. It was _green._

Quickly, Jinx made a slash with her sword at the statue. But it simply fell down into pieces of wax and a metal frame.

She looked at it, puzzled. Then the statue of Skywalker behind her smiled.

Jinx didn't have time to react as the boggart kicked her in the behind. She dropped her sword, but she got up in time to see it change back into a form that looked like her.

"Very clever," said Jinx. "You got rid of the Luke statue, and put its lightsaber in Vader's hand, so I'd think Vader was you. Everyone knows that Vader had a red lightsaber. Then you imitated the Luke statue so you could ambush me."

"Yup," said the boggart. "And you fell right into my trap, Jinx."

"Trap?" said Jinx.

The boggart nodded.

"Look at me!" said the boggart. "Your body… I love it! I'm beautiful, sexy… This is the best form I've ever taken!"

"And just how many guys are gonna call me after you've ditched it?" asked Jinx.

"None!" laughed the boggart. "Cause I'm not going to! I want to keep it, permanently! Like I said, I've never had a body this good before!

"Of course… In order to do that, I have to break the mold… I have to get rid of the model…"

Jinx stood up. She suddenly understood. This demon had wanted her to come after it. It was all a trap to lead her to her doom.

The boggart gestured, and a Duel Disk appeared on its arm.

"Why bother dueling me?" asked Jinx. "I doubt something like you cares about the Treaty much…"

"I don't," replied the boggart, "but I have my own reasons for wanting a duel. You'll see soon enough.

"So, you want me to stop imitating you? Beat me, you'll be free to go, and I'll shed this form.

"Lose, and… Well, you'll see when it happens."

Jinx held up her Duel Disk, and they both activated.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Boggart: 8,000)**

"See if you can handle this," said Jinx. "I play the Spell Card, Legacy of X-Saber!"

The Spell Card appeared in front of her, and she was surrounded by a red aura.

"Now, I give up 1,000 Life Points, and I get to bring out three, count 'em, _three_ X-Sabers from my deck in Defense Mode."

In three auras of energy, X-Saber Airbellum (200 DEF), X-Saber Urz (1,000 DEF), and X-Saber Axel (100 DEF) appeared, and all three knelt and shielded themselves with their weapons.

"Ahem," said the boggart. "I suggest you take a look at your leg…"

"Huh?" said Jinx, looking down.

Her left shin was starting to fade.

"What have you done to me?!" she shouted.

"You're disappearing," replied the boggart. "As you lose Life Points, you'll start to fade away. And when you lose, the old Jinx will disappear forever, letting me take your place as the new one."

"What is this?" shouted Jinx. "Some sort of Shadow Game?"

"Call it whatever you like," replied the boggart. "But you're playing for keeps now… Finish your move."

Jinx started to sweat…

"Since I played Legacy of X-Saber, I can't summon any more Monsters this turn," she said. "It's your move."

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 8,000)**

"I draw one card…" said the fiend.

It looked over the six cards in its hand.

"I set a Monster, and then three facedown cards."

A hidden Monster, and three reversed cards appeared.

"…and my turn is complete."

"Then it's my move!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!"

The heroic Sir Galahad was a key figure in Arthurian legend. However, the Warrior that appeared did not look much like the depictions in the legends. He still wore armor, but it was bronze and not as shiny as that of the traditional knight. The X-Saber insignia was on his belt. More importantly, his face was toad-like, with blue hair tied in a topknot. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Airbellum and Urz…"

The two X-Sabers got up, and leapt into the air. They both dissolved into seven glowing stars…

A flash of light illuminated the room, and X-Saber Urbellum landed with a roar. (2,200 ATK)

"I was hoping you'd do that," replied the boggart.

One of his facedown cards shot up.

"I activate Demise of the Land! Since you Special Summoned a Monster, I get to activate a Field Spell from my deck."

It opened the Field slot on its Disk, and placed a card into it.

"I choose to activate Fusion Gate."

With a rumble, a dark cloud crackling with energy appeared over the field.

_Fusion Gate? _thought Jinx. _What is she… it planning?_

_I'll figure it out later…_

"My Galahad attacks your Monster…"

Galahad lifted his sword.

"…and when he attacks a Monster, he gains 300 Attack Points."

Galahad's Attack Score rose to 2,100. He made a swipe with his blade, and Sangan appeared on the card before being cut in half.

"Why, thank you," replied the boggart, taking a card from his deck. "And since I'm such a nice gal, I'll even show you what this card is…"

It flipped the card around.

"Sand Gambler?" asked Jinx. "What, are you copying my deck too?"

"No," replied the boggart. "I put a unique twist on your theme. You'll see soon enough."

"Let's see it help you avoid this," replied Jinx. "Urbellum, direct attack!"

Urbellum drew one sword, and made a mighty slash at the imposter. It grunted, and stepped backwards once.

Then it made an evil grin.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,800)**

Jinx was worried. There was no sign of the boggart's body disappearing, even though it had taken a lot of damage. Clearly, it could bend the rules in this contest. She sighed.

"I end my turn…" she said.

The boggart made a draw.

One of its two remaining facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Jar of Greed," he said. "Now, I'll make one draw."

It drew a card. Then it looked at the five cards in its hand.

"I'll set one more card facedown," it said, "and then summon Mystic Tomato."

A second facedown card appeared, and then the goofy Tomato appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"I end my turn."

_Clearly, it doesn't know about the downside of Galahad's effect,_ thought Jinx. _He may gain 300 Attack Points when he attacks, but he loses 500 when he's being attacked. He could have attacked him with Mystic Tomato._

_Or he could have attacked Axel… He's up to something…_

She drew a card.

"Galahad, destroy Mystic Tomato!" she shouted.

Galahad charged at the Tomato, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100 again. He sliced it half.

"I use its effect," said the boggart, "to summon Gambler of Legend."

In an aura of dark shadow, a tall man appeared, wearing a buckskin and a dark cowboy hat. He casually tossed a coin. (500 ATK)

"Sand Gambler _and_ Gambler of Legend?" asked Jinx. "Well, they won't do you any good. Urbellum, attack!"

X-Saber Urbellum rushed at Gambler of Legend.

"I activate a Trap!" shouted the boggart, as one of its facedown cards lifted up. "Dimensional Prison!"

As Urbellum leapt at the Spellcaster, he faded, and disappeared in a ripple of light.

Jinx closed her eyes. She clenched her fist in anger.

"You, my friend, just made a serious mistake…" she growled.

"We'll see about that," said the boggart.

"It's my move!"

It drew.

_Just what I needed,_ it thought.

"I first play two facedowns," it said, as two reversed cards appeared.

"Then I use the effect of Fusion Gate. I fuse together Gambler of Legend and Sand Gambler."

Sand Gambler appeared on the field. Then, both Monsters dissolved into grains of light.

"WAIT!" shouted Jinx. "Those two guys can fuse together?"

"Yes!" laughed the boggart. "Didn't expect that, did you? I summon Ipos, Lord of Masques!"

An odd figure descended from the Fusion Gate. It was a tall creature, dressed in clothing that suggested a nobleman of Elizabethan England, although the colors were somewhat tacky, even gaudy. He had the head of a feral cat, possibly a lynx, and the legs of a goose. He wore a colorful mask over his eyes, similar to the type worn during Mardi Gras.

(2,400 ATK)

"What do you think?" asked the boggart. "Don't you think my Monster is just a million laughs?"

"I'm not fooled by your Monster's comical appearance," muttered Jinx. "I'm sure that it's hiding some dark power…"

"You'll see soon enough," said the boggart. "Attack X-Saber Axel! Raging flames of chaos!"

Ipos pointed with one hand, and shot a blast of white-hot fire at the X-Saber. The Beast-Warrior was incinerated.

_Whoa,_ thought Jinx. _Smarter than I thought._

"It's your move…" said the boggart.

Jinx slowly drew a card.

"And my Trap Card activates," said the boggart.

One of her facedown cards lifted, and Jinx didn't like the look of it at all. It bore the image of a frightening grim reaper in a multicolored robe.

"This is a gamble card that you never considered putting in your deck," it said. "The powerful Tour of Doom!

"I'll explain. Normally, I would toss a coin during your Standby Phase, as in now. If it came up heads, then you wouldn't be able to Normal Summon or Flip-Summon this turn. If it came up tails, then I wouldn't be able to Normal Summon or Flip-Summon during my next turn."

"No wonder I never put it in my deck," replied Jinx. "That's sounds like too much of a risk to take."

"Ordinarily, yes," said the boggart. "But thanks to Ipos, who is a master of manipulating chance, I can stack the odds in my favor. Once per turn, I don't have to toss a coin. If a coin toss would be made, I can instead pay 500 Life Points to _choose_ the result!

"So, I pay 500 Life Points to choose heads."

"Oh, come on!" shouted Jinx. "A Monster that powerful has to have some sort of catch…"

"Yeah, it has a catch," replied the boggart. "If you manage to destroy Ipos, he's gone for good, and I lose every card on my field and in my hand. But I'm not too worried about that…"

Jinx looked at the seven cards in her hand.

"Yeah, well," she said. "I can still set a Monster…"

Then another of the boggart's facedown cards lifted up.

"Light of Intervention," muttered Jinx. "So I guess I can't, huh?"

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Magical Mallet!" she exclaimed. "Now, I'll shuffle these six cards back into my deck, and try again."

She combined the six cards with her deck, and shuffled. Then she made six draws.

She looked at them.

"Well, look at that!" she exclaimed. "I play Heavy Storm!"

She quickly played the Spell Card, and a fierce wind started to blow over the field.

"You make this too easy!" laughed the boggart.

Its last facedown card shot up.

"I activate Judgment of Anubis!"

It quickly discarded its last card, a second Mystic Tomato. The winds quelled, and Galahad screamed. He exploded into pixels, and Jinx cringed.

Then she gasped, as part of her left arm started to vanish.

_That's why it never attacked Galahad,_ she thought.

She looked at her remaining five cards.

"I toss two cards facedown," she said, "and I end my turn."

Two reversed cards appeared in front of her.

**(J: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,300)**

"My move!" laughed the boggart, making a draw.

It looked at the one card, and then looked at Jinx.

"Ipos, attack her directly!"

Ipos pointed at Jinx.

_Time to see if there are limits to that guy's powers,_ she thought.

"Activate… Fairy Box!" she shouted.

As Ipos blasted his wave of flame, Jinx's Trap Card shot up. A coin appeared in her hand.

"Heads!" she shouted, tossing it.

The coin landed, and it came down, heads. The flames didn't hurt her at all.

"Seems Ipos has a limit to the cards he can use his effect on," said Jinx.

"Indeed," replied the creature. "You figured it out. I can only affect the outcome of my own cards. But anyway, I can't do anything else…"

"But I sure can!" said Jinx.

Her second facedown card shot up.

"I activate… Blind Destruction!"

There was a rumble, and the whole room darkened. The boggart and Ipos looked up, as the Fusion Gate parted, and a huge alien spaceship slowly moved overhead.

"What's going on?" it shouted.

"Ever see _Independence Day_?" asked Jinx. "This is one of those alien crafts full of psychotic aliens that destroy everything in sight.

"Here's how Blind Destruction works. During my Standby Phase, before any of your cards activate, because I'm the turn player, I roll one die. Then, all Monsters whose Level matches the roll are wiped out. If the roll happens to be six, then that means that all Monsters that are Level 6 or greater, like your Ipos, are destroyed."

"Bah!" said the boggart. "That's a one in six chance."

"We'll see," said Jinx, drawing a card. "I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box…

"And here it comes!"

A silver die materialized on the field, and started to skip and bounce.

It came up, a three.

"Crud," said Jinx.

"Now, Tour of Doom activates," chuckled the boggart. "Once again, I pay 500 Life Points to choose heads."

Jinx looked at her cards.

"Question," she said. "What Attribute is Ipos?"

"Fire," replied the boggart. "Why?"

"Good," said Jinx, taking two cards from her hand.

"I use the effect of your Fusion Gate! I fuse together Alligator's Sword and Baby Dragon…"

The two Monsters appeared on the field, and then disappeared into grains of light.

"To summon Alligator's Sword Dragon!"

A new Monster flew out of the crackling cloud. It was more-or-less Alligator's Sword riding a more mature version of Baby Dragon as a mount. (1,700 ATK)

The boggart chuckled.

"Nice," it said. "You figured out Tour of Doom's weakness. It doesn't prevent Special Summoning. Unfortunately, that guy isn't strong enough to defeat Ipos."

"He doesn't have to be," replied Jinx. "Since you have no Wind, Dark, or Light Monsters, he can attack you directly."

Alligator's Sword Dragon took to the air, flying right over the Lord of Masques. He swooped down on the imposter, making a slash with his sword, and knocking it over.

The boggart grunted as it got up.

**(J: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,100)**

"You'll pay for that," it growled, drawing a card.

It looked at one of the cards in its hand.

_I can get rid of her Monster with this, _it thought, _but it may be more vital in case that Trap Card of hers actually works…_

"Ipos," it shouted, "roast her Alligator's Sword Dragon!"

Ipos blasted its flame at the mounted wyvern…

"Go, Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

She tossed the coin.

"Head again!"

The coin fell, and unfortunately, this time, it was tails. Alligator's Sword Dragon was burned to a charred crisp.

Jinx gasped as part of her torso started to vanish.

"I set these two cards," said the boggart, "and end my turn."

Two reversed cards appeared behind Ipos.

**(J: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,100)**

Jinx quickly drew a card.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said. "And then Blind Destruction activates."

The die rolled again.

Then she cheered as she saw it come up a six. The spaceship started to glow…

"Go, facedown cards!" shouted the boggart, as his two cards shot up. "First, Burial From a Different Dimension! Now, Sand Gambler and Gambler of Legend go to my Graveyard.

"Then, De-Fusion!"

Ipos split into two orbs of Light and Dark, which turned into Sand Gambler (1,600 DEF) and Gambler of Legend (1,400 DEF) crouching in Defense Mode.

"Since Ipos wasn't destroyed, I don't have to deal with his nasty side effect," said the boggart. "And next round, I'll just summon him again."

"Not if I take out those two guys," replied Jinx.

"You forget," said the boggart, "Tour of Doom activates now."

"Yeah," said Jinx, "only now, you don't have Ipos to help you."

The boggart cursed as a coin appeared in its hand. It gave it a toss.

Then it grinned, as it came up heads.

"Seems luck is still with me," it said. "Finish your move…"

Jinx looked at her hand.

"I play… Roll of Fate!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and a golden die appeared on the field. It skipped, and came up a three.

She quickly drew three cards. Then she took the next three, and pocketed them.

"I set two facedown cards, and end my turn," she said.

Two reversed cards appeared.

**(J: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,100)**

The boggart made one draw.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Jinx. "Dust Tornado!"

"Eh?" said the demon.

It at first thought that Jinx was going to destroy Tour of Doom. But then it saw that the Tornado was instead aimed at the Field Spell. The dark cloud surrounding the spaceship started to quell, and then scattered.

_Curses…_ it thought.

It looked at the one card in its hand, which was Fusion Recovery.

_Sand Gambler's effect would be pointless,_ it thought. _Gambler of Legend's effect would only have one good outcome out of four at this point. It isn't worth it…_

_And both of them have pathetic Attack Scores. Attacking her with them would accomplish nothing…_

"I pass," he said.

Jinx made a draw.

"I pay to keep Fairy Box again…" she said.

"And Blind Destruction activates again."

The die rolled…

And this time, it came up a three.

"Oh, a three!" said Jinx. "Isn't Sand Gambler a Level 3 Monster?"

Sand Gambler ominously looked up at the huge spaceship…

Then a bolt of pure energy shot down from it, and he was atomized.

"This isn't over!" shouted the boggart. "Tour of Doom activates now!"

"Then let's see who's luck is truly better," said Jinx. "That person is the one who truly deserves to be me."

The boggart tossed the coin…

And this time, it landed on tails.

"That means I can Normal Summon this turn," said Jinx, "and I think I'll summon X-Saber Palomlo."

The small lizard-man Tuner, holding his spear appeared. (200 ATK)

"Next, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Galahad."

She played the card, and the golden ankh appeared. Galahad appeared once again. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together!"

Galahad and Palomlo flew towards the ceiling, towards the huge spacecraft. They dissolved into five glowing stars. The whiny of a horse, followed by a galloping sound could be heard.

"Synchro Summon… X-Saber Wayne!"

A portal opened, and a new X-Saber appeared. Unlike the other X-Sabers, this one was not dressed in barbarian armor. Rather, this one was dressed in the regalia of an old-fashioned cowboy, with a leather suit and a cowboy hat, along with a tattered cloak. The X-Saber insignia was printed on his shoulder guards. He held a weapon that looked like a cross between a six-shooter and a Bowie knife. (2,100 ATK)

"When Wayne here is Synchro Summoned," continued Jinx, "I can Special Summon a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand. So, I Special Summon X-Saber Anabelera."

In a flourish of energy, Anabelera leapt onto the field, holding her sword aloft. (1,800 ATK) The boggart growled.

"And now," said Jinx, "my facedown card activates… Synchro Strike!"

Wayne glowed with energy, and his Attack Score rose to 3,100.

"Anabelera, destroy Gambler of Legend!" shouted Jinx.

The female X-Saber made a slash with her blade, and Gambler of Legend was no more.

"Wayne, finish him off!" shouted Jinx. "Saber six-shooter!"

X-Saber Wayne aimed, and fired six rounds of hot lead from his weapon. The boggart screamed in pain.

**(J: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)**

Jinx took a deep breath, as her flesh was restored.

"Now it's your turn to vanish into the darkness, monster," she said.

The boggart laughed. A dark shadow surrounded it.

"You think I care?" it laughed. "I like the darkness! I eat, sleep, and breathe the darkness!

"You may defeat me for now, but any victory you win over me is temporary… You cannot defeat darkness… Soon, very soon, I'll be back, with a different face, wearing a different skin…"

The demon's cackling laughter echoed through the wax museum as the shadows consumed it.

Jinx looked at the ground where it had been. A game card was lying there. She picked it up.

Cloudian – Ghost Fog.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx stood next to her D-Wheel for quite some time, shaken.

DaPen had struck hard this time. He had tricked her into a deadly duel, where she had risked her very existence. His methods had turned deadly now.

And that wasn't the worst of it… She had searched the whole museum, and it wasn't there. Clearly, the boggart had already delivered it to DaPen.

DaPen had the Sword of Noon now.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was now nine o'clock.

In the ruins of the mall in Satellite, a portable beacon illuminated the large promenade with the chest, as two Securities sat on the remnants of the fountain watching it.

"Why the heck do we gotta watch this dumb chest again?" asked the first.

"Because the captain told us to," replied the second. "Besides, it isn't like we have anything better to do tonight…"

"Yeah, well," said the first, "if anyone at the academy ever told me that this job would involve watching some weird chest at nine in the evening, I would have told him he was crazy.

"I'd bet anything that's it full of nothing but a bunch of old lug nuts or something…"

Then he yawned, and slumped over.

Then the second one noticed two flashlights approach. He at first thought that the next shift had arrived early.

It wasn't. The flashlights were held by DaPen's two bodyguards. Following them were Edmund and DaPen himself (disguised again, naturally).

"Let's get this over with, guys," said one of the bodyguards. "I wanna go get somethin' to eat."

"Albert, will you stop thinking about your stomach?" said Edmund.

"Stomachs," corrected DaPen. "He has four of them."

The second Security turned to his partner.

"Burt!" he whispered. "Burt! Wake up!"

"No need to wake him," said DaPen. "In fact, why don't you take a little nap yourself?"

Then DaPen's eyes glowed, and the Security's eyes glazed over. He collapsed, and fell into a deep slumber.

"So what's in this box?" asked Vincent, as he and Albert looked at the stone chest. "Gold? Jewels? Kielbasa?"

"Something far more valuable than that," said Edmund. "Something that I can use to strike a serious blow to the Shadowchasers…"

He muttered a hasty incantation, and the chest glowed. Then the top opened, seemingly on invisible hinges.

Inside, the chest seemed to be full of glowing, green, thick, vicious liquid.

"Eh?" said Albert. "It's a chest full of slime?"

DaPen sighed. Then he slapped the bodyguard in the face.

"It's not slime, you idiot!" he scolded. "It's highly corrosive ectoplasm created using necromancy, put there to protect the contents. If anyone put his hand in there, that stuff would take it right off."

"That's right," said Edmund. "The one who sent this chest to the Astral had to be very careful. The contents of this chest could be sold for a fortune on many worlds, and be turned in for large bounties on others. Thus, he made certain that even if an enemy got ahold of it, no-one would ever benefit from its contents.

"Only someone familiar with its magic – like me – can retrieve this treasure…"

He muttered another spell, and the thick ooze parted, leaving an indentation. He slowly reached in, and took something out.

It was a deck case.

"Ooh!" exclaimed Vincent. "Cards!"

Edmund took the cards out of the case and looked at them.

"Very special cards," he said. "Ones that I can use to create a deck with great power, which will allow a great force to return…"

_**I hadn't experienced this myself yet, but I had heard that if you battle in a Shadow Game and survive, you're generally in no condition to do much until you get a good deal of rest. My mentor had triumphed in one of these deadly competitions, so she was in no condition to train me any more that night. It was past nine anyway. At least she had won. Still, the Sword of Noon was in enemy hands, and DaPen had proven that he was clearly not to be taken lightly.**_

_**The day was over, and as at least one great hero in Neo Domino planned to make the return trip to his home, I turned in, not knowing what the next day would yield…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER GALAHAD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** If this card attacks an opposing Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 300 during the Damage Step only. If this card is attacked by an opposing Monster, decrease the ATK of this card by 500 during the Damage Step only. When this card is attacked, you can Tribute another "Saber" Monster you control to negate the attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**X-SABER WAYNE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned, you may Special Summon 1 Level 4 or less Warrior-Type Monster from your hand.

_Note: "X-Saber Galahad" and "X-Saber Wayne" first appeared in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LEGACY OF X-SABER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** X-Saber Urbellum standing in silhouette on a hill against the full moon.

**Card Description: **Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. Special Summon 3 "X-Saber" Monsters from your deck that are each Level 4 or less in face-up Defense Position. The battle positions of these Monsters cannot switch. During the turn you use this card, you cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon any other Monsters.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IPOS, LORD OF MASQUES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 2,300

**Card Description:** _Sand Gambler + Gambler of Legend_

This card can only be summoned via Fusion Summon using the above-named Fusion Material Monsters. Once per turn, when a card effect that you control is activated that involves tossing one or more coins, you may pay 500 Life Points to forego the coin toss and choose whatever outcome you desire as the outcome of that card effect. If this card is destroyed, remove this card and all cards on your side of the field and in your hand from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_DaPen is not finished with his plans yet. Not by a long shot. He has one of the Swords, and next chapter, he makes a move towards getting another. Gears finds himself tracking down an odd excuse for a thief who might be able to shed more light on the whole subject – so long as he defeats him and his equally odd deck. _

"_Invitation to a Dark Sleep" is coming soon._


	27. Invitation to a Dark Sleep

_Author's note:_

_People may have noticed that this fic uses several monsters borrowed from role playing games, in particular the Dungeons & Dragons system from Wizards of the Coast._

_Up until now, all of the monsters that have appeared are included in Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License, which means that any publisher is free to use them, without crediting or obtaining permission from Wizards of the Coast._

_However… Several elements of Dungeons & Dragons are not included in the Open Gaming License, due to their originality. The monster mentioned in the last scene of this chapter is one such element. Thus, I must give due credit, as I do whenever using someone else's work in a fanfic._

_Said monster is a registered trademark of Wizards of Coast. Credit for its creation goes to the late Gary Gygax and first appeared in _The Strategic Review #1_ (Spring 1975)._

_I will do this again if I need to. Now that we've gotten that out of the way…_

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Invitation to a Dark Sleep**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**I woke up the next morning to a cold wind and an overcast sky. It was odd weather for this time of year, but I didn't think anything of it. Rain maybe? Perhaps a small storm?**_

_**I didn't know it, but something worse was brewing. The spirit of the Earth itself was nervous, and the sun wasn't going to shine while she was. The demons that she had kept imprisoned inside her for so long were threatening to break their bonds, even though their group of minions was not yet complete.**_

_**By day's end, the first battle between a Signer and a true Dark Signer would take place, and there was nothing that the Shadowchasers could do to stop it. Jalal was helpless to even warn the Signer who was the intended target. **_

_**He would watch though… And whatever the outcome, he could learn from it. He was preparing for the "worst case scenario", to put it simply.**_

_**As for us, we would also learn a lot, pertaining to our current situation, and it would happen before noon. But before that, I was finishing Boris's homemade Belgian waffles, while Jinx was looking over my deck, looking for ways to improve it.**_

_**And DaPen was in his office, by himself…**_

Louis DaPen.

It wasn't his real name, but rather a name he had adapted when he learned he was stranded on this world, and had to deal with humans. In truth, he had no real name; his race didn't use them. They identified each other via psionic patterns.

As the clock moved to eight o'clock, he opened his laptop, and clicked on his stored recordings. There weren't many – he wasn't all that fond of music. But there was one song that he listened to every morning.

The music started to play. It was a song in English, one time a popular piece by the band Coldplay:

_**I used to rule the world,  
Seas would rise when I gave the word;  
Now in the morning I sleep alone,  
Sweep the streets I used to own…**_

It was a somber, haunting melody, with lyrics that contained historic and religious references. The song was about a king who had lost his kingdom. DaPen played the song every morning, because it had a great deal of significance to him…

It reminded him of what once was… And inspired him to strive to achieve it again…

As he always did, he listened to the complete song. Once the last stanza had faded, he hit stop.

Then he picked up the phone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"No, no," said Jinx. "Ember, you don't need three copies of Molten Destruction. Two is plenty."

"You sure?" asked Ember.

"More waffles?" asked Boris, holding up a plate.

"We're fine," said Jinx. "Ember, there are only three occasions where more than two copies of a Field Spell are justified – one, a Water Deck that uses A Legendary Ocean, two, an Archfiend deck where you have to have Pandemonium, and three, maybe, a Fairy Deck where The Sanctuary in the Sky plays some role. In any other case, two is enough."

"Think I should have more than one Flame Ruler?" asked Ember.

"Why?" asked Jinx. "You only have one Monster that's two-tribute. Even if you had two, one would be enough. Three of them, and I might see two, but one is plenty.

"And furthermore…"

She looked up to see Jalal standing there.

"Good grief, Jalal," said Ember, "don't you ever sleep?"

"Ember, do you know how dragons are often said to spend all their time sleeping on piles of treasure?" asked Jalal.

"Uhm, yeah…" said Ember.

"It was a myth that dragons themselves invented to lure greedy treasure hunters to their dooms," said Jalal, "by making them think that it was easy to catch a dragon sleeping. In reality, dragons are very active creatures, who only need one hour of sleep out of every twenty-four.

"As a half-dragon, I need more than that, but not much more. I only sleep three hours a night."

Ember looked at him.

"You're awake twenty-one hours a day," she said, "you've lived for over a thousand years… Jalal, if it were me, I would have gone nuts by now."

Jalal nodded.

"Insanity is quite common with mortals who manage to live for great amounts of time past their normal lifespan," he said. "Those who haven't have kept their sanity by finding a purpose… A reason to exist. That's one of the reasons I first founded the Shadowchasers. Their mission is my reason to exist.

"And I have other people to help relieve the stress; I see a shrink, a massage therapist, a fitness trainer…

"Kaede, a word?"

Jinx sighed.

"Ember, I'm sure you know the drill…" she said.

"Yeah," muttered Ember, gathering her deck, "you talk to the boss, and I'll go cozy up to Shichiro."

Jalal and Jinx watched as she left the kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure she was joking…" said Jinx. "So let me guess… Her third trial now?"

"I admit that they are coming fast," replied Jalal. "But her power is growing at an uncanny speed. It's grown more than fourfold since she started."

"Tell me about it," replied Jinx. "Sparring with her is getting dangerous."

"Yes," said Jalal. "And once she passes this next trial, you can start teaching her to use a real sword."

He handed her a card.

Ember looked at it. It was the Trap Card, Rivalry of Warlords.

She held her chin. She knew that test, and while it wasn't as hard to pass as Broken Bamboo Sword or Heavy Slump, it made it a little harder on Jinx, because she had to arrange a few things… And a few things had to fall into place just right…

"Well, I can't complain this time…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Get out of here!" said Ember, almost laughing. "Dr. Frankenstein was a real person?"

Shichiro nodded.

"But he wasn't a scientist who used technology to create his monster," he replied. "Dr. Frankenstein was a necromancer… A wizard who practiced the magic of death.

"See, the monster was actually an improved version of something that necromancers often create, called a flesh golem. Normal flesh golems are, like Frankenstein's Monster, animated constructs made from parts of dead bodies stitched together. They tend to be slow, clumsy, and completely mindless.

"But Frankenstein improved the formula greatly. He made his monster fast, agile, and intelligent, something almost unheard of with anything created by necromancy.

"After that, what happened is pretty much what happened in the book – he rejected the monster, it sought revenge, it eventually killed him, and then it went away and was never seen again. Most Shadowchasers believe that it did what it said it was going to do, and killed itself.

"The book leaves out the fact that, in addition to having a younger brother, whom the monster murdered, Frankenstein had another, older brother, who escaped the monster's revenge scheme. That brother told the author Mary Shelly an account of his sibling's mad story… Whether she believed him or thought him insane, no-one knows. But she was inspired by his words to write and publish her masterpiece of horror.

"Most Mundanes assume that _Frankenstein_ is only a work of fiction… Only those who can see know the truth…"

They heard a phone ring.

"So many things about Shadow I don't know about…" muttered Ember. "Do… necromancers still make these flesh golems?"

"They aren't supposed to, but some do," replied Shichiro. "No necromancer has ever matched Dr. Frankenstein's success, and they likely never will. Frankenstein destroyed all known copies of his notes. But some still create regular flesh golems, even though it's illegal. Of course, most of the things necromancers do are illegal. You need a special license to legally practice necromancy, and very few legit wizards even bother – the only legal uses for the school are some spells used by wizards who are coroners or forensic scientists."

"Shichiro?" said Gears, poking his head into the room holding a telephone. "Your brother is on the phone."

"Gears, how many times have we been over this?" asked Shichiro. "If someone calls saying he's my brother, what's the first thing you ask him?"

"Oh, right," said Gears.

He spoke into the phone.

"Which one are you?"

"Wouldn't medicine benefit from such magic?" asked Ember.

"Just the opposite," replied Shichiro. "Doctors are supposed to keep people healthy and alive. Necromancy only deals with death. The only time a doctor deals with death is when he does an autopsy or teaches students using cadavers.

"Necromancers usually do a lot of evil stuff, like create zombies and other nasty things…"

"Shichiro, it's Jiro," said Gears.

"Gimme the phone," said Shichiro, getting up.

As Shichiro spoke on the phone, Gears put on his riding jacket and took his sword off of the wall.

"And where are you off to?" asked Shichiro. "No, Jiro, I haven't forgotten…"

"I'm going to go check on Soelma," replied Gears. "Her shop is a prime target now, in case you didn't know…"

"Yeah, I'll try to be free that day," said Shichiro into the phone. "Gears, she beefed up her security system. She'll know if a magical creature even looks at that store."

"Yeah?" said Gears. "What if DaPen comes personally, like he did at Mistle's greenhouse? He isn't a magical creature, remember?

"It doesn't hurt to be more careful."

"I hate it when he's right…" muttered Shichiro.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, Gears pulled up in front of the book store.

Everything seemed to be okay as he walked in.

"Soelma?" he said, looking around. "Soelma?"

He walked to the desk.

"SOELMA!"

The moon elf was lying on the floor next to her chair, fast asleep. She was snoring loudly.

Gears didn't believe for an instant that this was because of a particularly boring book that she had been reading. He knelt down and gently lifted her onto the chair.

"Soelma?" he said, as he gently slapped her on the cheek. "Wake up! Be okay, please be okay…"

Slowly, she started to come to…

Then she screamed.

"Soelma!" shouted Gears. "It's me! Calm down!"

Soelma took some deep breaths…

"A sandman!" she gasped.

"Huh?" said Gears, looking puzzled. "A sandman did that to you?"

"He came into the store, and demanded the Sword of Dawn and the Sword of Midnight," said Soelma. "And I was looking at both of them at the time. I tried to use some magic to scare him off, but he must have upped the intensity of his sand…"

"Great," muttered Gears. "So he took the two Swords?"

"Only the Sword of Dawn," said Soelma with a smile. "I managed to shove the Sword of Midnight into a Leomund's Secret Chest and shoot it into the Astral before I fell asleep."

Gears sighed.

"Nice work," he said. "Man, I don't get it… Sandmen usually go around helping people who can't fall asleep. They're supposed to be [I]helpful[/I] fey. Why would one of them work for DaPen?"

"Well, I didn't exactly get a chance to ask," replied Soelma.

"How long ago was this?" he asked.

Soelma looked at her watch.

"Almost forty-five minutes," she replied.

"Look, Soelma," said Gears. "Drink some coffee, then call the Chest back, and take the Sword of Midnight to the townhouse. We'll keep it in our own vault from now on. We can't put you at risk from anything else."

He put on his helmet.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"I'm gonna find me a sandman," he said.

"Won't he be hard to find?" asked Soelma.

"Not if I follow the trail of sand," replied Gears.

Once outside, he got on his bike, and punched a command onto the computer.

[I]And I mean that literally,[/I] he thought.

The program was set to detect fine traces of magical substances. Substances like sandman sand, which was, in reality, specially enchanted form of the pixie dust that was exuded by the bodies of some fey. The best way to describe it was to say that these fey exhaled it as part of their respiration process, although it was, like every part of their bodies, magical.

As he hoped, a fine trail of the stuff was hanging in the air, undetectable to the naked eye, but clear as crystal to his D-Wheel's sensors.

He had to hurry. Even this trail would go cold soon.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember looked with worry as Jinx sat down beside her on the couch.

"So?" asked Ember. "Gimme the bad news…"

"Actually, this is one of the easier ones," said Jinx, handing her the Trap Card.

"Rivalry of Warlords?" asked Ember.

"It's rather straightforward," said Ember. "You don't even have to build a new deck. In fact, you aren't allowed to. You can alter your deck a little, but this time, it has to be your deck.

"First, you have to confront an enemy whose deck has the same general theme as yours."

"That would be Fire…" said Ember.

"Exactly," said Jinx. "Doesn't matter what the exact strategy is, so long as Fire is the predominant theme.

"But there is one other condition. Not only must you win the duel, but in the process, the key Monster in your deck must defeat that of your opponent. Your Warlord must defeat your enemy's."

Ember gave her deck a long look.

Then she took Flamvell Urquizas from her Extra Deck, and gave it a longer look…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears drove into the city park.

A girl and her boyfriend were asleep on a bench in each others arms. Nearby, a man who had been walking his dog was asleep on the ground, and the dog was asleep next to him.

A hot dog vendor was slumped against his cart, also asleep. A woman holding her two-year-old child was asleep, the child snoring softly in her arms.

"Yep," said Gears. "Either a sandman is nearby, or Godwin was just here, and made one of his famous speeches."

He took off his helmet, and then opened up a compartment on the left side of his seat. In it (and a matching one on the right side) was a variety of Shadowchaser-issued equipment.

He found what he was looking for. It looked like a strap-on, portable gas mask. He quickly fastened it over his nose and mouth and tightened it.

He shuffled his deck, placed it in his Disk, and started to walk through the park. Finding his quarry would be easy – he simply had to find the one living creature who was awake.

And he found him, after ten minutes of searching. The sandman was helping himself to the breakfast buffet at an outdoor kiosk. He looked like a gnarled, wrinkled old man, dressed in blue, striped pajamas, a night cap, and bare feet.

"Hey, Wee Willie Winkie!" shouted Gears.

The sandman shouted in shock, and dropped his tray. Clearly, he had not been expecting anyone around to be awake.

"Hey, I was going to pay for it!" he protested. "I'm no thief!"

"Yeah, you don't steal food," replied Gears. "You only steal big stuff, like magical swords."

The sandman let out a loud sigh.

"By the way," said Gears, pointing to the mask, "this thing is enchanted to protect me from magical dusts and powders, so your sand isn't gonna work."

"Smart…" muttered the sandman.

"I can figure out most crooks," said Gears, "but not you. You're supposed to help insomniacs. Why work for some mob boss?"

"Do you like your job, Shadowchaser?" asked the sandman.

He sat down at one of the tables and leaned his head on his hand.

"Uh, yeah…" said Gears.

"Well, mine isn't too hot lately," replied the sandman. "You don't know how hard it is for most fey who have to work in urban areas… It's the pits. Except for tooth fairies. They have it made. They live in the lap of luxury because of their position, all because of what they do for the fey lords. I tell ya… If more folks were Aware, and they knew what the little sprites did with the teeth they so easily got kids to sell to them, they'd want more money for them."

"You're gonna make me ask, right?" said Gears, raising an eyebrow. "What do they do with the teeth?"

"Human tissue taken from children is used by fey sorcerers to create fairy homunculus," replied the sandman, "artificially-created beings that are used for the defense of a fey community. In ancient times, fey had to kidnap children to get what they needed to build them. They'd snatch little children, and leave changelings in their place.

"But then one smart brownie met a six-year-old child in a forest in France; the kid had just lost one of his baby teeth, and offered to sell it for only half a franc.

"News spread fast. Some tests were done, and the fey lords realized that kids everywhere would sell their teeth for pocket change. After that, kidnapping wasn't necessary. The most petite, gentle fairies, who could switch teeth for coins without waking a sleeper, could get jobs as tooth fairies, and the fey lords who they give the teeth to rewarded them well."

"It still doesn't explain why you're working for DaPen," replied Gears. "But, uhm… I know this guy who's a dentist, and he tends to throw away the teeth he extracts…"

"Adult teeth are no good," replied the sandman. "You want to know why I'm doing it?

"Sandmen serve the Lord of Sleep and Dreams. We flit around every night, finding humans who are tossing and turning, and we help them fall asleep. That's what we do…

"The thing is, for two months now, I have had the hardest time sleeping myself! Strange, isn't it? My sand can put anyone out like a light, and yet I myself sit up awake with insomnia!"

"Uhm, yes," replied Gears, "that is kinda… ironic…"

"I've tried everything…" muttered the sandman. "Warm milk, meditation, self-hypnosis…"

"Why don't you take a pill?" asked Gears.

The sandman gave him a dirty look.

"A pill," he growled. "Pills are the answer to everything with you humans, aren't they? I don't trust pills… You ever listen closely to the commercials on TV they have for those things?

"First they tell you in a big, strong voice about all the great things these pills can do. Then they tell you in a real quiet voice about all the side effects they have. 'Side effects may include nausea, constipation, upset stomach, and bloody discharge. If you are pregnant or nursing, consult your obstetrician before taking this medication'. Puh-lease! You could get most of those problems from eating chili dogs, and at least they taste good."

"Okay!" shouted Gears. "So you don't like pills! I can respect that…"

"But…" said the sandman. "DaPen can cure insomnia. He can put someone to sleep even faster than I can. I only had to steal the Swords for him to get him to do it."

"You're an idiot," said Gears. "If he uses his powers to put you to sleep, you may never wake up. You have no idea what danger you're in."

"Au contraire," said the sandman, gravely. "I have a better idea than you do what the danger is."

Gears looked at him strangely.

Did this guy know something?

The sandman stood up and slipped a Duel Disk on his left arm.

"Tell ya what," he said. "With you wearing that gas mask, my sand can't do squat to you. And I've got no chance against you in any other fight. Dueling you is the only way I'm getting out.

"But… You know now that I know a little secret… So, you duel me, and I'll tell ya what it is if you win."

Gears paused at this.

Truthfully, the only way that he could apprehend this guy now was to duel him. He could knock him out with one punch if he wanted to, but he was as bound to the Fair Fight clause in the Treaty as much as any Shadowkind was.

But he wasn't going to tell him that. This Shadow knew something, and Gears wanted to know it too…

Both Disks activated…

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sandman: 8,000)**

"You can't sleep?" asked Gears, making his first draw. "Well, my Monsters can put you out like a light.

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher."

There was the sound of a loud motor, and a Machine drove onto the field. This looked more like a vehicle than a humanoid robot, resembling a futuristic dune buggy with robotic arms on the top, and laser pistols behind them. (1,400 ATK)

Gears placed two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Now let's see what you've got," he said.

"Of course," said the sandman, making a draw.

He played a card, and a set Monster appeared.

"That's all for me," he said.

"Really?" said Gears, drawing a card. "Well, watch this combo…

"First, I activate Researcher's effect. I toss one card…"

He discarded his Robotic Knight.

"…and your reversed Monster is moved to Attack Mode."

The sandman's card flipped, and a Giant Rat appeared where it had been. (1,400 ATK)

"Hmm," said Gears.

Then one of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Next, I activate Birthright. I'll bring back my Robotic Knight."

In a flash of energy, the android sergeant appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter."

He played another card, and the large, mosquito-shaped drone appeared, hovering in mid-air. (600 ATK)

"Then, I use Unlimiter's effect, and sacrifice it to double the Attack Score of Researcher!"

Unlimiter vanished into pixels, and Researcher glowed with energy. (2,800 ATK)

"Uh… oh…" muttered the sandman.

"Researcher, blast that rat!" shouted Gears.

The sandman covered his head as Researcher fired its lasers, blowing giant rat into particles.

He took some deep breaths.

"I use my Rat's effect…" he said. "To summon another Rat…"

A second Giant Rat appeared. (1,400 ATK)

Gears pointed, and Robotic Knight fired its gatling blast at the second Rat, blowing it to pieces.

"Now I use that one's effect," replied the sandman, "to summon Milus Radiant."

In a small burst of energy, a small, shaggy cat with long claws, wearing earrings and a blue scarf around its neck appeared. (300 ATK)

"With him around, all Earth Monsters gain 500 Attack Points."

(800 ATK)

Gears looked at the small Beast, and raised an eyebrow.

"I end my turn…" he said.

Researcher fell back to an Attack Score of 1,400.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,400)**

"Alright…" muttered the sandman, making a draw.

He looked at the card. Then he flicked open the Field slot on his Disk, and placed a card inside.

"I activate Gaia Power," he said. "This will give all Earth Monsters an additional boost."

Gears stepped back, as huge trees sprouted around the playing field, covering the whole area with a thick canopy of leaves. Milus Radiant rose to an Attack Score of 1,300.

"Let me guess," said Gears. "You use a lot of Earth Monsters?"

"Mmm-hmm," replied the sandman. "And they all feel right at home in this unspoiled forest.

"Take my Naturia Guardian, for instance."

He played the card, and it seemed like another tree sprouted in front of him.

"It's just another tree," said Gears.

"Look closer," said the sandman.

Gears did, and saw what he meant. The tree had a face, a face with a smug smile. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

_Naturia?_ thought Gears.

"All right, Guardian," said Sandman, "turn his Researcher to mulch!"

Naturia Guardian started to shuffle towards the Machine, using its roots for legs…

"Not so fast!" said Gears, as his other card flipped up. "I activate Half or Nothing!"

Judge Man appeared in front of Naturia Guardian, holding his two axes. The Guardian stepped back, nervously.

"Seems your Monster doesn't like axes all that much," said Gears. "I don't blame it. But you can end your Battle Phase now if you want… If you don't, its Attack Score will be cut in half."

"Hmm, tough choice," replied the sandman. "But… before I decide, there's something else I can do…

"You see, since you just activated a Trap Card, I can send the top card from my deck to the Graveyard…"

He discarded the card.

"…to Special Summon Naturia Rock from my hand."

With a loud cry, a goofy-looking purple boulder with tiny arms, tiny legs, and a goofy face, with moss and daisies on top, appeared next to the Guardian. (1,200 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"And as far as your Trap Card is concerned, I'll end my Battle Phase. Then I'll move Milus Radiant into Defense Mode…"

Milus Radiant sat down. (0 DEF)

"…and then Equip it with the Spell Card, Mist Body, to make sure it stays around."

He played the card, and a misty shroud surrounded the Beast.

"And I end my turn."

_Whoa,_ thought Gears, making a draw. _Two Monsters with over 2,000 Attack Points in one turn?_

He looked at his hand.

"I set a Monster," he said, "and then move the other two into Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared. Researcher shielded itself with its robotic arms (100 DEF) and Robotic Knight knelt and held its saber down. (1,800 DEF)

"That's all I can do," he said.

The sandman made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Nerve," he said.

He played another card, and a small creature appeared with the other two Naturia Monsters. It was a sly, grinning imp, apparently made out of ivy leaves. (200 ATK) –) (1,200 ATK)

"Give that Researcher a bad rash," said the sandman.

Naturia Nerve pointed, sending a cloud of poison dust at Researcher. The Machine quickly dissolved and corroded into dust.

"Naturia Rock, wash Robotic Knight away!"

Naturia Rock opened its mouth, and blew a stream of multicolored bubbles at the android. It groaned, and then burst into pixels.

_This is just plain weird,_ thought Gears.

Naturia Guardian made a swipe at the facedown Monster with its mighty branch. However, Dark Resonator appeared on the card, and blocked the blow. (300 DEF)

"It won't be leaving just yet," said Gears. "It has to be attacked twice to be destroyed."

"Then that's all for me," said the sandman.

Gears drew a card.

_Now what?_ he thought. _My Dark Resonator isn't going to last another turn, and then these dream creatures are gonna come after me._

_Hope this works out._

He played a card, and a set Monster appeared. He nodded.

The sandman made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Beetle," he said.

He played another card, and a large Insect burrowed out of the ground. Well, sort of an Insect. It looked more like an acorn with a wooden stag beetle's head, with big, blue eyes, and leaves for wings. (400 ATK) –) (1,400 ATK)

"Now I move Milus Radiant to Attack Mode," he said.

Milus Radiant stood up. (1,300 ATK)

"Naturia Nerve, attack Dark Resonator!"

The Nerve shot its poison pollen at the Tuner, and Dark Resonator groaned.

"Now, Milus Radiant will attack your Resonator."

The large Beetle pounced, and made a swipe with its claws. Dark Resonator shattered.

"Naturia Rock, attack his last Monster!"

The Rock spit its stream of bubbles at the facedown card. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and burst into shards.

"Now I get to draw one card," said Gears, making a draw.

He looked at it, and he grinned.

"Beetle, attack him directly!" ordered the sandman.

The Beetle spit a volley of seeds from its mouth, and Gears covered his face as they hit him.

"Guardian…"

Gears grunted in pain as the large tree clubbed him with its branch.

Gears took some deep breaths.

_Man…_ he thought. _These Naturia Monsters may look cute on the surface, but they clearly mean business. And I haven't even seen the effects of three of them yet…_

He looked at the card he had drawn.

_But this should weaken them considerably…_

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,400)**

"My move!" he said, drawing a card.

"And here goes your Field Spell! I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the Spell Card, and a fierce wind started to rip through the forest.

"Sorry, but it's not gonna happen," replied the sandman. "I activate Naturia Nerve's effect.

"By sacrificing it, and one other Naturia Monster, I can negate your Spell Card."

Naturia Nerve and Naturia Rock dissolved into grains of light, and the Storm subsided.

"At least I forced you to get rid of two Monsters," replied Gears.

"True, but one of the ones I have left is stronger now," replied the sandman. "You see, each time a Spell Card is activated, even if it doesn't resolve, Naturia Beetle's Attack and Defense Scores switch.

"Its base Defense Score is 1,800. Thus, its Attack Score now becomes 1,800, which is augmented by Milus Radiant and the Field Spell."

(2,800 ATK)

"Twenty-eight hundred Attack Points?!" gasped Gears.

"Let me explain how Naturia Monsters work," said the sandman. "I use them mostly because they look like figments of a child's dreams and imaginations… But the strategy behind them is rather complicated.

"Each one's effect is mostly dependent mostly not on what I do, but what _you_ do. They can use their effects based on certain actions that my opponent takes. Or they can simply restrict the actions my opponent takes."

"So a deck that uses them is a Control Deck?" asked Gears.

"Sort of," replied the sandman. "But it takes the aspect of Control a step further, and benefits me as much as it hinders you.

"In other words, you have to be careful with every move you make…"

Gears looked at his remaining three cards.

_Plan-B,_ he thought.

"Still my turn, I believe," he said. "I play a facedown, and then summon Mechanicalchaser."

A facedown card appeared, and then the Machine hunter materialized. (1,850 ATK)

"I activate the effect of Naturia Guardian!" exclaimed the sandman. "Since you Normal Summoned a Monster, it gains 300 Attack Points for the rest of the turn."

The Guardian glowed. (2,900 ATK)

"And that's not all," he continued. "Also since you Normal Summoned a Monster, I get to Special Summon Naturia Cosmos Beet from my hand."

A new Monster materialized on the field. It was a beet, more or less, with stubby arms, legs, big eyes, and three flowers on top. (1,000 ATK) –) (2,000 ATK)

_A beet?_ thought Gears. _What's next, a rutabaga? _

_I'd better not ask… He just might have one…_

"Attack Milus Radiant!" he shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew at the small Beast.

"Forget?" asked sandman. "Mist Body prevents him from being destroyed in battle."

"But, you'll still take damage," said Gears.

Mechanicalchaser slashed at Milus Radiant with its knives, and the small cat screamed in pain.

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,850)**

Naturia Guardian's Attack Score returned to 2,600.

"My move," said the sandman, making a draw.

"I summon Naturia Rosewhip."

The new Monster that appeared was clearly a rose, with a smiling, female face, and thorny tendrils. (400 ATK) –) (1,400 ATK)

"Now I've got a full house again. And when this flower is on the field, you can only use one Spell or Trap Card per turn."

_Really?_ thought Gears. _Well, one is all I'm gonna need._

Milus Radiant and the four Naturia Monsters looked at Gears and grinned.

"Guardian, destroy Mechanicalchaser!" shouted sandman.

The mighty tree swung its branch at the robot…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Gears. "DNA Transplant!

"Now, all Monsters on the field change to Light Monsters. That means your Monsters lose the benefits from your Field Spell AND Milus Radiant!"

The sandman gasped…

The Attack Scores of all five of his Monsters plummeted. Rosewhip fell to 400, Cosmos Beet fell to 1,000, Beetle fell to 1,800, and Milus Radiant fell to only 300. Most importantly, Naturia Guardian fell to 1,600. Mechanicalchaser made a slice with its largest blade, cutting the tree down. It shattered into shards.

The sandman looked at the last card in his hand, and then looked at the field.

"I move Milus Radiant, Cosmos Beet, and Beetle to Defense Mode," he muttered.

Milus Radiant sat again. (250 DEF) Cosmos Beet squat down and covered its eyes. (700 DEF) Beetle simply curled up into a ball. (400 DEF)

"I end my turn…" he said.

Gears drew a card.

"First, I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker," he said.

In a burst of shadowy energy, Blind Sucker appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Blind Sucker, attack Naturia Rosewhip with photon torpedoes!"

Blind Sucker launched its torpedoes, and the smiling rose was incinerated in a deafening explosion.

"ERGH!" groaned the sandman, covering himself.

"Looks like you're gonna be having nightmares," said Gears. "Mechanicalchaser, take out that Beetle!"

Mechanicalchaser flew at the strange Insect, and with one slash, cut it in half.

**(G: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,650)**

"It's your move…" said Gears.

The sandman grumbled, and made a draw.

"I play… Giant Trunade," he said.

He played the card, and another fierce wind blew across the field. Gaia Power and Mist Body vanished and appeared back in his hand, and DNA Transplant did the same on Gears's side of the field.

"Yeah?" said Gears. "I can just set DNA Transplant again next turn…"

"True, but the question is, will it make a difference this time?" asked the sandman. "I play Reload."

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"I'll take these two cards, and shuffle them back into my deck…"

He added Gaia Power and Mist Body to his deck, and reshuffled.

"Then I'll draw twice."

He made two draws.

"I play Terraforming!" he exclaimed. "Now I can get Gaia Power right back."

A card slipped out of his deck, and he quickly played it, causing the dense forest to return. Milus Radiant fell to a Defense Score of zero, while Cosmos Beet fell to 300.

"Now, I play my own Monster Reborn! I'll summon Natural Antjaw from my Graveyard."

The holy ankh appeared, and another Insect appeared. It looked like a cartoonish ant, with wings made from leaves, flowers for antennae, and holding a sesame seed. (400 ATK) –) (1,400 ATK)

"Wait a minute…" said Gears. "When did I send [I]that[/I] to your Graveyard?"

"Think back," replied the sandman.

Gears thought about it. Then he remembered:

"_You see, since you just activated a Trap Card, I can send the top card from my deck to the Graveyard, to Special Summon Naturia Rock from my hand."_

"Oh yeah…" muttered Gears.

"And now it's time for something better," said the sandman. "My Beet is not only loaded with potassium and dietary fiber, but it's also a Tuner!

"So I Tune all three of my Monsters together…"

Milus Radiant, Naturia Antjaw, and Naturia Cosmos Beet flew into the treetops, and faded into five glowing stars…

"To Synchro Summon… Naturia Beast!"

A shadowy silhouette appeared in the darkness of the dense forest, followed by a growl. A large predator cat, somewhat like a tiger but covered with moss, with limbs that resembled tree trunks, plodded onto the field. It looked at Gears with feral and wild eyes. (2,200 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"That's not good…" said Gears.

"Destroy his Blind Sucker!" ordered the sandman. "Unspoiled roar!"

Naturia Beast let out an earsplitting roar, and Blind Sucker's windshield cracked. Then the whole unit exploded.

"Ergh…" muttered Gears.

**(G: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,650)**

"Okay…" he said. "My move…"

He made a draw.

It was Limiter Removal.

_This is gonna be risky,_ he thought. _This Spell will let Mechanicalchaser defeat his Beast… Then I can sacrifice it for Ally Mind before Limiter Remover destroys it…_

_The only problem is, once my turn is over, I'll have nothing left except DNA Transplant and Ally Mind, and Ally Mind isn't exactly my best Monster…_

But… At least he'll be in worse shape.

"I play Limiter Removal!" he shouted, playing the card.

"I don't think so," said the sandman.

He took two cards from his deck, and discarded them. The Spell Card shattered.

"What?" said Gears.

"In exchange for two cards from my deck," replied the sandman, "Naturia Beast can negate any Spell Card you try to play."

"Lovely," said Gears.

He took DNA Transplant and set it in his Disk.

"I play a facedown, and move Mechanicalchaser to Defense Mode."

Mechanicalchaser crouched and shielded itself. (800 DEF)

"That's all," he said.

The sandman made a draw, and looked at it.

"Beast, destroy Mechanicalchaser!" he ordered.

_I hope that Beast can't negate Traps too,_ thought Gears.

"Once again, I activate DNA Transplant!" he shouted, as the Spell Card flipped up. "Now, all Monsters become Light again."

Naturia Beast fell to its original Attack Score, of 2,200.

"It can still wreck your Monster," replied the Sandman.

The Beast roared, and Mechanicalchaser exploded.

"And it's your move…"

Gears made a draw.

_This may let me make a comeback,_ he thought. _But it will help him a lot too…_

He set a card, and a set Monster appeared. He gestured to end his turn.

The sandman made a draw.

"I summon Naturia Spiderfang," he said.

A new Monster lowered itself from the treetops on a spider web. It was a cartoonish spider with a yellow, polka-dot exoskeleton, with big, sleepy-looking eyes. (2,100 ATK)

_A Level 4 Monster with that many Attack Points??_ thought Gears.

"Beast, crush his Monster!" ordered the sandman.

Naturia Beast roared, and Morphing Jar appeared on the card, right before it shattered.

The sandman grinned. Both of them discarded one card, and then made five draws.

"Thanks," said the fey, looking them over. "Because, my Spiderfang can only attack on a round where the effect of one of your cards is activated, and you just activated one!

"Attack him directly!"

Naturia Spiderfang shot a mass of sticky webs from its mandibles, and Gears grunted as he was entangled by them.

"My turn is over," said the sandman.

**(G: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,650)**

_This may be the last chance,_ thought Gears.

He looked at his hand.

_Wonderful,_ he thought. _I have three Spell Cards here, and thanks to that Beast, they're worthless…_

He made a draw.

He quickly set it, and another card. A set Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"Your move," he said.

"Oh, I get the idea," chuckled the sandman. "The facedown card is a Trap that will annihilate my Monsters, right? Well, that's not gonna happen…

"You remember my Naturia Nerve, right?"

In another small burst of energy, a second Nerve appeared. (200 ATK)

"Now, my Beast attacks your Monster!"

Naturia Beast let out its roar. Then, Ally Bomb appeared on the card, and exploded.

"Thank you," said Gears. "When Ally Bomb is destroyed by a Light Monster, I get to destroy two cards."

Sandman gasped. Both Naturia Beast and Naturia Nerve exploded into pixels.

"I can still finish you off!" he cursed. "That was a card effect! Spiderfang, attack him directly!"

Spiderfang shot its sticky strands again.

"I activate Soul Resurrection!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, I can summon back Robotic Knight to block your attack."

Robotic Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF) Spiderfang continued its attack, and it dissolved into sludge.

"Just make your move…" said the sandman. "I still have 4,650 Life Points left…"

Gears whipped a card off of his Disk.

"I play… My Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

He played the card, and then took Robotic Knight, Researcher, Blind Sucker, Dekoichi, and Unlimiter from his Graveyard. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

"Next, I play Silent Doom," he said, as he played another Spell Card. "I'll bring Ally Mind back from my Graveyard."

Ally Mind appeared, slumped in Defense Mode. (1,400 DEF)

_Ally Mind?_ thought the sandman. _Wait… It must have been the card he lost when Morphing Jar was flipped…_

"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher," continued Gears.

He played the card, and the robotic pachyderm appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Then, I Tune them both together!"

Ally Mind and Unknown Crusher flew into the treetops, and turned into eight glowing stars. They exploded into a great burst…

Ally of Justice Light Gazer flew down to the field. (2,400 ATK)

"I'm not half done," said Gears. "Next, I play Monster Reborn."

The glowing ankh appeared on his side of the field, and Mechanicalchaser appeared again. (1,850 ATK)

"Er…" said the sandman.

"Now, I play Magical Stone Excavation," said Gears, playing another card. "I'll toss these…"

He discarded his last two cards.

"And I get a Spell Card back…"

A Spell Card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now I play it… Limiter Removal!"

He threw the card into his Disk, and both Machines glowed with fiery energy. Mechanicalchaser rose to an Attack Score of 3,700, while Light Gazer rose to 4,800.

"Light Gazer, stomp that spider with plasma cannon!"

Light Gazer fired a mighty blast from its cannon, and Naturia Spiderfang exploded into fiery debris.

"Mechanicalchaser… Get 'im!"

Mechanicalchaser flew at the sandman, and the fey hollered as it slashed at him with its blade. He fell on his rump.

**(G: 800) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

"Okay, okay!" pleaded the sandman. "Uncle!"

"Now where's the Sword of Dawn?" asked Gears, walking up to him.

"I'm afraid I already gave it to DaPen," sighed the sandman. "He left about fifteen minutes before you got here…"

Gears sighed.

"Wonderful…" he said.

"And DaPen is an illithid," continued the sandman.

"Oh, well, then…" started Gears.

He paused.

Then it sank in.

"WHAT?!" he shouted.

"Heh, heh, heh!" chuckled the sandman. "Told ya I knew a secret, didn't I? That crusty old DaPen thought I couldn't see through his disguise, but I saw what he was, as plain as the day! He's an illithid, no doubt about it…"

Then he yawned.

"You know, Shadowchaser…" he said. "All this energy I spent… It's left me all tuckered out… Maybe dueling is a better cure for insomnia than anything he could offer…"

And then he lay down, and fell asleep.

"Great!" shouted Gears. "One of the greatest threats to humanity is out there, and he decides to take a nap!"

Then he noticed something in the front pocket of the sandman's pajamas. He picked it out and looked at it.

A game card. Cloudian – Poison Cloud.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Only fifteen minutes later, because Gears was quick (what the sandman said had to be addressed, no question about it), he and the others were at the townhouse, in the room with the fireplace, while Jalal was standing watching them.

"An illithid…" muttered Jalal. "Well, it matches what we know… A paranatural being with psionic powers… But I never expected something this dangerous..."

"Maybe this sandman lied?" suggested Shichiro.

"Shichiro," replied Gears, "telling someone that you found out that the guy you were working for was an illithid is NOT something that one lies about!"

"I don't get it," replied Ember. "Just what is an… illynid?"

"Illithid," corrected Shichiro. "And they're among the most feared races of Shadowkind in existence. Even the ophidia are nervous around them…"

"I'll explain, Shichiro," said Jalal.

He took a deep breath.

"On the world where Shadows come from, the illithids are an ancient race, predating even the elves. When most above-ground races were struggling to master fire and stone tools, these non-humanoid, telepathic creatures with powerful psionic abilities were building empires below in their subterranean homes.

"The illithid were incredibly intelligent, and they craved knowledge, the more the better. They learned dark secrets of primal forces that should have remained dark. Their quest for knowledge and great egos were so intense, as was their uncaring attitude towards other races, that evolution caused them to not only hunger knowledge, but the vital organ of the body that held it."

He paused.

"You mean…" said Ember, "they eat brains?"

"Yes," said Gears, nodding. "An important part of an illithid's diet is the brain tissues of sentient creatures, preferably fresh ones."

Ember shivered, but Jalal went on.

"As other races evolved and became civilized, they discovered the illithids, and as centuries progressed, the cruelty of these beings became legendary. Apparently, illithids were so egotistical, they believed themselves to be the dominant species in the universe. All beings know that illithids have only three uses for other races… Food, slaves, and chattel. Most of their slaves, but not all of them, are brainwashed by their psionic powers. Unsubstantiated legends have been told of illithids conquering whole principalities, nations, or even worlds.

"Naturally, this leads to illithids having very few allies, anywhere in the cosmos. Some races, like the ophidia and the dark elves, have made treaties with one or more illithids, but these treaties are never alliances. Any sane being knows that when you enter an alliance with an illithid, it gives that illithid too many opportunities to brainwash you.

"Illithids are rare on Earth, but the ones who have made their way here over the ages have accomplished things that tell epic stories. Some have become advisors to kings, emperors, or czars, secretly brainwashing the monarch and ruling from behind the throne. And should anyone fall out of that ruler's favor and disappear, no questions were asked…"

"During Nazi Germany, several illithids held high positions in the Third Reich," muttered Gears. "Several of them were behind the cruelest experiments towards the perfection of their desired master race. The Shadowchasers think that the illithids were humoring the human Nazis in this goal, and only pursued it in order to have victims for their own ghastly experiments. Regardless, it was the perfect place for them… A regime that subjugated other races, where no questions were ever asked when a Nazi officer took a prisoner away… If any humans in the Reich were Aware, and knew what the illithids were actually doing to prisoners, they didn't care."

"And now one of them controls organized crime in Neo Domino," muttered Jinx. "Just great…"

"DaPen is clearly smarter than even the average illithid," said Shichiro. "Remember what he said? He didn't brainwash most of his henchmen. He set himself up in Satellite, and offered the populace more that Godwin ever did."

"And he gives his henchmen who are duelists rare and powerful cards," added Jinx. "He uses generosity to attract henchmen. That's how his crime syndicate has flourished… He makes people think that he's better than Godwin…

"The poor fools who work for him don't realize that the opposite is true. He obviously thinks of them as completely expendable… And likely edible, too."

"This is all really creepy," said Ember. "What do these things look like, anyway?"

Gears went to a bookshelf, and looked over the volumes.

"There's a picture of one somewhere in here…" he said.

He took down a book, and brought it to the coffee table.

"Powerful Shadows are careful never to let themselves be photographed," he said. "They know that there are many spells that can use someone's likeness against them. But we do have this old pencil sketch…"

He opened to a page, revealing a frightening-looking creature. Despite Jalal's statement that it was non-humanoid, it seemed to be bipedal, shaped like a man at least in basic outline, dressed in long, flowing robes. Its hands had only three fingers and a thumb, which were long and spindly. Its hairless head looked like a sinister octopus, with four long tentacles where the mouth would be, and two large, lidless eyes with no pupils or irises.

"Ugh!" said Ember.

"Any idea why we keep finding these when we defeat one of his henchmen?" asked Gears, as he held up the Poison Cloud card. "So far, everyone we've fought who has worked for DaPen willingly has had a Cloudian card."

"I have no idea, Gears," said Jalal. "Illithids are supposed to be subterranean creatures on their home world. They never see the clouds."

"How are we gonna handle this now?" asked Shichiro.

"I have to do more research," said Jalal. "Protect the last Sword for now… You won't see me again until tomorrow morning."

Then he disappeared.

"Just great," said Shichiro.

Then the video phone rang. Shichiro went up to it.

"Hank?" he said, answering it.

Hank's face appeared on the screen.

"Where are you, Hank?" asked Shichiro, speaking in English.

"Prague," replied Hank. "I found out where the Silver Hemisphere is."

Shichiro looked at his watch. It was eleven o'clock in the morning, his time.

"Prague…" he muttered. "Hank, it's four in the morning there! You're up awfully early to go looking for some artifact."

"I had to make an appointment to get this one," said Hank, "and I have about a two hour's drive ahead of me. Seems that it's in the hands of a mercane who calls himself Marcus Owlsley."

"A mercane?" asked Shichiro.

He knew what that meant. The mercane were a rare and aloof race of Shadowkind who lived as merchants and traders, dealing incredibly expensive merchandise to anyone who would buy. They specialized in the most valuable of things – jewelry, furs, fine wine, and especially, magic items. They also dealt with weapons of all kinds. In fact, if there was a major arms trade among Shadowkind, there was a good chance that one or more mercane were involved in it at some time.

Mercane would deal with practically anyone, so long as they were willing to pay. They were incredibly wealthy, but no-one really knew what their long-term goals were, if they even had any. Some said that mercane were afflicted with a compulsion to make money, while others said that they needed some incredibly expensive substance in order to survive or reproduce. (Mercane seemed to be androgynous, if not genderless, and young mercane were never seen.) The truth would likely never be revealed, because they'd die before they revealed their secrets.

"So you're gonna go check him out?" asked Shichiro.

"Yeah," muttered Hank, "and obtaining the privilege to do so was a pain. I had to call some secretary, be referred to three other people, and make an appointment. Dealing with rich folks is always a hassle. But I got a chance to see him at his manor house in Plzeň."

"Uh, that's good, Hank," said Shichiro, "but before you leave, there's some information that might be useful…"

_**DaPen's species was now revealed, and I didn't like the look of it, or the sound of it, at all. Our enemy not **__**only had a powerful brain that could control the minds of others, but was a beast who devoured the brains of other creatures.**_

_**Even worse, he had now stolen two parts of the Regalia of Day. He likely would try to come after the third, even though it was now in our own vault, which was far more secure than Soelma's. What did he plan to do with the Swords? We didn't know. We had thought that they could act as an amplifier for magic, something that DaPen could not do.**_

_**The solution may well have rested with his mysterious accomplice, who was indeed a wizard. Exactly why this sorcerer had agreed to work with an illithid, something that Jalal had said was incredibly foolish, was anyone's guess. **_

_**It seemed that the more we learned, the more we wished we hadn't learned…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE RESEARCHER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 100

**Card Description:** Discard 1 card from your hand. Switch 1 opposing facedown Defense Position Monster to Attack Position. Flip-Effects are not activated at this time. You may only use this effect once per round.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Researcher" was released in Japan in the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA BEETLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Each time a Spell Card is played, switch the base ATK and DEF of this card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA ROCK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When a Trap Card is activated, you can send one card from the top of your deck to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA GUARDIAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When your opponent successfully Normal Summons a Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 300 until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA NERVE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** Activate by Tributing this card and one other "Naturia" Monster you control. Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell or Trap Card and destroy it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA BEAST (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** EARTH Tuner + 1 or more EARTH non-Tuner Monsters

While this card is face-up on the field, by sending two cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard, you can negate the activation of a Spell Card and destroy it.

_Note: The proceeding five "Naturia" Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 03: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States. (These cards are called "Natural" in Japan. "Naturia" was the English name given to them in a video game.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA ANTJAW (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When a Monster is successfully Special Summoned from a player's hand, you may Special Summon 1 "Naturia" Monster from your deck that is Level 3 or less.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA SPIDERFANG (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** This card can only attack during a turn in which your opponent activates a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Monster effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA ROSEWHIP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent can only activate one Spell or Trap Card per turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NATURIA COSMOS BEET (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Plant/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** When your opponent successfully Normal Summons a Monster, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: The proceeding four "Naturia" Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 04: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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_Coming up next…_

_You people are likely wondering just what Jalal does with himself all day when he isn't talking to his men. You likely think that he has nothing to do but act as an advisor._

_You'd be wrong. Being the head of an organization that has been around for a thousand years that polices all the involvement between humans and Shadowkind keeps him just as busy as any head of state. Mostly, this means a great deal of paperwork and meetings._

_Jalal still considers himself a Shadowchaser, but only gets involved himself to deal with the gravest threats to the relations between humans and Shadowkind. An illithid running a major crime syndicate in Neo Domino sure qualifies. Next chapter, he goes to do the research he was talking about, but to do it, he has to get past someone who isn't bound by the Treaty, and whom Jalal is only too familiar with. "Gatekeeper" is coming soon._


	28. Gatekeeper

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

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**Gatekeeper**

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_**You all are likely wondering just what Jalal does in his twenty-one waking hours besides tell his men what to do. What exactly does his job entail? Well, you don't know the half of it. I later learned that he hadn't taken a vacation in fifty years (and he claimed that he was bored out of his skull the last time he did) and being as old as he is, he doesn't care for holidays that weren't around during his father's time. He celebrates Christmas and Easter and takes both of them off, but he rarely takes off any other days personally. (And like most beings who have become immortal, he stopped celebrating his own birthdays a long time ago.)**_

_**Jalal is busier than most folks believe, and those who know wouldn't want his job. The Shadowchasers are a law enforcement agency, but they have global authority, more so than any Mundane law enforcement division. They've been around longer than America, let alone the FBI. Jalal's duties can compare with those of the head of state of some of the most powerful nations in the world.**_

_**He doesn't propose all the laws that the Shadowchasers make, but he must approve each one (he has the power to veto any that he doesn't approve of). He receives and visits diplomats of Shadowkind races (using his spell that projects his image), forming alliances and minor treaties. He considers and approves every major action that his organization must take. He is also the judge of the highest court that the Shadowchasers have, the last court that a case can appeal to, although, like the U.S. Supreme Court, he only agrees to hear the most important cases.**_

_**Jalal is still a warrior at heart, and he is a Shadowchaser. However, due to his position, he only leaves Shadowchaser Headquarters to handle the gravest threats to the relations between humans and Shadows…**_

_**An illithid running a crime syndicate in Neo Domino certainly qualified…**_

Somewhere in the vast countryside of Yorkshire, a place known as _God's Own Country_ by the locals, stood the nerve center of the Shadowchasers. It had no special name except Shadowchaser Headquarters. It stood in a remote valley, hidden from Mundanes by powerful magic. The valley could not be seen by simply viewing it or using any technological devices, and if anyone were to stumble upon it by accident, powerful enchantment spells would compel him to take a different route. Only the Shadowchasers knew how to activate the right portals that allowed access to the place, or that could send someone to it.

Construction of the complex had begun about a century after Jamor Stormbringer's death. Jalal commissioned a clan of dwarves to build the place, and paid them well to do so. It took two-hundred years of building before the place could be used as the organization's headquarters, but ask anyone who knows anything about dwarves, and they'll tell you that anything built by them is built to _last_. Jalal never stopped expanding the original complex, and the same clan of dwarves still worked for him on many projects. The current chieftain of the clan was the great, great grandson of the chieftain who had overseen the groundbreaking. (Dwarves were made to last rather long themselves.)

The Headquarters was practically a city unto itself, larger than some small cities of Europe. It held buildings devoted to all aspects of governing the Shadowchasers: the meeting halls, courts, embassies, and research facilities. It also held a fair number of shops and restaurants that catered both to those who worked in these buildings, and the occasional visitors.

The town had its own police force, but very little of it was made up of living creatures. Powerful wizards had created clay, stone, and iron golems to provide defense in case of an attack. These walking monoliths were incredibly powerful, the iron ones able to flatten an armored car with one smash, and as hard to hurt as anything made of their materials. A small force of Shadowchasers was only needed to direct them. Much of this police force served as correctional guards at the prison complex, which was mostly underground, and accessed from several points.

The most beautiful building in the complex, and the one that most folks rarely saw the inside of, was Jalal's manor house. But he actually spent very little time here. Most of the day, he was busy elsewhere in the complex.

He was there now, however. One thing the manor house had was portals that led to places where only he was allowed to go, no exceptions. And he needed to go to one of those places now.

He stood in front of a full-length mirror, adjusting his suit. It was a different suit than what he usually wore… It was his armor, a symbol of knighthood that was just as timeless as he was.

Plate armor had first seen widespread use during the Middle Ages. It was the best armor available for a knight… A skin of steel that could protect him from practically any weapon of the time period. Modern folks tended to think that it was very heavy, but in reality, it only averaged ninety pounds (which really wasn't any more than the weight that a modern soldier in a flack jacket and full combat gear wore into battle).

Plate armor had fallen out of use around the Seventeenth Century, primarily due to the increasing use of firearms. The armor was adequate protection against arrows, spears, and swords, but could offer little defense against guns.

Not so for Jalal's suit of armor. This suit didn't look much like the average suit; it was made of a crimson substance, and had a scaly surface. It was special armor that could protect him from the highest caliber machine guns. This armor was made from the flayed skin of the dragon who had desired his father's death, the red wyrm Malys.

Dragons are magical creatures in every way. As a result, practically no part of their bodies couldn't be used in the creation of powerful magical items. If a knight was brave enough and strong enough to slay a dragon, he could become rich beyond compare by selling the carcass to those who could use it.

This was, in fact, how Jalal had first hired the dwarves who would build Shadowchaser Headquarters. He presented Malys's carcass to them, saying that if they made him a suit of armor from her hide, they were free to do anything they pleased with the rest. The dwarves were happy to oblige, and made him this armor, which had protected him in every battle for the past thousand years.

He was expecting another battle now. The research he said he had to do required a book from a special place. He placed his sword in its sheath, and turned to the wall. A glowing portal opened.

He took a deep breath, and walked through it.

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Jalal was standing in a dim cavern tunnel, the walls lit by torches. He was no longer on Earth, but elsewhere in the cosmos. He didn't know the name of this world; in fact, he had not seen its surface, or any part of it besides this subterranean complex. But it was all he needed.

He knew that at the end of this tunnel was the entrance to the Black Library, a treasure trove of knowledge where someone could find practically any information if he knew where to look.

Unfortunately, no-one was allowed in the Black Library without its owner's permission. The owner was a powerful king in another dimension, who was known for his incredible ego. To get that permission, you had to visit him (which often required waiting for days for an audience) and feed that ego with flattery and gifts.

Jalal was _not_ going to do that. He never had, and he never would. He had his pride.

However, he had been here several times before, and each time, he had successfully fought his way past the creature put here to guard the place. The aforementioned king was very technophobic, so there wasn't much else in the way of defense. He was hoping that the guardian would have more sense this time and simply let him in, but he wasn't getting his hopes up.

He walked forward, and entered a large cavern. Standing by a doorway at the far end, leaning casually against the wall and filing his nails, was the guardian.

He was a tall, muscular, fiendish creature, about six feet tall, with blue skin, pointed ears, and long, pale hair. He was dressed in an expensive looking leather jacket and pants, black sneakers, and a pair of stylish sunglasses. A sword was strapped to his back, and a ring of keys was on his belt.

Jalal sighed.

_Best get this over with,_ he thought, as he walked up to the creature.

"Xvartnar," he said, "is Ilsensine's Tome still in there?"

"Yup," said the guardian, not looking up.

"And what the chances are that you're not going to give me any trouble this time?" asked Jalal.

The creature chuckled, and put the file away.

"Well…" said Xvartnar. "I 'spose I could be nice, and just let ya have it…

"I _could_… But I ain't gonna."

Jalal let out a sigh, accompanied by a look of annoyance.

"Look, Xvartnar," he said. "We both know what's going to happen. You're going to tell me that entrance is forbidden without your boss's okay. Then we're going to fight. Then, I'm going to beat the crud out of you. Then, you're going to crawl away to heal yourself, and most likely mutter obscenities at me under your breath, as I go in there and get what I need. It's been the same routine every time I've come here for the past two-hundred years. So why do you even bother? Just once I'd like to come here without having to fight!"

"Are you calling my job pointless?" asked Xvartnar.

"No," said Jalal. "The Battle of New Orleans was pointless, but it still made Andrew Jackson a hero. You're just annoying. All I want is to get this done without any trouble."

Xvartnar glared at him over his sunglasses.

"Well, Jalal," he said, "you can't always get what you want. Besides, do you know what my boss would do if he found out I simply _let_ someone into the Black Library? I'd be fired! Do you have any idea what life is like for a guardian oni who doesn't have anything to guard?

"I would probably have to go do what my dumb brother is doing, guarding Sultan Yasuf Alrahad's harem. There is no way I'm gonna accept a headache like that!"

"Guarding harem girls is a headache?" asked Jalal.

"The worst!" exclaimed Xvartnar. "I should know, I filled in for my brother for a week, and it was Hell! They complain about everything! They complain when the air conditioning is too low! They complain when there aren't enough croutons in their salad! They complain when they get regular mineral water instead of the flavored kind! And guess who they complain to?

"I have no idea why my brother has never put one of those spoiled brats over his knee and spanked her…"

"Maybe because Sultan Alrahad is a tenth degree water elementalist who's rumored to punish insubordinates by feeding them to his pet devil sharks?" asked Jalal.

"Yeah, probably…" muttered Xvartnar. "But I've got a much better job than my brother has, and I'm not gonna jeopardize it!"

"Fine!" shouted Jalal.

He drew his sword.

"If I have to fight you to get in there, I will!"

"Wait, wait, hold up Jalal," said Xvartnar, with a grin. "I never said that we gotta fight with swords this time…

"How's about we make it more fun for a change?"

Then he picked something up from behind him.

It was a Duel Disk.

"You want to duel me?" asked Jalal. "You're kidding, right? Xvartnar, in case you didn't know, I was the one who proposed that the 'Fair Fight' clause in the Treaty could best be handled if Duel Monsters was used. Do you actually think you can beat me at such a contest?"

"Well…" said Xvartnar, "you did say that you were gettin' sick of fighting the old way…"

"I'm surprised that your boss even got you a Duel Disk…" said Jalal.

"He didn't," replied Xvartnar. "You know how he is… But he can't tell me how to spend my paycheck."

Jalal gestured, and his sword vanished.

Then, in a glow of golden light, a Duel Disk appeared on his own arm. It was gold plated, the tray shaped like a dragon's wing, and the deck holder shaped like the head of a gold wyrm, holding the deck in its mouth.

"Show off," muttered Xvartnar.

"Fine…" said Jalal. "You're on…"

Xvartnar laughed.

"This'll be fun…" he chuckled.

**(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Xvartnar: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move, chump," he said, drawing a card.

"You've been working for your boss too long," said Jalal. "You're starting to get his attitude."

"Oh, funny," growled Xvartnar.

"I play a facedown, and then summon Dark Valkyria!"

First a facedown appeared, then an aura of shadow crept over the field. The Monster that appeared looked like Dunames Dark Witch at first, but her skin was violet, her hair was white, and her armor had a sinister theme. It looked like a dark elf version of Dunames. (1,800 ATK)

"That… oughta do it…"

"Then it's my draw," said Jalal, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I summon Light Lindworm."

In a shining burst of light, a four-legged, many-tailed creature appeared that resembled a cross between a dragon and a large lizard. Its scales were shimmering gold. (1,900 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Jalal. "Destroy her!"

Light Lindworm blasted a beam of pure light from its jaws, and Dark Valkyria let out a scream before she was burned to ashes.

"I'm not done with you," said Jalal, as a Quickplay Spell appeared on his side of the field. "I activate Both Sides. Now, I can sacrifice my Light Monster to Special Summon a Dark one of the same Level from my deck.

"So, I summon Axe Dragonute!"

In a burst of dark energy this time, a tall, muscular dragon-man with black armor and wings appeared, holding a heavy battle-axe. (2,000 ATK)

"You're wide open! Direct attack!"

Axe Dragonute grunted, and lifted his axe, and then brought it down hard on the oni. He cursed something incomprehensible and took a step backwards.

"Axe Dragonute now moves to Defense Mode…"

Dragonute knelt down, and held its axe in its lap. (1,200 DEF)

"I'll end with two facedown cards of my own," he said, as two reversed cards appeared, "and then you can make your move."

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 5,900)**

"Stuck-up, stuffy sonuva…" muttered Xvartnar, as he made a draw.

"Do NOT finish that comment!" shouted Jalal.

Jalal would not tolerate any unkind words said about his mother, even unintentional ones. That was one of the few things that would make him angry.

"Well, sor-ry!" exclaimed Xvartnar.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate the Soul Resurrection Trap Card! Since Dark Valkyria is a Gemini Monster, she's considered a Normal Monster while in my Graveyard, so this Trap can bring her back in Defense Mode."

Dark Valkyria appeared again, kneeling and crossing her arms over her chest. (1,050 DEF)

"Next, a Spell Card," said Xvartnar. "It's called Star Blast.

"The Monster I want to summon is Level 8. But for each 500 Life Points I pay, I can downgrade that Level by one.

"So I'll pay 1,000 Life Points to reduce it to 6. Then, I'll sacrifice Valkyria…"

Dark Valkyria vanished, and a far darker shadow started to rise. The shadow turned into dark flames with obscuring smoke.

_What is he summoning?_ thought Jalal.

"Behold…" said Xvartnar. "Behold the incredible power of… _Fallen Angel Asmodeus!_"

A creature slowly walked out of the shadows, and even Jalal flinched. Asmodeus was a well-known name to any student of religion. He was a figure mentioned in the Book of Tobit, part of some old versions of the Old Testament. Protestants believe the Book to be apocryphal, and it is not regarded as cannon by most students of Judaism. In the scriptures of the Book (which, like most books of scriptures, did not include illustrations), Asmodeus was a powerful demon of lust who was bound to the deserts of Egypt by the archangel Raphael.

The Monster that Xvartnar had summoned had a fitting name. He looked like an angel in general shape, but his black wings and dark armor signified that he was indeed fallen… (3,000 ATK)

"Interesting…" said Jalal, ominously.

"First I'll activate this big guy's effect," chuckled Xvartnar, looking through his deck. "Once per turn, I can send a Fairy-Type Monster from my deck to the Graveyard."

He discarded a card.

"Now, attack his Dragonute! Dark smite!"

Asmodeus's eyes glowed with evil light. He lifted his hand, and called burning lightning to it, then hurled it at Axe Dragonute, blowing the Dragon to gibbets.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Xvartnar. "You were lucky it was in Defense Mode…

"Think I'll throw down these, and that'll be all."

Two reversed cards appeared.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,900)**

Jalal looked at Asmodeus. Then he made a draw.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Immortal Dragon," he said. "Now, one of my Dragons comes back from the Graveyard."

"Uh-uh," chuckled Xvartnar, as one of his own facedown cards shot up.

"I activate Dark Bribe. Now, you draw once, but you don't get your Monster back."

Jalal's Trap Card shattered. He made one draw.

"In that case," he said, "I'll set a Monster, and that will be all."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"First I draw," said Xvartnar, drawing a card, "then I attack! Dark smite!"

Asmodeus called the burning lightning to his hand again, and hurled it forward. A large Dragon that seemed to be made entirely out of stone appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

"So much for your Golem Dragon," said Xvartnar. "Next, I use Asmodeus's effect, to send another Fairy to my Graveyard…"

He discarded a card.

"Then, because I have at least two Dark Fairies there, I can Special Summon this guy. Fallen Angel Baal, in Defense Mode."

A diabolical-looking knight, again with black, feathered wings, and horns on his helmet appeared. He knelt in defense. (1,400 DEF)

Then Jalal felt a sharp pain strike him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Baal's effect," replied Xvartnar. "You just lost 1,000 Life Points, 500 for each Dark Monster on the field.

"Think I'll end my turn there…"

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,900)**

Jalal hesitated before drawing. Then he made a draw.

"I summon the Tuner Monster, Chaos-End Master!" he shouted.

In a flourish of light, the same angelic Warrior that Ember had used to summon her Shadow Ghoul appeared, striking a pose. (1,500 ATK)

"A Tuner ain't no good without any non-Tuners," chuckled Xvartnar.

"Then I'll just have to get one," said Jalal. "Attack Fallen Angel Baal!"

Chaos-End Master blasted a beam of pure light from his hands, and Baal was blown to bits.

"Now that I've done that, I get to Special Summon a high-Level Monster from my deck, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than 1,600.

"So, I summon Sphere of Chaos."

With a beeping, humming sound, a large, spherical Machine made of dark steel, with gold lights and a big, golden optic sensor appeared. (1,600 ATK)

Jalal's other facedown card lifted up.

"Next, the Trap Card, Urgent Tuning."

Chaos-End Master and Sphere of Chaos glowed, and then turned into eight shimmering stars.

"Now, I can Tune my two Monsters together in the middle of my Battle Phase.

"I summon… Light End Dragon!"

There was a tremendous flash of light, and Xvartnar covered his eyes. Appearing on Jalal's side of the field was a huge, beautiful Dragon, serpentine with white scales, four feathered wings, and a golden collar and crown. (2,600 ATK)

"Light End Dragon…" ordered Jalal, "destroy Fallen Angel Asmodeus!"

Light End Dragon roared…

"You gotta be kidding!" laughed Xvartnar. "Asmodeus is stronger than that guy!"

"Oh, really?" said Jalal. "Maybe so, but when Light End Dragon battles a Monster, I can cut 500 points off of its Attack Score to cut 1,500 off of its opponent's.

"Attack! Shining sublimation!"

Light End Dragon's Attack Score fell to 2,100, but Asmodeus's fell all the way to 1,500. Xvartnar shielded himself as a tremendous blast of light struck the fallen angel, blowing him to gibbets.

"Your fallen angel is gone," said Jalal.

"Gone, but not forgotten," said Xvartnar's voice through the smoke. "He left somethin' behind…"

The smoke cleared, and Jalal saw that there were now two more dark Fairies on Xvartnar's side of the field, crouching in Defense Mode. One was tall and thin (1,300 DEF), the other was short and squat (1,200 DEF), but both looked like miniature versions of Asmodeus.

"You see," said Xvartnar, "when the big guy bites the dust, he leaves behind an Asmo Token and a Deus Token. And they both got a defensive property… The Asmo Token can't be destroyed by card effects, while the Deus Token can't be destroyed by battle."

Jalal paused.

"Interesting…" he said.

"You say that so often…" chuckled Xvartnar.

"I end my turn…" muttered Jalal.

**(J: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,300)**

Xvartnar drew a card, and looked at it.

Then his other facedown card lifted up.

"Time to get serious…" he said. "I activate my Blasphemous Benediction Trap Card. Now, by sacrificing a Dark Fairy that's Level 5 or greater, I can summon another one from my Graveyard."

The Asmo Token vanished.

"But, don't worry… Asmodeus ain't comin' back… He can't be summoned from there. I'm gonna bring back someone I tossed with his effect.

"I summon Fallen Angel Superbia!"

Another dark shadow fell across the field, and another Dark Fairy appeared. This one didn't even appear vaguely humanoid. It looked kind of like a black chalice, with a flared bottom, with a fiendish face on the front, small claws on the sides, and large, brown, feathered wings on the back. (2,900 ATK)

"I'm not done," chuckled Xvartnar. "When Superbia is summoned from the Graveyard, I get to summon another Fairy from there!

"So, I'll summon Fallen Angel Ede Arai!"

The Dark Fairy that appeared this time looked sort of like Asmodeus, but more bestial. He had the same dark wings, but was dressed in furs and hide armor. He had two devilish horns on his forehead, and long claws. (2,300 ATK)

Xvartnar took one of his two remaining cards.

"I set a card facedown, and end my turn…"

A reversed card appeared.

Jalal looked at the three Fairies as he made a draw.

_Smart… _he thought. _He realized that I would have activated Light End Dragon's effect again if he had attacked…_

_Better be careful…_

"I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the winged Dragon with two heads appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Light End Dragon…" he ordered. "Attack Fallen Angel Superbia!"

The Dragon roared again.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted Xvartnar.

His facedown card flipped up, and the Dragon's beam hit an invisible shield.

"No big deal," said Jalal.

"Oh, but it is a big deal," said Xvartnar with a grin. "You see, since Negate Attack is a Counter Trap, I can now sacrifice a Dark Monster…"

The Deus Token vanished.

"To Special Summon Dark Voltanis!"

The Monster that appeared was, to say the least, bizarre. The regular Voltanis had been undefined enough as it was, but this Dark version was even more so. Like the original Voltanis the Adjudicator, it seemed to be a faceless, vaguely humanoid creature that seemed to be dressed in a combination of robes and armor, with wings that were not truly attached to its body; but in this case, it was all black. (2,800 ATK)

"And guess what, Jalal?" continued Xvartnar. "Since I summoned it this way, I get to destroy one of your cards!"

Light End Dragon shattered into shards of light.

Jalal looked at Xvartnar's small army of Dark Fairies, which consisted of two Level 8 Monsters and one Level 5 one, all of them with very high Attack Scores…

_Seems I underestimated this guy…_ he thought. _But at least he used up all the cards in his hand…_

He took one of his own cards.

"I'll set a card facedown, and that will be all," he said.

Xvartnar drew a card and looked at it.

It was Dimensional Prison.

_That could come in handy,_ he thought.

He placed it in his Disk, and it appeared, reversed.

"Dark Voltanis, destroy Twin-Headed Behemoth!" he shouted.

Dark Voltanis waved his hand, and the air started to warp and bend. The Dragon burst.

"I've been waitin' a long time for this, Jalal!" he laughed. "Superbia… Attack him directly!"

The weird Fairy spewed a blast of black flames from its mouth, engulfing Jalal in a practical furnace.

The smoke cleared, with Jalal simply staring at the oni.

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,300)**

"That was… unpleasant…" he said.

Xvartnar laughed out loud.

"You said _that_ about the Crimean War!" he laughed. "And I'm not done with you…"

"Oh yes, you are!" shouted Jalal. "Trap Card, activate! Damage Condenser!"

His facedown card flipped up.

"I just lost 2,900 Life Points from your attack," he said. "Now, by discarding one card from my hand…"

He quickly discarded a card.

"I can summon any Monster from my deck with equal or less Attack Points. And I choose to summon Rare Metal Dragon in Attack Mode."

Another Dragon materialized in front of him. It was a hulking, wingless Dragon, seemingly made entirely out of metal. (2,400 ATK)

Jalal quickly shuffled his deck.

"Aw, crap!" shouted Xvartnar. "Ede Aria can't beat that! I end my turn!"

"And that means Twin-Headed Behemoth's effect activates," said Jalal, "and it makes a quick recovery."

Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"You know, Jalal," laughed Xvartnar, "I gotta say, I kinda like this! This little game of yours is pretty fun! Maybe I should've tried taking you down this way a long time ago!"

_If I say anything, _thought Jalal, _I'll just encourage him…_

"I play my Pot of Avarice!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and Light Lindworm, Axe Dragonute, Golem Dragon, Chaos-End Master, and Sphere of Chaos slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

He looked at them.

"Time to turn this around, Xvartnar," he said. "I play the Continuous Spell, Burden of the Mighty."

"Eh?" said Xvartnar. "Burden of the Mighty?"

"It causes each of your Monsters to lose 100 Attack Points times its Level," explained Jalal, as the card appeared. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall, as the saying goes."

The three Dark Fairies groaned as a red aura surrounded them. Dark Voltanis fell to an Attack Score of 2,000, Superbia fell to 2,100, and Ede Aria fell to 1,800.

"Now that that's done…" said Jalal. "I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Twin-Headed Behemoth and Rare Metal Dragon vanished. Then, two orbs, one of pure light, and one of pure darkness, rose in their place…

They combined…

"I summon Light and Darkness Dragon!"

Out of the shadows, a Dragon even bigger than Light End Dragon appeared. Its name fit it perfectly, as it seemed to be a combination of both light and darkness, light on the right side of its body, with a huge, feathered wing, and dark on its left side, with an equally huge, batlike wing.

It let out a loud roar. Xvartnar stepped back in shock. (2,800 ATK)

"Attack his Fallen Angel Superbia!" shouted Jalal. "Shining Breath!"

The huge Dragon bellowed.

"I activate Dimensional Prison!" laughed Xvartnar, as his facedown card shot up.

_I don't think so…_ thought Jalal.

Light and Darkness Dragon's Attack Score fell to 2,300, and Xvartnar's Trap Card was blown into shards. The Dragon blasted a burning bolt of plasma from its jaws, and Superbia exploded with such force that the guardian oni was knocked over.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh!" laughed Xvartnar, looking up. "Silly me! I forgot all about that Dragon's effect!"

"A powerful effect," replied Jalal, "that can negate the effect of any card at all, Spell, Trap, or Monster. However, to do so, it must give up 500 points from both its scores. And it's your move…"

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 4,100)**

Xvartnar stood up and looked at the huge Dragon.

_That means it can use that effect three more times,_ he thought. _And the effect isn't optional, it activates automatically._

_But I don't have to wait for it to use it three more times. If It can force it to use its effect even once more… I can destroy it with Dark Voltanis…_

He drew a card.

It was a Level 4 Monster called Fallen Angel Lilith.

_Uh… Think I'll save that…_ he thought.

"I move Dark Voltanis and Ede Aria to Defense Mode," he said.

Dark Voltanis wrapped its wings around its body. (1,400 DEF) Ede Aria knelt, and folded his wings. (2,000 DEF)

"That's all."

"My move," said Jalal, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"Attack Dark Voltanis!" he shouted.

Light and Darkness Dragon blasted its shining breath, and Dark Voltanis exploded into a burst of soot and smoke.

Jalal fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

_Huh?_ thought Xvartnar. _A Trap Card? But… Doesn't he know that if he tries to activate it, his own Monster will counter it?_

He drew a card.

_Hmm…_

"I set a Monster, and then end my turn."

He played a card, and a set Monster appeared.

"My move," said Jalal, making a draw.

He pointed, and his Dragon blasted his breath weapon, vaporizing Ede Aria.

"Your move again," he said.

_I still don't get it,_ thought Xvartnar, looking at the facedown card. _If he activates it, his Monster will negate it, and if I destroy his Monster, it will be destroyed…_

_WAIT!_

_That's it! Dark Coffin! It has to be Dark Coffin! It activates when it's destroyed!_

He quickly made a draw.

_That's the ticket… _he thought.

"I activate my Nobleman of Crossout Spell Card!" he exclaimed, playing it. "Now, I can eradicate a Monster that's hidden in Defense Mode. Even my own…"

"But thanks to your Dragon, that's not gonna happen…"

The Spell Card appeared. Jalal grumbled.

"Like you said," he replied, "my Dragon's effect automatically activates…"

Light and Darkness Dragon fell to an Attack Score of 1,800, and the Spell Card shattered.

"Your move…" chuckled Xvartnar.

Jalal made a draw.

"I summon Luster Dragon," he said.

In a burst of blue light, the beautiful, slender Dragon seemingly made entirely out of sapphire appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Light and Darkness Dragon, attack!" he shouted.

The Dragon blasted its shining breath, and Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, before it was burned to a cinder.

"I activate Dark Mimic's effect," said Xvartnar.

"No you don't…" said Jalal.

Light and Darkness Dragon fell to an Attack Score of 1,300, and a red light flashed on Xvartnar's Disk.

"Luster Dragon, direct attack!" ordered Jalal. "Sapphire spark!"

Luster Dragon breathed a blast of blue energy, and Xvartnar groaned as it hit him.

"Ergh…" he muttered.

**(J: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,200)**

Then he looked at Jalal, and looked at the Dragon. Then he looked at the last card in his hand, Fallen Angel Lilith.

He drew a card. It was Mirror Force.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _Now I can use Lilith here to defeat Light and Darkness Dragon. Then, once I do, all of Jalal's cards will be destroyed, including his Dark Coffin, which will force me to either toss a card from my hand, or destroy one of my Monsters._

_It will also let Jalal summon a Monster from his Graveyard, most likely Light End Dragon._

_What he doesn't know is, I _want_ Lilith to be destroyed. Once she dies from a card effect, I get to Special Summon any Dark Fairy I want from my deck. Even Darklord Zerato!_

_He might try to use Light End Dragon's effect to beat him, but with my Mirror Force, I can wipe it out, and then one direct attack from Zerato, and I win!_

"I play a facedown," he said, "and then summon Fallen Angel Lilith!"

The reversed card appeared, and then a tall, raven-haired woman of dark beauty appeared. She was dressed in an outfit that looked like a black, one-piece, low-cut, thong bathing suit, with bare feet, and had the same dark, feathered wings. (1,800 ATK)

"Remember my Burden of the Mighty?" asked Jalal.

Lilith's Attack Score fell to 1,400.

"She's still strong enough to take out your Dragon!" shouted Xvartnar.

Lilith made an evil grin. She leapt at the huge Dragon, and made a slash at it with her long nails. Light and Darkness Dragon howled, and then shattered into pixels. Then, Luster Dragon, Burden of the Mighty, and Jalal's facedown card shattered…

But Xvartnar saw it briefly before it did so… It wasn't what he had thought it was.

"HUH?" he shouted. "It wasn't Dark Coffin?"

"No," said Jalal. "It was Statue of the Wicked, another Trap Card that must be destroyed to take effect.

"But don't feel too bad… The guess you made was a valid one.

"And due to it being destroyed, I get a Wicked Token."

A huge, golden snake with small claws wearing a tutan mask appeared in front of Jalal. (1,000 ATK)

"And due to the second effect of Light and Darkness Dragon, I get to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard. I choose to summon Herald of Creation."

In a golden aura, a tall figure appeared next to the Token. It was a woman dressed in long, white and golden robes and a veil, with golden hair, holding a long staff with a golden ring on the end. She shimmered in pure light. (1,800 ATK)

"Wait just a minute!" shouted Xvartnar. "I never sent her to your Graveyard!"

"No, you didn't," replied Jalal. "I put her there myself when I activated Damage Condenser.

"And now… It's my move…"

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 2,200)**

He drew a card.

"Go, Monster Reborn!" he exclaimed.

The holy ankh appeared in the air, and glowed with golden fire. Light End Dragon appeared in front of him, and let out a roar. (2,600 ATK)

"Uh…" muttered Xvartnar.

"Now, I activate Herald of Creation's effect," said Jalal.

The Herald lifted her staff, and it glowed with blinding light.

"By tossing one card," he continued, as he discarded his copy of Dragon's Rage, "I can recover a Level 7 or higher Monster from my Graveyard."

Light and Darkness Dragon slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now, I sacrifice Herald and my Token to summon it again!"

Herald of Creation and the Wicked Token dissolved into grains of light, and Light and Darkness Dragon loomed over the field again. (2,800 ATK)

Fallen Angel Lilith stepped back with a look of panic…

"This isn't fun any more!" shouted Xvartnar.

"Light End Dragon…" ordered Jalal, "attack!"

Light End Dragon opened its jaws…

"Go, Mirror Force!" shouted Xvartnar, as his facedown card flipped up.

Light and Darkness Dragon roared, and its Attack Score fell to 2,300. The Trap Card was blown to shards.

"Well…"sighed Xvartnar. "Ya can't blame me for trying…"

Light End Dragon's Attack Score fell to 2,100, and Lilith shook in fear as hers fell to only 300. Then she let out a scream as its shining sublimation hit her and she was eradicated.

"Light and Darkness Dragon…" commanded Jalal, "attack directly with dark baptism!"

The huge Dragon let out a blast of pure darkness, and the guardian oni screamed as he was propelled backwards.

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (X: 0)**

Jalal looked at the fallen oni, and deactivated his Duel Disk.

"Well…" he said. "I hope I never have to go through that again…"

"The duel?" gasped Xvartnar.

"No," replied Jalal. "The Crimean War."

He reached down, and snatched the ring of keys from Xvartnar's belt.

"Don't bother to get up, I know the way in."

He walked up to the door to the Black Library, and unlocked it. He threw it open.

"You know…" grumbled Xvartnar, to himself, "if the boss was smart, he'd invest in a decent security system for that door…

"But NO! Modern technology is addictive, he says! Use technology too much, you'll get dependent on it, he says!"

He sighed.

"Maybe asking Sultan Alrahad if he needs another harem guard isn't such a bad idea after all… At least no-one is ever dumb enough to try breaking into _there_…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Near the center of Neo Domino, near the Kaiba Dome, was a small café called the Red Wagon. The regulars who ate there liked the place because of the good food, friendly atmosphere, and especially, the large portions.

One such regular was walking in right now, as it was the start of the lunch hour.

He was a tall man, dressed in what looked like biker gang attire. He wore a leather jacket covered with metal studs, with a flaming skull design on the back. He had earrings, a nose ring, dark sunglasses, and hair that was dyed bright orange.

However, he was more than just the standard motorcycle punk. Dueling fans knew that he was Mukuro Enjo, the man who was once the champion of the riding duels. Before Jack Atlas had appeared, he had fought seven duels, and only lost one of them. But Jack handed him his second defeat, and it was what knocked him off the top. He had tried to regain the number one spot, dueling Jack again and later dueling Yusei to try a third time, but had never made it back.

Right now, however, he wasn't interested in gaining back his title… He was only interested in a cheeseburger and fries. He liked this place, as it was one of the few places where he still had fans who appreciated him.

"Hey, Suzie!" he called to the waitress, as he came in. "Gimme the usual, will ya?"

"Comin' up, hon," she said, as he took a seat at the counter.

Mukuro didn't notice as Edmund walked into the restaurant behind him. The waitress gave him a funny look. She could see that there was something funny about this guy.

Edmund pulled up next to Mukuro.

"Pardon me," he said. "Are you the former Turbo Duel champion Mukuro Enjo?"

"Who wants to know?" asked Mukuro, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, just someone with an interest in your work," replied Edmund. "If that is who you are."

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Mukuro. "What are you, an agent? Sorry fellah, I already have an agent.

"And besides, even if I didn't, you came at a bad time. I was thinking of taking a break from dueling for a while. I came into some money, and was thinking of taking a vacation.

"Maybe go somewhere where there's a lot of culture, good food, and entertainment… Like France, or Italy…"

"Just let me ask you one thing," replied Edmund. "Can you duel without a D-Wheel?"

The waitress slid a cheeseburger with fries in front of Mukuro.

"Sure I can!" he said, with his mouth full. "You gotta know how to do the basic stuff before you can do the hard stuff…"

Mukuro was so occupied with his meal, he failed to notice a tiny, green worm crawling onto his shoulder…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Mukuro left the restaurant. He held his head, as if it were swimming. He shook it, trying to get the fog out of it.

He walked to his bike, but then thought otherwise. He'd likely crash if he tried to drive like this. Instead, he disconnected his Duel Disk from it, activated the special lock, and walked off.

Edmund watched him leave, watching closely…

_**Jalal had met with success, apparently, but more trouble was heading for downtown Neo Domino. Edmund had struck again, and the limits of his boldness apparently knew no bounds. Things were coming to headway, and soon, this day would reach a point where we'd truly discover what we were up against. We wouldn't exactly like it, but we'd have to deal with it nonetheless.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN ANGEL ASMODEUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned from the deck or Graveyard. Once per turn, you may send 1 Fairy-Type monster from your deck to the Graveyard. When this card you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "Asmo Token" (Fairy-Type/DARK/5 Stars/1800 ATK/1300 DEF) and 1 "Deus Token" (Fairy-Type/DARK/3 Stars/1200 ATK/1200 DEF) to your side of the field. An "Asmo Token" cannot be destroyed by card effects and a "Deus Token" cannot be destroyed by battle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN ANGEL SUPERBIA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,900  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** When this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard, Special Summon one Fairy-Type Monster from your Graveyard except for a "Fallen Angel Superbia".

_Note: "Fallen Angel Asmodeus" and "Fallen Angel Superbia" are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN ANGEL EDE ARAI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, it gains the following effect:

* When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with an Attack Score greater than the attack target's Defense Score, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.

_Note: "Fallen Angel Ede Arai" was first used by Midori Hibiki in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. (This card will be released as a promotional card in Japan next month. It is not known if its effect will be the same as the manga version.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN ANGEL BAAL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** You may Special Summon this card from your hand when there are two or more DARK Fairy-Type Monsters in your Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned in this manner, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent for every face-up DARK Monster on the field. This card cannot attack during the round it is Special Summoned via this effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FALLEN ANGEL LILITH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by your opponent's card effect, you may Special Summon one DARK Fairy-Type Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLASPHEMOUS BENEDICTION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Darklord Zerato presenting a scroll to a man in a dark cloak.

**Card Description:** Tribute a DARK Fairy-Type Monster you control that is Level 5 or greater. Special Summon a DARK Fairy-Type Monster from either Graveyard other than the one that was Tributed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPHERE OF CHAOS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card is also treated as a LIGHT Monster. Once per turn, this card is not destroyed as a result of battle. When this card is Tribute Summoned, you may add 1 Level 3 or lower Monster from your deck to your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LIGHT END DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,100

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more LIGHT non-Tuner Monsters._

Activate only when this card attacks or is attacked. Decrease the ATK and DEF of this card by 500 to decrease the ATK and DEF of the opposing Monster that battles this card by 1,500 until the End Phase.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GOLEM DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** Your opponent cannot select Dragon-Type Monsters other than this one as attack targets.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AXE DRAGONUTE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card attacks, switch it to face-up Defense Position at the end of the damage step.

_Note: "Sphere of Chaos", "Light End Dragon", "Golem Dragon", and "Axe Dragonute" are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LIGHT LINDWORM (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,900  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Flavor Text:** _An ancestor of modern Dragons, the Lindworms were until recently thought to be extinct. Their lack of wings distinguishes them from their modern kin._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IMMORTAL DRAGON (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A dark, shadowy dragon rising out of the ground.

**Card Description:** Select and activate one of the following effects:

* Special Summon 1 Dragon-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

* Special Summon 1 of your Dragon-Type Monsters that has been removed from play.

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**BOTH SIDES (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A burst of energy, the right side black against a white background, and the left side white against a black background.

**Card Description:** Choose 1 of the following 2 effects:

*Tribute a face-up LIGHT Monster you control. Special Summon a DARK Monster of the same Level from your hand or deck.

*Tribute a face-up DARK Monster you control. Special Summon a LIGHT Monster of the same Level from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Light Lindworm, "Immortal Dragon", and "Both Sides" were first used by Manjoume in various issues of the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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_Coming up next:_

_We switch over to Hank, who goes to __Plzeň (where is that?) to meet with an arms dealer about the Silver Hemisphere. But dealing with him is tricky, as the wealthy Shadow is mercenary to the core, and is reluctant to help anyone without a benefit to himself. Hank is forced to duel with an expensive wager, and is unable to use his Hidden Treasure Deck this time. Good thing he has others. "Weapon Change" is coming soon._


	29. Weapon Change

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**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

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**Weapon Change**

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_**When you think of cities in the Czech Republic, what city comes to mind? Prague, right? Unless you actually live in Eastern Europe, or are an expert in the culture of that region, you likely can't name any other Czech city. Prague isn't very big, as far as European cities go, with a population of just over a million, but the Czech Republic isn't very big either. Still, not everyone in the country lives in Prague. There are other cities.**_

_**Located about ninety kilometers west of Prague in western Bohemia is the small city of **__**Plzeň. It's quite small, with a population of under two-hundred thousand. Probably the best thing that Plzeň has going for it is its brewery, which gave the name to a style of beer, the pale lager called Pilsener, arguably the world's most popular style.**_

_**And at nine AM local time, Hank had been ushered into a large trophy room in a luxurious mansion in the residential part of Plzeň, where he waited to meet its owner…**_

Hank was more than a little nervous.

The trophy room he was in was a practical museum. It contained large display cases containing weapons and full suits of armor, taken from various time periods of various cultures all over the world. Clearly, his host was a collector of weapons as well as a dealer of them.

But the displays weren't what was making him nervous. What was making him nervous was the sentry that he knew was just outside the door, that he had been led past. It was a sand golem, a seven-foot-tall magical construct made out of sand that had been made incredibly dense. It wasn't the strongest type of golem, but it was still strong enough to break a man in two if it was given the order to do so.

That's the way it was with mercane. Even the ones who might very well be capable in a fight didn't do so too often, leaving such matters either to bodyguards or magical guardians like that. What was the point of being rich if you didn't use your money to protect yourself? If you didn't, someone might try to take what was yours.

"Welcome, Mr. Richards," said a voice from the other side of the room.

Hank turned, and saw a tall man walk in, followed by a smaller sand golem, this one carrying a silver tea service. Mundane humans would see the man as a tall, balding gentleman in his mid-forties, wearing a velvet smoking jacket and gold-rimmed spectacles.

Hank, however, was Aware, and he could see that the man was clearly a mercane. As such, he was a tall, thin, lanky humanoid, completely hairless with midnight blue skin. He seemed androgynous, and his strangest feature was his long fingers, which each had one extra joint than was the norm for most humanoid life.

"Marcus Owlsley, I presume?" asked Hank.

"That would be me," said the mercane, pouring the tea. "I see you're enthralled by my collection of antique armaments. I'm quite proud of them myself… They took me over fifty years to collect…

"Take the one you were looking at when I came in; that suit is an Ottoman-Turkish set from the Sixteenth Century, worn by some palace guard, I believe…

"Oh, but where are my manners? Can I get you something? Coffee? Juice? A croissant?"

"I've eaten," replied Hank. "I see you use sand golems…"

Owlsley sipped his tea.

"Why not?" he said with a shrug. "They're very efficient servants. Practical, too. Sand is a cheap material… Since it's an Earth-based substance, it's easy to enchant… They're cheap to maintain, seeing as they don't eat, sleep, or need new clothes… And these golems are good at heavy lifting and can double as bodyguards. Even better, they don't mind working overtime."

"I'll bet they get sand all over the floor," replied Hank.

"I have a housecleaning service who doesn't ask questions," said Owlsley, putting the cup down. "So, how could a Shadowchaser need my services? You realize I not only deal in weapons, I research their creation.

"Hunting lycanthropes? I could construct bullets of a silver alloy that could be fired from the highest-caliber firearm…"

"Well, uh…" said Hank.

"Even better…" said Owlsley, "I could construct a high-pressure water gun, guaranteed to last a thousand times longer than any you'd find in any toy store…"

"For dealing with Shadows that are vulnerable to holy water, right?" asked Hank.

"Precisely," replied Owlsley. "I could build anything you need, for the right price…"

"Actually Owlsley," said Hank, "what I need from you is something that I believe you've already acquired… A Silver Hemisphere, a display stand for three swords covered with runes. Ring any bells?"

"Mmm," replied Owlsley, sipping his tea. "I'm afraid you came a little too late… A fellow in Neo Domino already inquired about that one… He's prepared to pay fifty-thousand Euros for it. And it was a price I was quite willing to agree to… A display stand isn't much use to me without the things it's supposed to display. Anyway, I can't simply break a deal with a customer once I've made it…"

"Let me guess," said Hank, "his name is Louis DaPen."

"I can't tell you who my customers are," replied Owlsley. "Merchant-client confidentiality, you know how it is."

"Well, let me tell you something," said Hank. "If it is indeed DaPen whom you've agreed to sell it to, you might be interested in knowing that he's an illithid."

Owlsley coughed, and spilled tea on his jacket. Apparently, _that_ came as somewhat of a shock.

"I thought that might get your attention," said Hank. "I can't offer any concrete proof…"

Owlsley looked at him.

"You know…" said the mercane, putting his cup down again, "if you are telling the truth, and he _is_ an illithid, it _would_ explain a lot…"

"And you folks don't sell to illithids, I believe," said Hank.

"No, we don't," said Owlsley with a frown.

He poured a fresh cup.

"Seventy-five years ago in China," he continued, "one of my kin made a deal with a group of three illithids, to deliver a rare magical item called a Will of Demon, a potent amulet that could increase both intelligence and memory if the wearer didn't mind losing his morals. The mercane delivered, but the illithids would only pay half of the agreed-upon fee.

"Naturally, the mercane would not turn over the goods until full payment was made. And then the illithids murdered him and his entourage, and robbed his supplies. They thought that with no witnesses, they would get away with it."

"But they didn't know that when you harm a mercane," said Hank, "there are _always_ witnesses. Some sort of racial telepathy, right?"

Owlsley nodded.

"What happens to one of my people is known to all of us," he replied. "We haven't dealt with illithids since."

"Well," said Hank, "I'm certain that Jalal would happily pay you just as much for it as DaPen was going to…"

"Hold on…" said Owlsley, interrupting. "I didn't become the biggest weapons supplier to Shadowkind by being stupid, Mr. Richards. If an illithid AND Jalal both want this item, it clearly has some deeper value…

"I'm going to need a payment more… meaningful than merely a monetary one…"

Hank rubbed his chin.

"Are you a gambling man, Owlsley?" he asked.

Then Owlsley actually laughed.

"Am I ever!" said the mercane with a laugh. "I've been a member of the Camelot Casino Club for the past twenty years. I'm such a high roller at Monte Carlo, they let me see the opera and ballet performances there for free. I win more playing poker in a month than the yearly salary of that housekeeper I told you about."

"Then what would you say to a wager?" asked Hank. "I assume you duel?"

"Of course I do," replied Owlsley, sipping his tea again. "When a duelist in a high place wants a custom-built Disk, they come to me. What, do you really think they make them themselves?"

Hank took his deck out of his Disk, and spread the cards out.

"Ah, is that the Hidden Treasure Deck I've heard so much about?" asked Owlsley.

"It's a powerful deck," replied Hank, "so long as you use it right. And I'll wager it for the Silver Hemisphere."

"I might be inclined to agree to that," replied Owlsley. "However, I have a small policy regarding contests with wagers. I don't believe you should be allowed to use the wagered goods in the actual contest."

Hank looked at him.

Then he opened his jacket, underneath which was a vest that contained holders holding three decks, and an empty holder.

"My word," said Owlsley. "Seems that someone, like the Boy Scouts, is always prepared…"

Hank put the Hidden Treasure Deck in the empty holder, and took another deck.

"Well then…" said Owlsley, "in that case, it's a bet… But we can't exactly duel in here… Too many fragile things. Why don't we go out on the patio?"

He set the teacup on the golem's tray, and motioned for Hank to follow him.

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Back in his manor house, in his private study, Jalal opened the book he had gotten from the Black Library. It was an old, thick, leather-bound book called Ilsensine's Tome.

No-one really knew just who or what Illsensine was, but it was a name that came up a lot when the history of the illithids was looked into. Some thought it might be an entity that the illithids worshipped, or at least did at one time, although that was a stretch. Most illithids didn't worship anything; their great egos led them to believe that they were the most powerful beings in the cosmos, and worshipping gods was contradictory to that belief.

The book's author was uncredited, as were many of the books found in the Black Library. Most of the works there were written via the collective efforts of several researchers who had lived a long time ago.

Jalal started to read. The first chapter quickly got into the heart of the matter, with a page-turning story that seemed too bizarre to believe:

_Among all races and cultures, from elves, to humans, to orcs, there are legends that tell of their origins. All races have myths, stories, and tales that tell about how their respective peoples came to be. It is part of the nature of mortals. When comparing the origin myth of one race to that of another, inconsistencies and contradictions are commonplace. If one believes the myth that one race says is responsible for their creation, the myths of several others make little sense. This does not mean that some or all of these myths are untrue or fanciful. To the races that they pertain to, they are true, so long as they are believed. Thus, like any good myth, the following story can be considered true, regardless of whether or not it actually happened._

_Countless millennia ago, the first illithids arrived in the known universe through portals leading from the Dimension of Madness. Unable to go back, and eager to stake a claim for themselves in this new reality, they started to expand, with the goal to build an empire by enslaving sentient creatures. They succeeded, and soon, their worlds-spanning empire became one of the greatest ever seen in the cosmos. _

_As their power grew, both in the form of their mental powers and the manpower of thousands of slaves, the illithids commanded might that only the gods could previously harness. Able to create whole worlds from artificial material, they built many to expand their tentacles into the vast beyond. One such world was their capital, the dark planet Penumbria, built around a cold star. So powerful was this dark kingdom that briefly, the Blood War paused, as the demons and devils considered an alliance to deal with the threat posed by the illithids._

_But this dark empire would not last, for this display of might would be their undoing. In order to create worlds, even artificial ones, the illithids were forced to tap into a mighty source of power that few dared to delve into. Most sages call this energy source the Power Primordial. _

_The Power Primordial is a mysterious force of energy, believed to be the remnants of the cataclysmic event that created the universe at the beginning of time. These primordial energies still linger in places throughout the universe, and can be tapped by those who know where to look. Contained within the Power Primordial is the energy needed to create worlds, and any planetary body requires it to support life. If any creature was truly able to master the Power Primordial, he could become capable of almost any feat imaginable, gaining godlike power._

_But in their hubris, the illithids considered the Power Primordial to be nothing more than a useful tool, a type of mortar and brick for their incredible construction projects. Over time, their principle slave race (known today as simply the "forerunner race") who were driven to build their grand cities and landscapes, were exposed to the powerful energy in bits and pieces. Slowly, they recognized the might of the Power Primordial, and used it to develop__ a resistance to the mental powers of their masters. _

_Led by the warrior Gith, the race revolted. The rebellion started small, but soon grew. __Robbed of their most potent weapon, the illithids stood no chance. The rebellion expanded, and spread to every illithid world. Illithids were slain by the thousands, and their empire collapsed, their grand cities falling into flaming ruin._

_But the illithids were saved from extinction by an unexpected development. Gith was betrayed by one of her own generals, Zerthimon, who felt she had become tyrannical and power-hungry. A civil war erupted among the race, as it split into two factions that would become two offshoots of that forerunner race:_

_The ones loyal to Gith, the githyanki… And the ones who chose to follow Zerthimon, the githzerai. __This disruption allowed the surviving illithids to retreat to underground strongholds, where they still dwell._

_Even as this happened, the war between the two offshoots raged on. Finally, in one great battle that encompassed all of Penumbria, the energies unleashed by the two factions tore the world apart. Needing to relocate, the githyanki fled to the Astral, where they settled on the floating islands that were all that remained of deceased entities who once called themselves gods. The githzerai arrived in the ever-shifting chaos of Limbo, where they learned to shape the pure chaos into orderly forms, and develop settlements of their own._

_Since those ancient times, githyanki and githzerai have grown numerous, their races growing stronger. They still despise one another, and skirmishes between the two are common. But both of them have not forgotten their enslavement, and will mercilessly kill any illithid they find._

"Hmm!" said Jalal, as he finished reading this passage.

He had lived for a _very_ long time, and he was open-minded about most things. But he had serious doubts about the authenticity of this story. After all, he had been alive for over a thousand years, and seen literally hundreds of different races of Shadowkind. If these "githyanki" and "githzerai" had ever come to Earth, they couldn't have stayed hidden from him forever. And it would have been hard to believe that they had never come to Earth if they were indeed real. The mysterious hand that grabbed Shadowkind from the other world didn't seem to exclude anyone…

Even if these two races were safe on the Astral and in Limbo, he knew about the races of those two dimensions. Nothing ever mentioned these two.

The story was likely only a parable…

"Unless…" muttered Jalal.

He rubbed his chin.

"Unless the githyanki and githzerai were wiped out ages ago by something else…"

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"Nice place…" said Hank.

The patio, as Owlsley had called it, was a beautiful garden full of flower beds, carefully manicured shrubs, and topiary statues around the perimeter. On one end was a fountain with a marble statue built as a reproduction of the _Venus de Milo_.

"Quite right," said Owlsley. "And quite the nice place for a duel, wouldn't you say?"

He held up his left arm, and activated his Disk. Hank's eyes opened wide in surprise. It looked just like one of the Chaos Disks used by the minions of the Orichalcos so many years ago.

Owlsley answered his question before he could ask it.

"No, it isn't authentic," he replied. "Just something I had made for shock value… Intimidation is a big part of dueling, as you no doubt know."

"I call it bad taste," said Hank.

He activated his own Disk.

**(Hank: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Owlsley: 8,000)**

"I draw!" exclaimed Hank, drawing his first card.

He looked over the six cards in his hand, and chose one. He quickly set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"And I think I'll leave it at that."

"Playing conservatively, I see," said Owlsley, drawing a card.

"I summon my Cannon Soldier."

He played a card, and a popular Machine materialized in front of him. Unlike the Toon version that Ember had used, this was the real thing, and looked nasty and lethal. (1,400 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" commanded Owlsley.

Cannon Soldier's barrel glowed. Hank's Monster appeared on the card; it looked like a stone statue of a dinosaur, sitting upright, crouching in Defense Mode.

Cannon Soldier fired a bolt of plasma, and the stone Dinosaur was blown to pieces.

_Not bad,_ thought Hank. _But while you may have taken it out now, in a few rounds, you'll see what it can really do…_

"I set one card, and end my turn," said Owlsley.

A facedown card appeared behind Cannon Soldier.

Hank drew a card and looked at it. It was a Spell Card called Distrain Card.

_Not the right time for this,_ he thought.

He took another card from his hand.

"I play Miracle Rupture," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"First, I take a Rock-Type Monster from my deck, and send it to the Graveyard…"

He chose a card from his deck, and then discarded it.

"Next, I reshuffle…"

He shuffled his deck.

"And then make one draw."

He drew one card.

He played another Spell Card.

"Then, I play Silent Doom. I'm gonna bring back the Monster I just tossed. Giant Soldier of Stone."

A very large Monster appeared on his side of the field. It was one of the oldest Rock-Type Monsters, and one that had gained some degree of fame by being part of the original deck of the King of Games; a hulking stone fighter with two stone swords on its back. (2,000 DEF)

"Then I set another Monster…"

A set Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn."

"Tell me," said Owlsley, with a grin, as he made a draw, "do all of your decks try to win without attacking?

"I sacrifice Cannon Soldier…"

The Machine vanished into pixels.

"…for an upgrade… I summon the Cannon Soldier MK-2!"

A new Machine appeared where Cannon Soldier had been. It looked like Cannon Soldier at first glance, but stood head-and-shoulders above the original version, had two cannons, mounted on its shoulders, and was far more high-tech in appearance. (1,900 ATK)

"Monsters like this give me inspiration," he said. "Inspiration to build new things, things that folks with big wallets will gladly shell out lots of money for."

He chuckled.

"Attack his facedown Monster!" he ordered. "Plasma cannon!"

The Machine fired its twin cannons at the facedown Monster…

However, Stone Statue of the Aztecs appeared on the card, and blocked the blow. (2,000 DEF)

"Ah-ha!" laughed Hank. "That's too tough a nut for your Cannon to crack. And due to its effect, the damage you receive is doubled!"

"No big deal," said Owlsley. "I end my turn."

**(H: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,800)**

Hank made a draw.

"I summon Weathering Soldier!" he exclaimed.

He played a card, and a new Rock Monster appeared. This one looked like a headless, humanoid brute, with thick arms. (2,000 ATK)

"So, you do have a few Monsters that can attack," said Owlsley, raising an eyebrow.

"That's right!" said Hank. "Weathering Soldier, blow that Cannon Soldier away! Wind slash attack!"

Weathering Soldier leapt up into the air, and aimed a punch at the large Machine…

"Not so fast!" shouted Owlsley. "I activate Negate Attack!"

Weathering Soldier's fist slammed into an invisible shield. Hank frowned.

"Right then…" he said. "I'll play a facedown…"

A facedown card appeared.

"…and then I end my turn… Which means I have to reduce Weathering Soldier's Attack Score by 600 points."

Weathering Soldier glowed with green energy. (1,400 ATK)

"My move," said Owlsley, drawing a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Stray Lambs," he said, playing a card.

Two little Lamb Tokens appeared on his side of the field. (0 DEF x2)

"You see, like the original Cannon Soldier, the MK-2 version lets me sacrifice Monsters to inflict direct damage. However, with this upgraded version, I can inflict 1,500 points of damage in one blast. The catch is, I have to sacrifice two Monsters at once to do so.

"So, I'll sacrifice my two Lamb Tokens…"

The two Tokens vanished in a wave of energy, as Cannon Soldier MK-2 absorbed them…

"FIRE!" shouted Owlsley.

The Machine blasted its cannons, striking Hank. He groaned, and held his chest.

"Now I can use its regular attack," said Owlsley. "Attack Weathering Soldier!"

The Machine's cannons glowed again.

"I activate… Staunch Defender!" shouted Hank, as his facedown card flipped up. "Now, your MK-2 has no choice but to attack my Stone Statue of the Aztecs again!"

Cannon Soldier MK-2 fired, hitting the Stone Statue again, but it didn't crack.

"Fine…" said Owlsley. "Your Weathering Soldier is hardly a threat to me now. I set one card, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

**(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,600)**

Hank drew a card. Then he quickly played it.

"I play Forbidden Chalice!" he exclaimed. "Now, I chose one Monster on the field, and that Monster gains 400 Attack Points, and loses its Effect until the End Phase.

"I choose my Weathering Soldier."

"Wait…" said Owlsley. "If it loses its effect…"

"That's right," said Hank. "It's Attack Score goes back to its base score. Plus, it gains 400 more."

Weathering Soldier glowed with golden light. (2,400 ATK)

"Now, let's try this again!" shouted Hank.

Weathering Soldier leapt up, and socked Cannon Soldier MK-2. The Machine sparked and exploded.

"And my turn is over," said Hank. "Unfortunately, that means that the effect of Forbidden Chalice wears off, which means that Weathering Soldier loses the 400 Attack Points it gained. Plus, it gains its effect back, so it loses 600 again."

Weathering Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,400 again.

_And that's just what I need to summon something better than that Cannon, _thought Owlsley.

**(H: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,100)**

Owlsley drew one card. Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Labyrinth of Nightmare," he said. "It works as follows. At every turn's End Phase, all Monsters that are in Attack Mode on the turn player's side of the field move to Defense Mode, and vice versa.

"Now, I'll summon Giant Rat."

He played the card, and the huge rodent appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Attack Weathering Soldier!" he shouted.

Hank's eyes opened as Giant Rat charged at the Rock Monster. Both Monsters threw punches at each other, and both of them were blown to pieces.

"It was a draw," said Hank.

"But I'm sure you know about Giant Rat's effect," replied Owlsley. "I get to Special Summon an Earth Monster with a low Attack Score.

"And the one I want to summon couldn't be lower. I summon Castle Gate!"

With a rumble, a titanic form rose behind Owlsley, standing over twenty feet high. As its name suggested, it looked like a large castle gate, with a huge door on its front, a head that was shaped like a tower, and two huge arms shaped like parapets. (0 ATK)

"Quite impressive…" muttered Hank.

"It may have zero Attack Points," said Owlsley, "but on the plus side, it can't be destroyed via battle. "I end my turn, which means Labyrinth of Nightmare's effect kicks in."

Castle Gate shielded itself with its arms. (2,400 DEF)

"My move…" said Hank, as he drew a card and looked up at the huge Monster.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"I set one Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and then move my other two Monsters to Attack Mode."

Giant Soldier of Stone stood up in Attack Mode (1,300 ATK) and Stone Statue of the Aztecs did the same. (300 ATK)

"Then I end my turn."

Labyrinth of Nightmare glowed, and both Stone Statue of the Aztecs and Giant Soldier of Stone moved back to Defense Mode. (2,000 DEF x2)

"Well, I see you're very smart," said Owlsley with a chuckle. "We'll see if it's enough…"

He made a draw.

"I summon Dark Elf," he said.

He played a card, and a tall, beautiful female elf in a black robe with dark hair, wearing a tiara appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"You sure you want to use her?" asked Hank. "You do know that attacking with her costs 1,000 Life Points, right?"

"I'm not going to attack with her," replied Owlsley. "I'm going to use her to use Castle Gate's effect, once I switch it to Attack Mode."

Castle Gate unshielded itself. (0 ATK)

"You see, so long as Castle Gate is in Attack Mode, I can sacrifice a Monster once per turn, to deal damage equal to half the Monster's original Attack Score."

Dark Elf vanished, and Castle Gate pointed its arms.

"Go! Castle cannons!"

Castle Gate fired a mighty blast, knocking Hank over.

"Ergh…" muttered Hank. "I'm starting to see the picture, Owlsley… Half the Monsters in your deck are meant to be used as ammunition for the other half!"

"I do what I have to," said Owlsley. "I set one card facedown, and end my turn, which means my Trap Card activates again."

A facedown card appeared, and Castle Gate reverted to Defense Mode once more. (2,400 DEF)

**(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,100)**

Hank grunted as he drew a card.

"First I move Stone Statue of the Aztecs into Attack Mode again," he said.

The Stone Statue stood up. (300 ATK)

"Then I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode as well… Reveal… Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo!"

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a fossilized dinosaur skeleton with a large, thick cranium, standing upright. (1,200 ATK)

"By Flip-Summoning this guy, all Monsters on the field that were Special Summoned are destroyed."

"Eh?" said Owlsley.

The Fossil glowed, and then both Giant Soldier of Stone and Castle Gate shattered into shards of rock.

"Blast…" muttered Owlsley.

"That's not all," continued Hank. "So long as it's on the field, neither of us are allowed to Special Summon.

"And now it attacks you directly!"

Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo made a dash at Owlsley, head first…

"I was hoping to save this for a stronger Monster," said Owlsley, as his facedown card flipped up, "but no matter… Go, Draining Shield!"

A barrier of force surrounded Owlsley, and the fossilized dinosaur rammed into it.

Hank frowned and pointed. Stone Statue of the Aztecs lumbered up and butted its head into Owlsley.

"That's all for me," said Hank. "So your Trap Card activates again."

Stone Statue Shielded itself again. (2,000 DEF) Pachycephalo knelt and crossed its arms. (1,300 DEF)

**(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)**

"My move," said Owlsley, drawing a card.

He looked at the card he drew, which was Mass Driver. Then he looked at the other three cards in his hand.

"I play Magic Planter," he said, as a new Spell Card appeared. "Now, I just have to sacrifice a Continuous Trap Card, and then I get to draw two cards. So, I'll sacrifice Labyrinth of Nightmare."

The Labyrinth card disintegrated, and he made two draws. He looked at them.

"Next, I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf."

He played the card, and the four-armed, tattooed lycanthrope appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"Another Monster that you use for cannon fodder?" asked Hank.

"Sometimes," said Owlsley. "But he's also a pretty good fighter on his own.

"Attack Fossil Dyna Pachycephalo!"

The Warwolf growled, and lunged at the Rock, making a swipe with all four claws, blasting it to rubble.

"I'll set two more cards facedown," said Owlsley, as a facedown card appeared, "and then I'll call it a turn."

Hank quickly made a draw.

_How many Trap Cards does this guy have?_ he thought. _Well, this will teach him…_

He took a card from his hand.

"I play Distrain Card!" he shouted.

Then, a sharp, purple, shard of a gemstone fell from the sky, and impaled one of Owlsley's two facedown cards.

"Eh?" said Owlsley.

"Now, you can't use that one this turn," said Hank, with a grin. "And if you try to use the other one this turn, it will cost you 800 Life Points!"

"Ergh…" muttered Owlsley.

"Now, I play Card Destruction," he said, playing another Spell Card. "Now, we have to ditch the cards in our hands and draw new ones."

Both of them discarded the cards they had, Hank discarding three, and Owlsley two, making new draws. Owlsley looked at them, keeping a poker face.

"Tell me something, Owlsley…" said Hank. "You've been in this world a long time… You ever hear of a theory called the Gaia Principle?"

"Rings a bell somewhere," said Owlsley, with a frown.

"Well, Owlsley," explained Hank. "Some philosophers think that the Earth, as in the planet, is a living thing. That it is as much a living creature as the two of us are. The planet is, in effect, a living body. That is the Gaia Principle, which they named after the mythical goddess of the Earth.

"Every part of the Earth functions in a way that a part of any living organism functions. So, if we are to believe this, we could say that mountain ranges are its skeleton… And that oceans and rivers are its circulatory system…"

"Quite interesting…" said Owlsley, raising an eyebrow. "And just where do humans and Shadowkind fit in this giant living organism?"

"Well, that depends on what your point of view is," replied Hank. "An optimist would say that we are like the benign bacteria that helps the body digest food.

"But pessimists think differently. They might say that we are actually viruses who threaten to destroy the body. They might even say that our cities are tumors that give the Earth pain."

"And is this theory of yours leading somewhere?" asked Owlsley.

Hank grinned.

"I'm going to provide proof!" he shouted, playing a card. "First, Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared. Giant Soldier of Stone materialized. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Giant Soldier of Stone and Stone Statue of the Aztecs vanished, and a great rumbling shook the whole patio…

"…to summon the very avatar of the living Earth… I summon _Earth Giant Gaia Plate_!"

With a mighty roar, a true titan rose behind Hank, a giant made entirely out of stone. It was twenty feet tall, faceless, and had thick limbs, and huge fists. It raised its arms to the heavens and let out a bellow that sounded like an earthquake. (2,800 ATK)

"My word…" said Owlsley.

Gene-Warped Warwolf whimpered in fear…

"I'm not done," continued Hank. "Do you remember the first Monster you destroyed in this duel?"

"Uhm, yeah…" muttered Owlsley. "It was a… a…"

"It was called a Carboneddon," replied Hank. "A Monster made entirely of raw carbon. It's now lying at the very bottom of my Graveyard, with twelve cards on top of it…

"And do you know what happens when carbon is exposed to incredible pressure?"

"It turns into diamonds?" asked Owlsley.

"That's right," said Hank, "enabling it to transform into a Monster of pure diamond…

"I Special Summon Hyozanryu!"

In a great blast of energy, another large Monster appeared. It was clearly a Dragon, and like Hank had said, it was made entirely out of diamond crystal, its scales glimmering in the morning light. It had a long horn on its nose, and two on the back of its head. (2,100 ATK)

"Time to take you out!" shouted Hank. "My Earth Giant attacks Gene-Warped Warwolf… And due to its effect, any Monster that battles it has its Attack Score cut in half!

"Attack! Earth-shattering fist!"

Gaia threw its mighty fist forward, and the Warwolf's Attack Score fell to 1,000. Owlsley braced himself as the Beast-Warrior was smashed flat.

"And I'm not done!" continued Hank. "Hyozanryu, attack directly! Diamond devastation!"

The Diamond Dragon breathed a cone of sharp diamond crystals at the mercane. He grunted, and then fell on his seat.

**(H: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,100)**

Owlsley chuckled for a few seconds before he got up.

"I see you are truly a force to be reckoned with, Mr. Richards…" he said.

He drew a card.

"And you clearly want that Silver Hemisphere quite badly… I know now that it's worth a fortune… I can't let you win this duel now…

"Your turn is over, so the effects of your Distrain Card wear off…"

The gem shard impaling the card vanished. Then the facedown card flipped up.

"I activate my own Earth-shattering card… It's called Earthshaker.

"I'll explain. I name two Attributes. Then you choose one. All Monsters on the field that are the Attribute you choose are then wiped out.

"I name Earth and Light."

"Which one do you think?" asked Hank. "I choose Light."

Hyozanryu roared, and then shattered into pixels.

"I was hoping you'd choose that one," replied Owlsley, as his other facedown card lifted up. "Next, I chain-activate Emergency Provisions."

The Earthshaker card faded away, and he glowed with energy.

Owlsley took the last two cards in his hand.

"Next, I summon a second Dark Elf…"

Another Dark Elf appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"Then, I play the Spell Card, Creature Swap!"

_Why, you dirty…_ thought Hank.

The Spell Card appeared, and both Monsters switched places on the field.

"Always find ways to turn a negative into a positive," said Owlsley. "That's one motto we mercane always live by.

"Attack!"

Earth Giant Gaia Plate loomed over the field, and Dark Elf fell to an Attack Score of 1,000. It threw its mighty fist forward, squashing her flat. Hank was knocked over by the impact.

"Now that that's done," said Owlsley, playing his last card, "I'll set this, and then you go…"

A reversed card appeared.

**(H: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,100)**

Hank made a draw.

He quickly set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's it," he said.

Owlsley made a draw.

"I should mention," said Hank, "Gaia has a little condition you should know about. If you want to keep it, you have to remove from play a Rock Monster in your Graveyard every one of your Standby Phases."

"I see…" said Owlsley. "Well then, it's a good thing I have one…"

Castle Gate fell out of his discard slot.

"Attack his Monster!" he commanded.

Gaia's hand fell towards the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was crushed into dust.

They both quickly discarded the last card they each had, and made five draws apiece.

Then Owlsley's poker face quickly vanished. He had clearly made a good draw, and wasn't afraid to show it.

_I don't like this,_ thought Hank.

Owlsley quickly played a Spell Card.

"This is one my most powerful cards," he said. "But see for yourself… I play Linear Accelerator Cannon!"

A _huge_ weapon appeared behind Owlsley. It was a space-age cannon, the size of a large bus.

Earth Giant Gaia Plate dissolved into pure energy, and the Cannon started to glow…

"What's happening?" asked Hank.

"This Spell Card lets me sacrifice a Monster," replied Owlsley, "and inflict damage equal to the base Attack Score of that Monster."

Hank mouthed a brief cuss word as the cannon glowed more intensely…

Then it fired, letting loose a blast of super-intense plasma, engulfing Hank and throwing him back ten feet.

**(H: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 5,100)**

Hank slowly sat up. Smoke poured from his clothes and hair. His hat had been knocked off; he slowly reached for it.

"Unfortunately," said Owlsley, "since I used that card, I can't play any other Spell Cards this turn. So I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."

Hank barely heard him – his ears were ringing. He slowly got up as a reversed Monster appeared in front of Owlsley.

He slowly made a draw, and looked at the six cards he had, courtesy of the Morphing Jar.

_I've almost got all I ne__ed to summon something good,_ he thought. _I just need a little unintended cooperation from Owlsley…_

"I play a facedown," he said, "and then summon a second Weathering Soldier."

A reversed card appeared, and then another Weathering Soldier materialized. (2,000 ATK)

"Get his Monster!"

Weathering Soldier leapt at the facedown Monster. A second Cannon Soldier appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"It's your move…"

Weathering Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,400.

Owlsley quickly drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said.

He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared. Cannon Soldier appeared again.

Then his facedown card flipped up.

"Next, I activate Inferno Reckless Summon. I'll summon my other two Cannon Soldiers."

Two more Cannon Soldiers appeared. (1,400 ATX x3)

Hank's first Weathering Soldier appeared next to the other one. (2,000 ATK)

"You asked me if I was a gambling man, Mr. Richards…" said Owlsley. "Well, I am one enough to know that three of a kind beats a pair. And now it's time to say all in…"

"But I have a wild card," replied Hank.

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate Hallowed Life Barrier!" he shouted. "Now, I just have to toss one card…"

He discarded a card.

"…and my Life Points can't be touched this round. So I'm safe from your Cannon Soldiers."

"This is annoying…" muttered Owlsley, playing a Spell Card. "Still my turn… I play Enemy Controller."

The large video game control pad appeared over the field, and the Weathering Soldier with 1,400 Attack Points knelt and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

Owlsley pointed, and one of the three Cannon Soldiers fired. The Weathering Soldier that had changed positions was blown to shards.

"Next," said Owlsley, playing a new Spell Card, "I play Shrink."

The other Weathering Soldier shrank to half its size. (1,000 ATK)

Owlsley pointed again, and a second Soldier fired, blowing the second Weathering Soldier away.

"And with that, I end my turn," said Owlsley. "So, what are you going to pull out of that deck next?"

Hank drew a card.

"I'll show you…" he said with a grin.

He played a Spell Card, and it glowed with eldritch energy.

"I play Fossil Fusion!"

"Huh?" said Owlsley.

Then Weathering Soldier appeared on Hank's side of the field, and Cannon Soldier MK-2 appeared on Owlsley's.

"This Spell Card let's me fuse together one Monster in my Graveyard with one in yours," explained Hank, "forming a truly colossal fossil!"

The two Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"I summon Fossil Machine Skullwagon!"

An odd Monster materialized. It looked like a small semi-truck, made out of stone with a skeletal framework, with glaring headlights that looked like eyes. (1,700 ATK)

"That doesn't seem too impressive…" muttered Owlsley.

"Just wait…" replied Hank, playing another Spell Card. "I play… Time Stream!"

Then all of reality seemed to come apart. The courtyard was transformed into a chaotic void. Clocks, hourglasses, and other timepieces spun in a maelstrom of energy that seemed to be formed around the Monster that Hank had just summoned.

"What's going on?" shouted Owlsley.

"Time Stream costs me half my Life Points," replied Hank, "but it's worth it, because it tears a hole in the very fabric of time, opening a portal from the Mesozoic Era to the Paleozoic, allowing me to devolve my Monster."

"_Devolve_ it?" said Owlsley. "Into what?"

"Into something stronger," replied Hank, as the storm started to subside. "Meet the true king of the road… Fossil Machine Skullconvoy!"

Now in place of Skullwagon was another truck made of stone and fossilized bone, but one twice the size. It was vaguely shaped like an armored, herbivorous dinosaur on wheels, the size of a big rig. (2,100 ATK)

"And this means trouble for your Monsters," said Hank, "because Skullconvoy can attack all three of them in one turn."

"It can?" shouted Owlsley.

"Skullconvoy…" ordered Hank, "mow those Cannon Soldiers down!"

Skullconvoy's engines roared, and it sped forward, smashing into the first Cannon Soldier, and blowing it to scrap. But it didn't stop there, running down the second and then the third, blasting them into rubble. Owlsley cringed.

**(H: 45****0) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,000)**

"Ergh…" muttered Owlsley. "This isn't over, Mr. Richards… I still have 3,000 Life Points…"

"Afraid it is, and you don't," replied Hank. "Skullconvoy has another effect. You lose 1,000 points of damage for each Monster it smashes."

Then Owlsley froze as a shadow fell over him. He looked up…

Then he screamed as broken parts of Cannon Soldiers rained down on him, and he fell over.

**(H: 45****0) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)**

Hank deactivated his Duel Disk, and Fossil Machine Skullconvoy disappeared. Owlsley sighed, and got up. He took out a pocket handkerchief and mopped his brow.

"I'll call someone and have him bring the Silver Hemisphere," he said, coldly.

Hank nodded. He watched Owlsley walk into the house. He knew he likely would only see servants until he got the Silver Hemisphere. But he knew he'd get it.

He knew that losing had been a serious blow to Owlsley's pride. But he also knew that mercane always kept their word. They may have been mercenaries to the core, but if they ever became known for breaking it… Well, that would be bad for business.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, in the townhouse in Neo Domino…

Gears came upstairs from the basement.

"Well, people, the Sword of Midnight is in the back of the vault," he said. "DaPen will have to get past us now if he wants it."

"Good to hear," said Shichiro.

Then his cell phone rang. He quickly answered it.

"Yeah?" he said "Hank?"

He listened.

"Okay, great Hank…" he said. "Listen… It's too risky to rely on any regular mail service… Do you think you can send it using Stamps of Delivery?

"Yeah, I know, but I'm sure Jalal will foot the bill.

"Okay, bye…"

"Stamps of Delivery?" asked Ember, who had been listening.

"Magical stamps that provide the best in mail delivery," said Shichiro. "You address a package, put the right amount of these stamps on it, and the package is teleported to the mailbox of the address, instantly."

"Unfortunately," said Jinx, "they're incredibly expensive, and they're postmarked after use, so they can only be used once. Human wizards don't make them… Some people think that they're made by some extra-planar delivery service, who just distributes them to mortals."

"Where can you get them?" asked Ember, raising an eyebrow.

"Pretty much any post office where at least one employee is a Shadowkind," replied Gears. "And there are more than you think."

As Ember was thinking of a possible safe and fast way to send a birthday present to her grandmother next month, who lived in the States, there was a frantic knock on the door.

Shichiro went up and looked through the window.

"Ah, it's only Ooka," he said opening it.

As he did so, a very frightened kobold rushed in, gasping for breath. He was holding a Duel Disk, and looked like he had run a long distance.

"Ooka!" exclaimed Shichiro. "Are you alright?"

"I think so…" gasped the kobold. "I don't think he followed me…"

"Don't think who followed you?" asked Gears.

"Mukuro Enjo!" shouted the kobold. "He showed up at Kaibaland… Started challenging every Shadowkind there with a Duel Disk, didn't give us much choice in the matter, and beat the crud out of anyone who accepted. He's gone loony!"

"Mukuro?" asked Jinx. "He never really struck me as the most stable person to begin with… But he isn't Aware…"

"Maybe he just became Aware," said Gears. "And maybe he's become afflicted with Awareness Madness."

"Huh?" said Ember.

"It happens sometimes," said Gears. "Sometimes a Mundane becomes Aware, his eyes open to the truth, and his mind can't handle the new things he sees. He snaps, and becomes dangerous."

"You did the right thing telling us," said Shichiro to Ooka. "I'll go check him out…"

"Uh, actually, Shichiro," said Jinx, "I think I can handle this…

"Ember… You come with me…"

"You two sure?" asked Shichiro.

"Positive," said Jinx, reaching for her helmet.

_**I didn't realize it at this point, but in less than an hour, a test would start that would test me more than I had been tested to date. Up until now, I had used my inspiration and knowledge to pass the trials that had been set before me. Now, I would have to use my wits, and my faith in what I already had. My next opponent would not be a pushover… And as much as I didn't like it, I knew that it would only get harder from this point on.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARBONEDDON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 900  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** If this card is in your Graveyard, with at least 10 cards on top of it, you may remove it from play to Special Summon 1 "Hyozanryu" from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Carboneddon" was first used by Misawa in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel-Off". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WEATHERING SOLDIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** During each of your End Phases, decrease the ATK of this card by 600.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FOSSIL MACHINE SKULLWAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** _1 Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard + 1 Machine-Type Monster in your opponent's Graveyard that is Level 5 or 6_

This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FOSSIL MACHINE SKULLCONVOY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Fusion/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** _1 Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard + 1 Machine-Type Monster in your opponent's Graveyard that is Level 7 or higher._

This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Fossil Fusion". This card can attack up to 3 Monsters in 1 Battle Phase. This card cannot attack directly after attacking any Monsters. If this card destroys a Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MIRACLE RUPTURE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Giant Soldier of Stone behind a shining light.

**Card Description:** Select 1 Rock Monster in your deck and send it to the Graveyard. Then, shuffle your deck, and draw 1 card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FOSSIL FUSION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Similar to "Polymerization", with dinosaur skeletons replacing the two dragons.

**Card Description:** Select 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck that includes the word "Fossil" in its name. Remove from play from your Graveyard and your opponent's Graveyard the Fusion Material Monsters listed on that Fusion Monster to summon the Fusion Monster. (This is considered a Fusion Summon.)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TIME STREAM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A roaring dinosaur in front of a city awash with eerie energy.

**Card Description:** Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. Return a Fusion Monster you control with the word "Fossil" in its name that is Level 4 or 6 to your Extra Deck, and Special Summon from your Extra Deck a Fusion Monster with the word "Fossil" in its name that requires the same Type(s) of Monsters as Fusion Material Monsters. The Special Summoned Monster must be 2 Levels higher than the one returned to your Extra Deck.

_Note: The proceeding six cards were all used by Jim at various times in the third season of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to __the writers of each episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DISTRAIN CARD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Three reversed Trap Cards, the center one impaled by a shard of purple crystal.

**Card Description: **You may activate this card when your opponent has two or more facedown Spell and/or Trap Cards. Select one facedown Spell or Trap Card controlled by your opponent. Your opponent cannot activate that Spell or Trap Card in response to this card's activation, and cannot activate it this round. If your opponent activates another set Spell or Trap card this round, he takes 800 points of damage.

_Note: "Distrain Card" was first used by Jeager in a second season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to __the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EARTH GIANT GAIA PLATE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Rock/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card may be Special Summoned by removing two Rock-Type Monsters in your Graveyard from play. The ATK and DEF of a Monster that battles this card are halved. During your Standby Phase, remove from play one Rock-Type Monster in your Graveyard. If you do not, this card is destroyed.

_Note: "Earth Giant Gaia Plate" is a Japanese card that has not been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_The two races mentioned in this chapter, githyanki and githzerai, are both registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast Inc, and are not included under its Open Gaming License. Both first appeared in the first edition of _Fiend Folio_, published in 1981._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Jinx believes that Mukuro's rampage is a sign that Ember's opponent for the Rivalry of Warlords test has been chosen, and directs her towards the former champion. Does Ember possibly stand a chance against someone who has gone toe-to-toe with no less than two of the Signers?? Ember's true test of faith begins, as a duel of Fire against Fire starts. "Flame Champion" is coming soon._


	30. Flame Champion

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Flame Champion**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_Author's note: __The events of this chapter begin halfway through Episode 35. At this point in the story, Yusei has had his first duel with Kyosuke Kiryu, cumulating in the summoning of Ccapac Apu and Yusei's defeat. As a result of this, the supernatural activity in Neo Domino is leaning in favor of Evil, and benign Shadowkind are growing worried._

_**Theme parks are fickle things. Walt Disney pretty much invented the concept when he proposed the idea of Disney World, and then built it, and it became a success. Other theme parks have emerged over the years – like Six Flags and Bush Gardens in the States, along with many small ones that didn't last long, but few have reached Disney's grandeur. **_

_**Seto Kaiba made a modest attempt, and achieved a modicum of success. Kaibaland was a dream that was in his head even before he controlled KaibaCorp. At first, after Duel Monsters was a well-established pastime, it was little more than a large one-building complex full of dueling arenas and arcades. But going there was difficult – often, the arenas had to be booked months in advance to get a spot. Kaiba wanted something that was more available to everyone.**_

_**He started serious work on the project after Battle City, and held its grand opening by holding the KC Grand Prix, an invitational dueling tournament to gain publicity. There was a small snafu during the tournament, but it was a success, and work began on more Kaibaland locations.**_

_**It was here that someone could go to have fun, as you could at any theme park, and in this one, you were encouraged to bring your Duel Disk. In addition to roller coasters and food courts, this was a place where a duel could happen at any time. Although, at the moment, the dark clouds overhead didn't make Kaibaland seem all that inviting. I sensed that there was trouble in the air, and some of that trouble had come to this place…**_

Jinx drove into Kaibaland's main promenade, with Ember holding on behind on her D-Wheel.

"So…" said Ember, as they stopped. "Are you gonna duel Mukuro?"

"Nope," replied Jinx. "YOU are."

"HUH?" gasped Ember.

"Listen up, kid," said Jinx. "This wasn't an accident. Fate moves in mysterious ways.

"You have to do the Rivalry of Warlords test… You play a Fire Deck, Mukuro uses Fire… Everything has fallen into place. This is your job to handle."

"Jinx…" muttered Ember. "I don't know if I can take a tough guy like Mukuro Enjo. I mean… This guy used to be the riding duels champion!"

Jinx got off her bike.

"Ah, big deal," she said. "Let me tell you a little secret… Professional duelists are a lot like professional wrestlers. A lot of their moves are more to please the crowd than anything else.

"Remember, to pass this test, you have to use your ace Monster to beat his. Now… I believe his ace Monster is his Skull Flames… Keep an eye out for it…

"And here… Take this for luck…"

She handed her a card.

"What's this?" asked Ember.

"A Trap I used to use," replied Jinx. "Don't have much use for it any more. Only so much you can fit in a deck, after all."

Ember read the description, and then slowly shuffled it into her deck.

"Now…" said Jinx, looking at the large public dueling arena. "Let's go get him…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

A young elf holding a Duel Disk let out a scream as a huge wave of fire slammed into him, knocking him over.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Mukuro. "Legolas you ain't. Maybe you should stick to bows and arrows. Now who's next?"

"Hey, buddy!" shouted Ember's voice.

"Eh?" said Mukuro, turning around.

"Care to try that on someone who can fight back?" asked Ember.

Mukuro looked at her, glancing over his sunglasses. Ember nervously looked back.

"Or are you too macho to fight girls?" asked Ember.

"Not like I've never dueled one before," replied Mukuro. "Heh, I remember Maizuru Kujyaku fondly… Yeah, she was a sport…

"Course, she was a lot tougher…"

Ember gulped, and walked up to the middle of the floor.

"Gotta say, I'm kinda curious," said Mukuro, as one of the elf's friends helped him up. "What's your deal? You don't seem like some amateur like these others… Any particular reason why you want to duel?"

"Well…" said Ember. "It's hard to explain… Why do _you_ want to duel?"

Mukuro snickered.

"I asked you first, y'know," he said. "But… You asked me second… I'm guessing you mean why I'm dueling at all, as opposed to why I'm dueling now.

"Why do I want to duel? Ever want to simply be the best there ever was?"

"Maybe," said Ember.

"My dad runs a mechanic shop…" started Mukuro. "I used to help him when I was a teenager. We fixed cars, and motorcycles… The occasional outboard motor… Anything with an engine. It paid the bills.

"Around when I turned twenty, Turbo Duels started to become popular, and some of our customers brought in D-Wheels. I saw this, and I realized this was what I wanted. I wanted to be the greatest riding duelist there ever was.

"But my dad was against it. He wanted me to have more reliable work. He didn't think that competing for a living was reliable.

"So, I made a deal with my dad. I asked him for one year. Just one year to try to become a success as a professional duelist. If I didn't, I'd give it up, come back, and I'd try to become the best mechanic there ever was instead."

"So what happened?" asked Ember.

Mukuro shrugged.

"That was about two years ago, and I'm still a duelist, aren't I?" he replied. "So… Why are you dueling?"

"Well…" muttered Ember. "It… kind of happened by accident…"

"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Mukuro. "Babe, do you know how many times I've heard someone say _that_? You got a name?"

"Ember…" said Ember, softly.

"Well then, Ember…" said Mukuro, as his Disk activated. "Let's throw down!"

Ember activated her own Disk. She was more nervous than she had been in a long time.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Mukuro: 8,000)**

"Ladies first," said Mukuro, with a grin.

"Thank you," said Ember, making a draw.

She looked over her hand, and took two cards. She placed them in her Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

_Okay, I've got a plan, _she thought. _When he attacks, my Negate Attack will stop him… Then on my turn, I'll flip Hiita to take his Monster…_

_Then I'll sacrifice both of them for Familiar-Possessed Hiita, and then make a direct attack._

"Your move…"

Mukuro drew a card.

"I summon Emissary of the Afterlife," he said.

He played the card, and with a ghostly moan, a spooky grim reaper holding a scythe appeared. (1,600 ATK)

_That's not a Fire Monster! _thought Ember.

Jinx was watching, and she was more than a little worried.

_I should have warned Ember,_ she thought. _His deck isn't as pure as hers is… He also uses a few non-Fire Zombies and Fiends…_

"Attack her Monster!" shouted Mukuro. "Sickle slasher!"

Emissary of the Afterlife made another moan, and flew towards the hidden Monster.

"Go, Negate Attack!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card flew up.

The Fiend crashed into an invisible shield.

"Seems this isn't gonna be easy," chuckled Mukuro. "I end my turn…"

Ember slowly drew a card.

"I flip Hiita the Fire Charmer into Attack Mode," she said.

The card flipped up, and Hiita appeared in a burst of flame. (500 ATK)

"Then, I summon Little Chimera."

She played another card, and the small, winged cat appeared. (600 ATK)

"Then I sacrifice both of them…"

Both Monsters vanished in bursts of fire…

"…for Familiar-Possessed Hiita!"

In a larger burst of magical flame, the older, more mature version of Hiita appeared, with her savage fox by her side. (1,850 ATK)

"Destroy his Fiend!" shouted Ember. "Fire magic!"

Hiita fired a blast of flames from her staff, and Emissary of the Afterlife groaned before going up in smoke.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Mukuro, taking his deck. "When Emissary of the Afterlife is trashed, both players get to take a Monster from their decks, so long as it's Level 3 or less, and has no effect.

"I'm gonna go with my Charcoal Inpachi."

"Really?" said Ember, looking through her deck.

"Guess I'll go with Guard of Flamvell."

Ember replaced her deck, and looked at the rest of the cards she had.

"I can't do anything else," she said. "It's your move…"

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,850)**

Mukuro made a draw.

"Think I'll set this guy, and end my turn," he said, as a concealed Monster appeared.

Ember looked at the hidden Monster.

_It's clearly his Charcoal Inpachi,_ thought Ember, as she made a draw. _That has 2,100 Defense Points._

_And I've got nothing that can beat it._

She looked at the card she had drawn.

"I summon Flame Ruler," she said.

In another blast of fire, Flame Ruler appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"I end my turn."

Enjo chuckled as he made a draw.

"First, I flip Charcoal Inpachi into Attack Mode," he said.

The facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a burned out, charcoal statue, big, thick, and blocky. (100 ATK)

"Huh?" said Ember. "Why…"

"Then, I summon Gaia Soul, the Combustible Collective!" he continued.

He played a card, and a very frightening-looking Monster appeared. It was a large, red, lumpy, bloated sphere, emitting burning gasses, with one beady eye in its center. It looked like it was about ready to burst at any second. (2,000 ATK)

"Now, by sacrificing a Pyro Monster, it gains 1,000 more Attack Points."

Charcoal Inpachi vanished, and Gaia Soul swelled up, becoming even more bloated. (3,000 ATK)

"You made a big mistake!" laughed Ember. "It may be able to beat either of my Monsters, but when you end your turn, it will destroy itself, and you'll be defenseless!"

"Will I, now?" asked Mukuro. "We'll see about that. But first…

"Attack her Flame Ruler!"

Gaia Soul shot a thin blast of glowing, violet flames at Flame Ruler. Ember cringed in pain as he exploded.

"Up next," said Mukuro, as a Spell Card appeared. "I play my Creature Swap."

"HUH?" gasped Ember.

"Now we both gotta trade Monsters," he continued.

Ember frowned as Gaia Soul and Hiita changed places, each one appearing on opposite sides of the field.

"Ho-kay," he said. "Think I'll end my turn… And like you said, that means Gaia Soul goes boom."

Ember shielded herself as the Combustible Collective exploded into particles.

_Man, that WAS a clever strategy, _thought Ember. _A lot like professional wrestling? This clearly is not choreographed…_

**(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,850)**

She made a draw.

She chose a card, and set it on her Disk.

"I think I'll set a Monster of my own," she said, "and I'll end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared on her side of the field in a flash of light.

"Can it be?" chuckled Mukuro. "My move?"

He made a draw.

"Hiita sure is a beauty," he said. "I've always wanted to give her a spin…"

Hiita seemed a little annoyed by this comment, and Mukuro clearly noticed it.

"Eh…" he said. "Boy, that was kinda surreal… Uhm… Guess I'll summon Molten Zombie…"

In another blast of fire, the hunched over, undead Pyro appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" he ordered.

Molten Zombie breathed a cloud of flame at the reversed Monster. However, Guard of Flamvell appeared on the card, shielding itself, and the Zombie was knocked over by the backlash. (2,000 DEF)

"Aw, crud," muttered Mukuro. "That's all for me…"

**(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,450)**

Ember made a draw. It was a Pyro called Flamvell Baby.

_This will be good later,_ she thought.

She quickly played another card, and another set Monster appeared next to Guard of Flamvell.

"Your move," she said.

Mukuro made a draw.

"This time I'm gonna attack with Hiita," he said. "Attack the facedown Monster!"

Hiita aimed her staff at the facedown Monster. However, another Guard of Flamvell appeared on the card. (2,000 DEF)

"TWO of them?" shouted Mukuro.

Hiita fired her blast, and this time she fell over from the backlash.

"That's right," said Ember.

"Okay, you're starting to try my patience," grumbled Mukuro. "I end my turn."

**(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,300)**

Ember made a draw, and looked at the card.

_That's it…_ she said.

"I sacrifice one Guard of Flamvell…" she said.

One of the two Dragons vanished into particles of light.

"…to summon Flamvell Devil!"

A burst of flames appeared on her side of the field, ones that were so hot, they burned blue. A Fiend stepped out of the bonfire, a muscular demon surrounded by an aura of blue fire. His arms and the crown of his head were covered with bony ridges that resembled flames, he wore an amulet over his shirtless torso with a setting shaped like a skull, and a pair of black trousers with a belt that had a buckle shaped like a skull. (2,100 ATK)

Jinx's eyes opened wide. She never expected Ember to summon something like _this._

"Whoa…" said Mukuro, with a grin. "That's my kinda guy."

Flamvell Devil growled a little, clearly not liking the compliment.

"Hiita," said Ember. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

Hiita simply bowed her head.

Flamvell Devil hurled a ball of white-hot fire, and Hiita was reduced to ashes.

"There's more," said Ember. "Whenever he inflicts battle damage, you lose 200 extra Life Points for each Pyro I have in my Graveyard. I have one in there right now, Flame Ruler."

Mukuro winced a little, as a fiery aura surrounded him.

"And that's all for my turn…"

**(E: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,850)**

Mukuro grumbled as he made a draw. This duel was quickly becoming less and less fun for him.

"All right…" he muttered. "First I move Molten Zombie to Defense Mode…"

Molten Zombie slumped down, and crossed its arms. (400 DEF)

"Then I'm removing one Fire Monster from play to Special Summon Inferno."

Gaia Soul slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed the card. Then the large bonfire with two glaring eyes appeared on his side of the field. (1,900 ATK)

"I'll end my turn there."

Ember quickly made a draw.

"Come on out, Blue Flame Swordsman!" she shouted.

In a flourish, the blue-armored twin of the famous Fusion Monster appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Take out his Zombie!" she shouted. "Flaming sword of battle!"

"_T__ō__ki Enzan Ken!"_ screamed the Warrior, as he brought his sword down on the Pyro, slicing it in half.

_Whoa… _thought Ember. _They're really getting into this…_

Flamvell Devil hurled its fireball, and Inferno exploded into a cloud of ash.

_Ember don't be too careless!_ thought Jinx. _You have to keep this duel going until he manages to summon his best!_

Ember grinned, and put her hands on her hips. She was getting more confident by the minute.

"It's your move," she said.

"It's your move," repeated Mukuro, in a mocking tone of voice. He quickly made a draw, and looked at the card.

"First, I'll throw these down," he said, as two reversed cards flashed into existence.

"Then, I'll play my Foolish Burial Spell Card."

The Spell Card appeared.

"Now, I get to send any Monster I want from my deck to the Graveyard."

He took a card from his deck, and quickly discarded it.

"Next, I'll summon Blazing Inpachi!"

In another burst of flames, a new Pyro appeared. It looked somewhat like Charcoal Inpachi, but this one's fire had not come close to going out yet. It was burning like it had been doused in gasoline and then had a torch put to it. (1,850 ATK)

"Attack Blue Flame Swordsman!" he shouted. "Burning fist!"

Blazing Inpachi lunged forward and socked the Warrior with its fist, blowing him to shards.

"I activate his effect!" exclaimed Ember. "When he's destroyed, the real Flame Swordsman comes out."

In another flourish, the real Flame Swordsman stepped onto the field. (1,800 ATK)

"So I see…" muttered Mukuro. "My turn is over…"

**(E: 6,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 6,850)**

Ember looked over the field, and made a draw.

"I think I'll summon MY Blazing Inpachi!" she said.

She played the card, and a twin of Mukuro's Monster appeared on her side of the field. (1,850 ATK)

Then Mukuro smiled again.

"Y'know…" he said, "maybe this isn't so bad after all. You've got taste… You doing anything on Friday night?"

"You aren't my type," said Ember, with a frown. "Flamvell Devil, attack his Blazing Inpachi!"

Flamvell Devil prepared to hurl his ball of flame…

"I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Mukuro.

He waved his hand, and one of his two facedown cards shot up. A shimmering shield formed around the Inpachi, and Flamvell Devil was blown to pieces.

"Fine…" said Ember. "Blazing Inpachi, attack his Inpachi!"

The two blazing wood spirits glared at each other…

Then they charged at each other, and each threw a punch at the same time. Both of them burst into showers of flaming wood embers.

"You're out of Monsters!" shouted Ember. "Flame Swordsman, attack him directly!"

Flame Swordsman hollered a war cry and charged at Mukuro, slashing at him with his blazing sword. The biker punk fell over onto his seat.

"Ergh…" he said, holding his head.

**(E: 6,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,050)**

"Heh, heh, heh…" he chuckled.

He got up.

"Not bad… But everything's in place now for my favorite part of the duel…

"My draw…"

He drew a card.

Then his other facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse. Now, I can summon a Monster from my Graveyard that has 1,000 or fewer Attack Points.

"And I choose to summon Ruklamba the Spirit King."

In a flash of light, the Fiend that Maccal had used appeared; the humanoid crocodile with long, wet hair and watery eyes. (1,000 ATK)

"Next, I use its effect. I can sacrifice it…"

Ruklamba vanished.

"…and in return, I can Special Summon as many Monsters as I want, so long as their Attack Scores total up to 2,000.

"So… I'll summon Burning Skull Head, and Skull Vase."

Two odd Monsters appeared. One of them was a bare skull that was surrounded by an aura of fire, floating in mid-air. (1,000 ATK) The other was much weirder. It looked like an antique, porcelain vase filled with water, with a skeleton inside it. (800 ATK)

Then Burning Skull Head burned fiercely, and shot a wave of flames at Ember.

"HEY!" she shouted, as it hit her. "What happened??"

"When Burning Skull Head is Special Summoned from my hand," chuckled Mukuro, "you lose 1,000 Life Points.

"And I'm far from done…

"I sacrifice both these small Monsters…"

Burning Skull Head and Skull Vase vanished into globules of light…

"…to summon Skull Flames!"

In an explosion of intense fire, a far more intimidating Monster appeared. It looked like a sinister witch doctor in a black robe and red cape, both of which were decorated with skulls and bones. A skull-shaped mask covered its face. (2,600 ATK)

Ember got excited.

_This is it!_ she thought. _This is his ace! If I can summon Urquizas and beat this guy, I'll have done it!_

"Now then," said Mukuro, "since I sacrificed Skull Vase to summon this big guy, I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"And I'm still not done…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a second Burning Skull Head appeared. (800 DEF)

"_Another_ one?" asked Ember.

Then she screamed as it shot flames at her again.

"That's right," chuckled Mukuro. "Skull Flames lets me Special Summon a Burning Skull Head from my hand every round. Of course, that means I can't actually attack.

"But, Skull Flames has another effect too. Next round, if I skip my Draw Phase, I can get back a Burning Skull Head that's in the Graveyard."

_Which means he'll always have one to summon using that thing's effect,_ thought Ember. _I'm gonna have to get rid of that guy pretty quick…_

**(E: 4,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 5,050)**

"My move!" she shouted, drawing a card.

"You brought out your best, now it's time to meet mine," she said. "Guard of Flamvell… Flame Swordsman… You take it from here!"

The Dragon and the Warrior nodded to each other, and then leapt up, and flew towards the ceiling. Both of them dissolved into six glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Flamvell Urquizas!"

Flamvell Urquizas landed in an aura of super-hot flames. (2,100 ATK)

"I'll admit that he's pretty cool," replied Mukuro. "Or hot… Whatever… But my Monster is hotter…"

"We'll see about that," said Ember, holding up a card. "I'm sending my Flamvell Baby to the Graveyard."

She discarded a card.

"By doing that, my Fire Monster gains 400 more Attack Points."

Urquizas burned more intensely. (2,500 ATK)

"Still not strong enough," laughed Mukuro.

"I'm still not done," said Ember, as she played a Spell Card. "I play Double Attack. Now, my Monster can attack twice, so long as I first toss a Monster that's a higher Level.

"So, I'll discard my Level 9 Infernal Flame Emperor…"

She discarded another card.

"…and my Level 6 Flamvell Urquizas gets two attacks.

"Now, attack Burning Skull Head! Fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas roared, and threw a punch at the flaming noggin. It burst into shards.

Then Mukuro screamed in pain.

"What happened?!" he shouted.

"Urquizas inflicts trampling damage," replied Ember. "So you just lost 1,700 Life Points.

"Plus, whenever Urquizas inflicts battle damage, he gains 300 more Attack Points."

(2,800 ATK)

"I'm still not done! He gets to attack twice, remember?"

"Uh… oh…" said Mukuro.

Flamvell Urquizas socked the flaming Zombie in the gut, and it groaned. Then it burst into a shower of cinders.

**(E: 4,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,150)**

Jinx crossed her arms and smiled.

_You did good, kid,_ she thought. _Now finish him off, so we can close the book on this whole mess._

Ember's eyes narrowed a little.

_Somehow…_she thought.

She paused.

_Somehow… Something seems… Wrong…_

She looked at the three cards left in her hand.

"I'll set this facedown, and end my turn," she said.

A facedown card materialized.

Mukuro made a draw.

"I play… My Pot of Avarice," he said. "Now, I'll take these five Monsters…"

He took Emissary of the Afterlife, Inferno, Skull Vase, Blazing Inpachi, and Molten Zombie, and shuffled them into his deck. Then he drew twice.

Then he laughed out loud.

"You are spunky…" he laughed. "So I'm gonna show you something that very few people actually see…

"I've only used this once before, during the Fortune Cup…"

Ember froze. She had missed that match. She had been working.

She turned to Jinx. Jinx shrugged.

"I remove Skull Flames from play…" said Mukuro.

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and he quickly pocketed it.

"And in return, I get to summon _this_!"

Another explosion formed on his side of the field, and it formed into a flaming tornado. Slowly a creature started to take shape…

It looked like a cross between Skull Flames and a savage, undead centaur, made almost entirely of bones, shrouded in a veil of flame. It had the same cape, and wore metal barding on its lower body. (2,600 ATK)

_He has a Monster even stronger than Skull Flames?_ thought Jinx. _Man, I really ought to watch more TV…_

"Meet the highest Level Zombie in the game of Duel Monsters," laughed Mukuro. "Speed King Skull Flames! I'd call it Hell on wheels, but it doesn't have wheels! It may not have as much fire as the original Skull Flames, but it has what it takes."

"Yeah?" said Ember. "Well, I got news for you… Urquizas is still stronger than Ghost Rider over there."

"It's about to get stronger," said Mukuro, fitting another card into his Disk. "I Equip it with Big Bang Shot. This gives it 400 more Attack Points, and a trampling effect to boot."

(3,000 ATK)

"Now, destroy Flamvell Urquizas! Blazing sirocco!"

Speed King Skull Flames' eyes burned like hot coals. It started to breathe a fiery cloud at Urquizas, and Ember started to panic…

Then she remembered her facedown card.

"I activate… Martyr's Flame!" she shouted, as it flipped up.

Urquizas dove for cover, and the fiery wind hit Ember instead. She fell down on one knee.

"My Trap Card…" she panted, "turns your attack… into a direct attack… And cuts the damage in half…"

Mukuro laughed out loud.

"You love your Monsters so much you'd take a hit for them?" he asked. "Talk about dumb!"

"Dumb?" asked Ember. "More like smart… I realized that if Urquizas had gone down, I'd likely have had nothing that could have beaten that thing."

"Clever," chuckled Mukuro. "You're free to try when it's your turn… But not before Speed King gets to strut his stuff some more…"

Speed King lifted its hands, and two Burning Skull Heads appeared in them. It hurled them at Ember, and she screamed as they exploded upon hitting her.

"Once per round," said Mukuro, "you get nailed for 400 points of damage for each Burning Skull Head in my Graveyard.

"You see how it all works? Burning Skull Head, Skull Flames, and Speed King Skull Flames… The three of them all work in synergy. Each one can help the other two in some way. This is why I became a success in dueling, and didn't have to go back to my dad's garage, where it took me an hour at the end of each day just to get my fingernails clean!"

"He must be very proud of you," muttered Ember.

**(E: 2,150) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,150)**

"My move…" she said.

She drew a card.

_Eh?_ she thought, looking at it. _Hey, this is the card Jinx gave me…_

She looked at the other two cards in her hand.

_It's all gonna be up to a great deal of luck,_ she thought.

"I throw two cards facedown," she said, "and then move Urquizas to Defense Mode."

Urquizas knelt and shielded himself with his arms. (400 DEF)

_Huh?_ thought Mukuro. _What the… Doesn't she know what Big Bang Shot does?_

"I end my turn," said Ember.

Mukuro drew a card.

The two cards in his hand were Burial From a Different Dimension, and Spirit of Flames.

_Those facedown cards…_ he thought. _They have to do something… Most likely, one will destroy my Speed King._

_She clearly doesn't know about his final effect. But… Just so I can win the duel this turn either way…_

"I remove one Burning Skull Head from play, to summon Spirit of Flames in Attack Mode," he said.

The card slipped out of his discard slot, and Spirit of Flames appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"That's what I was hoping you'd do," said Ember. "I activate… Demise of the Land!"

One of her facedown cards shot up.

"Since you Special Summoned a Monster, I get to activate a Field Spell from my deck. Like Molten Destruction!"

Behind Ember, a volcano erupted. The lava cascaded down the slope, flowing all over the field, and turning the arena into a fiery wasteland.

Spirit of Flames' Attack Score rose to 2,200, but Speed King didn't change at all.

"Just as I thought," said Ember. "When you said that it 'didn't have as much fire as the original Skull Flames', you meant that it wasn't a Fire Monster at all."

"Yeah, it isn't," replied Mukuro. "It's Wind. But Urquizas is Fire, and that means that this Field Spell lowers his Defense Score to zero. And that means if you can't stop this attack, I win!

"But just in case, I'll first play Burial From a Different Dimension. I'll return Burning Skull Head, Skull Flames, and Gaia Soul to my Graveyard."

He played the Spell Card, and discarded the three cards into his Graveyard slot.

"Then, Speed King can use its effect again!"

Speed King conjured up the two Burning Skull Heads and hurled them at Ember again. She screamed as they burned her again.

"Now…" he commanded. "Attack!"

Speed King's eyes started to glow again…

"Well, let's see if I can," replied Ember. "I activate the Trap Card, Prepare to Strike Back!"

Her other facedown card shot up.

"Here's how it's gonna work, Mukuro," she said. "I'm gonna toss a coin. If I call it right, Urquizas will move into Attack Mode, right in time to meet your Monster's attack. I call it wrong, and all your Monsters will gain trampling effects for this round, although that really doesn't matter, because Speed King already has one."

"So, it's all or nothing, huh?" said Mukuro.

"I'm hoping some luck from a certain someone rubbed off on me," replied Ember.

She glanced at Jinx.

A coin appeared in her hand.

"Heads!" she shouted, tossing it.

The coin spun in the air… It landed on the ground, and wobbled.

And it came to a rest, heads.

Flamvell Urquizas stood up, prepared to attack… (3,300 ATK)

It was too late for Speed King to call off its attack. It tried to blow its blazing sirocco at Urquizas, but the Pyro simply charged through, and punched the Zombie hard. It burst into fiery shards.

"Ugh!" gasped Mukuro. "I… I activate its final effect! I get to Special Summon the regular Skull Flames from my Graveyard!"

The original Skull Flames appeared again. (2,600 ATK) –) (3,100 ATK)

"And Urquizas gains 300 more Attack Points from his effect," said Ember.

(3,600 ATK)

**(E: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,850)**

"And now…" said Ember. "It's my move…"

She drew a card.

"I remove my Blazing Inpachi from play to Special Summon my own Spirit of Flames," she said.

In a burst of fire, a Spirit of Flames appeared on her side of the field. (1,700 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"Finally, I'll play Monster Reborn!"

She played her last card, and the glowing ankh appeared.

"I'll summon a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

Mukuro gasped, as his discard slot started to glow.

Then, Gaia Soul, the Combustible Collective appeared on her side of the field. (2,000 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"I'm sure you know that during my Battle Phase, Spirit of Flames gains 300 more Attack Points."

Spirit of Flames rose to an Attack Score of 2,500. It breathed a cone of flame at its counterpart on Mukuro's side of the field, and the enemy Spirit of Flames groaned before it shattered.

"Flamvell Urquizas," ordered Ember, "destroy Skull Flames!"

Urquizas socked the flaming Zombie again, blowing it into a cloud of smoke and ash.

"Now, Gaia Soul, attack him directly and finish him off!"

Gaia Soul blasted its white-hot stream of flames, and Mukuro screamed as it plowed into him.

Then he collapsed.

**(E: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Jinx ran up and hugged Ember.

"You did it again!" she laughed. "You're doing great, Ember! You keep this up, and someday, Jalal is going to pick you to be one of the Elite Guard!"

"What are they?" asked Ember.

"I'll explain later," said Jinx.

Then they looked, and saw that Mukuro was sitting up, groaning and holding his head as if he had a very bad headache.

"Man…" he said. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Kaibaland," said Jinx. "You don't remember?"

"I was having lunch at the Red Wagon…" muttered Mukuro.

"Man! I had the worst nightmare! I dreamt I was being eaten alive by worms!"

Then Jinx saw something lying on the ground.

It was a small, green worm, similar to a small nightcrawler.

"Oh… my God…" she said.

"What?" asked Ember.

Jinx stomped on the worm with her boot. Then she quickly started dialing her cell phone.

"Gears told me about this," she said, in panic.

"Gears!" she shouted into the phone. "Yeah, it's me! Shut up and listen!

"Mukuro was a distraction! Someone is coming after the Sword of Midnight! Go get it, quick!"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jinx's call could not have come at a worse time for Gears. Mistle was back at the townhouse, and he had almost garnered enough courage to give her the card he had gotten for her as a gift.

Still, Jinx's frantic call caused him and Shichiro to rush down to the vault. Mistle cautiously followed from a distance.

They threw open the vault door, and received a shock.

The Sword of Midnight was gone.

But that wasn't the worst of their problems.

More of those green worms were scattered around the floor. Most of them appeared to be dead, but a few were twitching.

"Good lord…" muttered Gears.

He looked at Shichiro. Then he turned around.

"We gotta call Jalal," he said, somberly.

"What is it honey?" asked Mistle. "What are those disgusting things?"

"Cast-off residue," replied Gears, "from a worm that walks."

_**Our enemies now stood revealed. One was a tentacled aberration with psionic powers that ate brains. The other was a… worm that walked. And this, of course, begged from me the question, what the Hell**_** was**_** a worm that walked? At this point, I briefly considered going back to Mr. Draco and asking for my old job back, even though I knew that wasn't possible.**_

_**At any rate, the score now stood at DaPen: 3, Shadowchasers: 0. The dark cloud cover continued to shroud the city. I didn't know it, but elsewhere, a hero had fallen, and was in need of serious help. Things were clearly going to get worse before they got better, and there was no turning back from this point.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BURNING SKULL HEAD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is Special Summoned from your hand, inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your opponent. Also, by removing this face-up card from play, you may return one "Skull Flames" that has been removed from play to your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SKULL FLAMES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 "Burning Skull Head" from your hand. If you use this effect, skip your Battle Phase for the turn. During your Draw Phase, you can add 1 "Burning Skull Head" from your Graveyard to your hand instead of conducting your normal draw.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED KING ****SKULL FLAMES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned from your hand by removing 1 "Skull Flames" in your Graveyard from play. If this card is sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Skull Flames" from your Graveyard. Once per turn, inflict 400 points of direct damage to your opponent for each "Burning Skull Head" in your Graveyard.

_Note: "Burning Skull Head", "Skull Flames", and "__Speed King __Skull Flames__" are Japanese promotional cards. They have not yet been released in the United States. (Note that the ATK and DEF of "Speed King __Skull Flames" are different from the anime version.)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SKULL VASE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Zombie/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Tributed for a Tribute Summon, draw 1 card.

_Note: "Skull Vase" was first used by Mukuro Enjo in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Surprise, Surprise". Creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL DEVIL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of Pyro-Type Monsters in your Graveyard x 200.

_Note: "Flamvell Devil" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL BABY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** During your Main Phase, activate by sending this card from your hand to the Graveyard. Increase the ATK of 1 FIRE Monster you control by 400 points.

_Note: "Flamvell Baby" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Author's note:_

_After thirty chapters, this fic has become more of a success than I thought it would be. People are even starting to ask if they can write their own Shadowchasers stories._

_Thus, starting next chapter, I will provide a bonus at the end of each chapter. I call them "Shadowchaser Files"._

_These bonus pieces will each outline an individual of interest in the world that the Shadowchasers live in. It could be an outstanding member of the organization, an ally, a criminal that they are looking for, or simply someone that they have their eyes on. The world of Shadow is full of interesting people._

_None of these individuals will appear in this fic, or any other fic that I will write. However, anyone else who writes a Shadowchaser fic, once they receive permission after I release the guidelines that I'll get around to creating, is free to use them. The objective here is to provide ideas._

_So… In the words one wise man, onward and upward._

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_Coming up next: _

_Gears goes looking for the worm that walks. And just what the heck IS a worm that walks? Explanations are in order first, but you can bet it's something not all too pleasant. And it won't be as easy as you might think. _

_"Factory of 100 Machines" is coming soon._


	31. Factory of 100 Machines

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

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**Factory of 100 Machines**

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"_**Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." This quote can be attributed by a lesser noble of the Nineteenth Century named **__**John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton. And it is sadly often true. People in positions of power often abuse it, and often become drunk with it. They begin to think they are better than those without it, and become bullies and tyrants.**_

_**Jalal knew this well. Power is something that dragons have, which makes them feared. Evil dragons have been known to blackmail towns into offering them maidens as sacrifices, as the most famous story about St. George illustrated. (Historians claim that, while St. George was real, this story about him was a myth. The Shadowchasers are not so sure about that, even though there is no proof that it happened.) Jalal swore when he obtained his dad's great horde and the power that came with it, he would never let it get the best of him, and he would distribute and invest the tremendous wealth with wisdom and care.**_

_**With the corrupting influence that power has, it's odd the strange things that people will do to get it. They might invest their money in risky projects, or in the case of people who know a few things about the world of Shadow, attempt the most ghastly experiments.**_

_**It seemed we had come across such a person now… And Gears was more than familiar with such folks…**_

One hour later.

Jinx and Ember had rushed back, and they all were sitting in the room with the fireplace, with Jalal, again in holographic form, listening to everything they had to say. Sorsha and Boris were listening too, on the mantle. Five Unseen Servants were cleaning and sterilizing the vault.

"First an illithid, now this," muttered Shichiro. "I'd ask what was next, but I don't want to push my luck."

"A worm that walks?" asked Ember. "Dare I ask what that is?"

Gears sighed.

"Something terrible," he said. "I've fought one before."

"I'd better explain it, Gears," said Jalal. "I'm good at such things.

"A worm that walks is a powerful necromancer who has undergone a blasphemous ritual to gain power, using a cursed spellbook called Kyuss's Tome. This ancient book is named after a denizen of Shadow who may or may not be apocryphal. Very little is known about Kyuss himself. If he truly existed, he was not the first man to master the magic of the dead, but he may well have been the greatest necromancer who ever lived.

"Kyuss is known less for his own deeds than for the results of them that still plague the world. Horrid undead creatures and hideous abominations that walk the earth to this day are attributed to him. And no-one knows just how or even whether he met his end. But he left behind one powerful artifact of his legacy – this is Kyuss's Tome.

"Kyuss's Tome is a book of dark magic so vile, only those with incredible willpower can read it without being driven mad. The Shadowchasers have yet to recover the original version. One Shadowchaser in modern times located it, though. And she was even able to browse through a few of its pages before she was forced to flee for her life from its then-owner. Copies of it do exist, although they are rare, for good reason. To copy this book, the scribe apparently must willingly and permanently surrender his sanity.

"But one need not copy the Tome to use the most powerful spell contained therein. He must simply read the book and retain his sanity. As far as what the ritual entails, well, spells like these are kind of like sausages… it's best not knowing what goes into them.

But anyway, if a master of the dark arts manages this and casts the ritual, the end result summons a swarm of worms and maggots that devours his physical body. The colony of worms becomes the sorcerer's new body, taking a humanoid shape with the wizard's consciousness controlling it. The creature is then referred to as a worm that walks."

"Why the Hell would anyone do _that_?" asked Ember.

"Ember," replied Jalal, "dark wizards turning themselves into monstrosities is nothing new, although most of them become liches. The reason they do it is simple – more power. A worm that walks may not be able to get a date for Saturday night, but his spellcasting power increases dramatically, and he becomes practically immortal, even if it costs him his humanity."

"Why do you suppose this creature is working for DaPen?" asked Shichiro.

"A bigger question is why the heck an illithid would ever work with a necromancer?" added Gears. "Necromancers create undead monsters, and undead are one of the few things that illithids are afraid of. All undead, even intelligent ones, are immune to telepathic detection and manipulation, and have no brains to consume. Confronting such mindless creatures can even be traumatizing to some of them."

"Undead…" muttered Boris. "I hate those things. They make skulls look bad."

"Why did Maskent make you look like a skull in the first place?" asked Sorsha. "What do skulls have to do with cooking?"

"You know…" muttered Boris. "I often wonder that myself…"

"You two be quiet!" ordered Jalal.

"Yes sir…" said the two magical creatures, meekly slinking away.

"Of course!" said Ember.

"What of course?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, DaPen wants to use the Regalia of the Day for something, right?" replied Ember. "That means he probably wants to cast some sort of magical spell. But illithids have no talent with magic. So he had to ally himself with a wizard.

"And a necromancer is likely the only type wizard who'd ally himself with an illithid, because he knows he has some sort of defense against them. Heck, this guy is a living colony of worms… His mind functions without a physical brain. I'd wager he's immune to DaPen's powers too."

"This girl is a genius," said Jinx.

Then she got up, and opened a laptop. She started to type.

"Well, he won't stay hidden for long," she said. "We can use the townhouse's equipment to find him. A necromancer that powerful is likely emitting negative energy like a furnace. A scan of the whole city should hone in on him."

Then Gears got up.

"You do that, Jinx," he said. "In the meantime, I'm gonna go try to find this guy myself… Wait for Hank to send the Silver Hemisphere, and protect it with your lives. It's the only thing that DaPen needs for whatever he has planned."

"But honey…" said Mistle. "How will you find this gross thing?"

"The same way I found one the first time…" replied Gears.

He walked out the door.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The cloud cover still hung in the air, as Gears slowly drove towards his destination in Satellite. He eyed the large, rundown factory.

The sign in the front was covered with soot and ash, and could be barely made out as Wasabi Recycling Center. This factory was not still functioning – at least not officially.

The resident of the place called himself a technology dealer, but all of the locals called him a junk dealer. Still, this junk shop sold some parts that were hard to get anywhere else, and at affordable prices. Plus, he didn't ask any questions, so long as no-one asked him any. Yusei Fudo had come here when building both of his D-Wheels, and Crow had been seen here a few times too.

Even Gears had made a few deals with the guy, when he had first become a Shadowchaser seven years ago, until he had learned that he was Aware, and was making some suspicious bargains with some unsavory Shadowkind. Gears had come close to throwing the book at him, but a pretty reliable alibi had gotten the crook out of trouble.

Gears placed his Duel Disk on his arm, and cautiously walked into the factory.

He didn't see his target right away, but that wasn't surprising. Someone could hide a battleship in here. The place was piled high with parts of cars, motorcycles, various industrial machines, and heaps of pipes and scrap metal. Puddles of oil and grease stained the floor in places. There were even a few robot corpses here and there, old models once used by Sector Security.

Gears made his way through the big mess, carefully looking from side to side.

An inner voice told him to duck… And he dodged aside, just as a blast of energy shot past him.

Gears rolled out of the way, as the assailant shot several more blasts. Gears dodged them, and moved closer to the gunman, until he threw a punch that knocked him down and knocked the weapon out of his hand.

Gears growled, and lifted the man up by the collar. He hardly looked like a serious threat. Dressed in a pair of overalls and a work shirt, the gnomish man had a strong chin, a bulbous nose, thick glasses, and was bald except for some white hair on the sides of his head that he never seemed to comb. He would look like something out of a Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, aside from the criminal mark on his cheek.

"Dr. Zweig!" shouted Gears. "Remember me?"

"Ah, yes!" chuckled the junk dealer. "My old friend Gears… How could I ever forget?"

"Stuff it, Zweig!" snapped Gears. "I'm looking for a worm that walks… You wouldn't happen to know where I could find one, would you?"

"Nowhere," replied Zweig, shaking his head. "That one you fought… There wasn't enough left of him for fish bait…"

"Well, there's a new one in Neo Domino now," said Gears. "Ring any bells?"

"Not a one," replied Zweig.

"Zweig…" said Gears. "This is serious business. You know what happened last time. Where servants of the Worm go, death follows."

"Heh, well…" said Zweig. "If that's the case, I'd be pretty dumb to tell you anything, now wouldn't I?"

Gears frowned. Then he started shaking Zweig hard.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" gasped Zweig. "Watch it! I have a heart condition, you know…"

Gears knew that Zweig was lying. Zweig was perfectly healthy, but used his age to make people think he was frail.

"Baloney," said Gears, dropping him. "Now start talking!"

"Hey, I'm an informant!" replied Zweig. "I don't do these things for charity…

"Although…"

He quickly turned around and picked up something. Gears's hand went for his sword… Another weapon?

Gears stopped, as he saw that it was a Duel Disk.

"Oh, I get it," said Gears. "You're still pissed off because I beat you so badly the last time, right?"

"I've heard you've changed your deck," replied Zweig. "Something about… Dark Machines?"

"Yeah," said Gears. "So, you want to show me up, huh?"

He activated his own Disk.

"Well, if that's what it's gonna take for me to get you to talk, then fine…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Meanwhile, as the computer was beginning its scan, Shichiro and Jinx were sitting on the front step of the townhouse.

"You think it might rain?" asked Jinx.

"These aren't rain clouds…" replied Shichiro.

Then an aura of sparkling lights started to appear at their feet. Shichiro stood up.

A large package slowly materialized. It was clearly too big for the mailbox, so it had been left at the doorstep. On it were several large stamps, each one bearing an image of the Greek god Hermes. The return address was for a post office in Prague.

"It's here," said Shichiro, picking it up. "You heard what Gears said… We have to guard this with our lives…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I have to say, Gears," said Zweig, "it's been a long time, but this will clearly be worth the wait…"

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zweig: 8,000)**

He made his first draw.

"You humiliated me that first time… I'm going to pay you back bonzai!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I'll start by playing my Foolish Burial. That means I can…"

"I know what it means, ignoramus," said Gears. "It means you can send a Monster from your deck to your Graveyard."

"Well, you don't have to be rude about it," muttered Zweig.

He took a Monster from his deck (it was called Quantity) and discarded it.

"Next, I play another Spell Card… Flute of Hamelin. It's a childish name, I know, but I assure you, I'm not playing around."

"Okay…" said Gears. "_That_ one, I don't know about."

"It lets me discard my other two Quantities," said Zweig, discarding two more cards.

"Next, I'll summon Quality."

He played a card, and a metal android with streamlined, silver plating and no facial features appeared in front of him. (1,200 ATK)

"I end my turn."

Gears frowned as he drew a card.

_He's clearly planning something,_ he thought. _First sending three Monsters called "Quantity" to his Graveyard, then summoning a weak Monster called "Quality"?_

_There has to be a common thread between all this…_

"I summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker!" he exclaimed.

In a shadowy aura of energy, Blind Sucker appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Eliminate Quality!" he shouted. "Photon torpedoes!"

Blind Sucker blasted twin torpedoes from its launchers, and the droid was blown to scrap.

Zweig grinned.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,600)**

"Thank you," he chuckled. "You see, by destroying Quality, you activated its effect, allowing me to Special Summon all three of my Quantities!"

Then, three robots that looked like smaller versions of Quality appeared where Quality had been. (500 ATK x3)

"I've got news for you, Zweig," said Gears, "quantity does not equal quality."

He took a card from his hand.

"I'll throw one card facedown, and that'll be all."

A facedown card appeared in a flash.

"My move!" laughed Zweig, making a draw.

"I play my Delta Attacker Spell Card!" he laughed, as a Spell Card appeared. "Since I have three Normal Monsters on the field that have the same name, all three of them can attack directly!"

The three Quantities pointed at Gears, and small guns opened on their wrists…

Three small guns fired, and Gears held his chest from the impact.

"Ergh…" he said.

"Next, I play Special Coating Body," continued Zweig, as a Continuous Spell Card materialized.

The armor on the three Quantities changed from silver to gold.

"The new chrome paint job keeps them from being destroyed in battle. And that ends my turn."

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,600)**

"You haven't changed, Zweig," muttered Gears. "You were always trying to one-up everyone. You're clearly attempting to make a better Dark Machine Deck than mine."

He made a draw.

"Well, you're gonna fail!"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I play DNA Transplant. Now, I can change all Monsters on the field to Light.

"Then, I summon Ally of Justice Thousand Arms!"

In another burst of dark energy, a new robot appeared. This one looked far more humanoid than most of the Allies of Justice, and it had exactly six arms, far less than the number its name suggested. Each arm held a weapon, swords, axes, and spears. (1,700 ATK)

"Go ahead!" laughed Zweig. "My Monsters are protected by their Special Coating Body, remember?"

"True," replied Gears, "but that won't protect _you_ from taking damage from this attack. And Thousand Arms has the ability to attack every Light Monster on your side of the field."

Zweig stopped short.

"Ho boy…" he said.

Thousand Arms flew at the three Quantities. It made three slashes with its blades, striking each one. Zweig screamed.

"I'm not done!" shouted Gears.

Then Blind Sucker blasted its photon torpedo, striking the central Quantity. Zweig screamed again.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,900)**

Zweig stopped to catch his breath.

"Okay, that was… Pretty good…" he muttered. "My move now…"

He made a draw.

"I sacrifice two of my Quantities…" he growled.

Two of the small Monsters vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon some heavy metal… The Fiendish Engine Omega!"

With a noise that sounded like an engine backfiring, a huge Machine exploded onto the field. It looked like a combination of a battle-tech robot and an oversized car, with blades on its arms and exhaust pipes all over, which were spewing out black, foul-smelling smoke. (2,800 ATK)

"How's THIS for a Dark Machine!" laughed Zweig.

"Looks pretty stupid," replied Gears.

Zweig made a scowl.

"Now, I activate its effect," continued Zweig. "I can raise its Attack Score by 1,000."

Fiendish Engine Ω roared, and more exhaust poured from its pipes. (3,800 ATK)

"Which means it will fall apart at the end of your turn," added Gears.

"You should be concerned about the here and now," replied Zweig. "Destroy his Blind Sucker! Maximum overdrive!"

Fiendish Engine Omega revved its engines, and sped at Blind Sucker, blowing it to scrap and knocking Gears to the floor.

"Ugh…" said Gears.

"Like you said," continued Zweig, playing a Spell Card, "it will be destroyed when I end my turn. But I'm gonna play Mystik Wok to sacrifice it before that happens."

Fiendish Engine Omega vanished into glittering pixels, and Zweig glowed with energy.

"Now, my final Quantity moves to Defense Mode…"

Quantity knelt and shielded itself. (400 DEF)

"…and I end my turn."

**(G: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,700)**

_Okay…_ thought Gears. _Just when did I lose control here?_

He made a draw.

_So long as that Special Coating Body is protecting his last Quantity, it's a pretty solid shield…_

He looked at the card he drew. It was his Morphing Jar.

_So I'll have to get something better…_

"I toss two cards facedown," he said, "and then set a Monster."

The Morphing Jar materialized facedown next to Thousand Arms, and two set cards appeared behind it.

"My turn!" cackled Zweig, making a draw.

He chuckled again.

"I activate Spellbook of the Pot," he said, playing a Spell Card.

The Pot of Greed appeared in front of him, and then two ghostly, floating textbooks floated out of the top.

"Now, I get to draw three cards. The downside is, you also get to draw three cards."

Gears frowned. He made three draws as his opponent did the same.

And then Zweig started laughing hysterically.

"Get a good card, Zweig?" asked Gears, narrowing his eyes.

"Did I ever!" laughed Zweig. "And you'll see it, once I first play Silent Doom…"

He played another Spell Card, and another Quality appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice both of them…"

Both Qualities, along with the Special Coating Body card, vanished into grains of light…

"…to summon the darkest Machine of all… I summon Big Saturn!"

The robot that loomed over the field was certainly big, no question about it. One might at first say that it about as interesting as any other giant robot, but there was a definite air of menace looming about this armored giant, who seemed to be built of seamless steel plate with a glowing core in its chest, with oversized limbs. It glared at Gears with eyes that lacked any kind of emotion. (2,800 ATK)

"Big Saturn?" said Gears, somewhat confused. "I… I've heard of that thing… Somewhere…"

"I guarantee you'll never forget it," replied Zweig. "Now let me show you what it can do…

"I toss one card, and pay 1,000 Life Points to boost its Attack Score by 1,000 points."

He discarded a card.

"Big Saturn… Full assault mode!"

The huge robot glowed with pure energy, and hatches opened all over it, sprouting laser guns and cannons on its arms, chest, and far more unlikely parts of its body. (3,800 ATK)

"Attack his Thousand Arms! The End of Cosmos!"

Gears barely even saw what happened next. All he saw was a furious blast of energy that vaporized his Monster and hit him like a punch to the face, knocking him over.

"Ergh…" he groaned, holding his head.

"Okay, cease fire," chuckled Zweig.

Big Saturn retracted its guns.

"You should have known better, Gears," he chuckled. "When I used to live in the suburbs of Neo Domino, folks knew enough not to cross the Wizard of Walnut Town!"

"First of all, you're no wizard, and the curses you 'cast' at people were fake!" shouted Gears. "Second, if what I heard is true, it was what you did in your little shop in Walnut Town that made Security decide to ship you to Satellite in the first place!"

"Humph… Big deal," muttered Zweig. "At least here I have privacy.

"I'll set a facedown…"

He played his last card, and a facedown card appeared.

"And it's your move…"

**(G: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 5,700)**

Gears made a draw. It was Ally Bomb. He looked at Big Saturn.

_I've only heard rumors of this thing,_ he thought. _It isn't exactly the most common card. Clearly, DaPen has struck again._

_It likely has some other effect, and I'm just gonna have to find out about it though trial and error._

He took Ally Bomb and set it on his Disk. It appeared facedown.

"It's your move," he said.

Zweig chuckled, and drew a card.

"Okay, Gears," he said. "I activate Pot of Avarice…"

The Spell Card appeared, and he took all three Quantities, Quality, and Fiendish Engine Omega from his discard slot. He reshuffled, and made three draws.

"Well, Gears," he said, "it's time to retire…

"I play the Spell Card, Creature Swap!"

"That's nuts!" shouted Gears. "The only Monster you have to give me is your Big Saturn!"

"That's the idea," replied Zweig. "Now choose one of yours so we can finish this."

Gears frowned. He pointed to the card that was concealing his Morphing Jar, and both Monsters vanished, and switched places.

"I'll set a Monster," said Zweig, playing his last card, "and I end my turn..."

A reversed Monster appeared next to Gears's Morphing Jar.

Gears looked hard at Zweig. Then he looked hard at Big Saturn, half-expecting it to blow up at any second.

He made a draw.

Then one of the cards he had set facedown lifted up, revealing itself to be Monster Reborn.

"I'm bringing my Blind Sucker back from the Graveyard," he said.

Blind Sucker appeared next to Big Saturn. (1,600 ATK)

"And this duel is over!" laughed Zweig. "You see, when Big Saturn is destroyed by an opposing card effect, both players lose Life Points equal to its base Attack Score."

"HUH?" said Gears, as Zweig's facedown card lifted up.

"So, by destroying my Monster with Torrential Tribute, we'll both lose 2,800 Life Points," laughed Zweig, "which is more than you have!"

_No…_ thought Gears, as the Trap Card started to glow.

Then he suddenly realized something…

His other facedown card… He had put it and Monster Reborn on the field so he wouldn't lose them if Morphing Jar had been flipped… But it could actually save him now!

"Not so fast, Zweig!" he shouted.

"Eh, a Trap?" gasped Zweig, as Gears's facedown card lifted.

"That's right!" said Gears with a grin. "This was just a bluff, but wouldn't you know it… YOU made it work!

"It's called Overwhelm! It can negate any Trap Card or Monster Effect, so long as I'm in control of a Monster that's Level 7 or higher that was Tribute Summoned. And as you can see, Big Saturn is standing strong!

"So much for your Torrential Tribute!"

Big Saturn's eyes glowed, and it fired a blast of pure energy, blowing the Torrential Tribute card to pieces.

"No fair!" cursed Zweig.

Gears took some deep breaths.

_I got out of that one by the skin of my teeth,_ he thought. _But I'm not out of the woods yet. The Monster he set last turn may be Man-Eater Bug, Old Vindictive Magician, Night Assailant, or something else that can destroy Big Saturn._

"Continuing…" said Gears, "I'm sacrificing Blind Sucker summon Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher."

Blind Sucker vanished, and the large, squid-like robot appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"When Enemy Catcher is Normal Summoned, I get to take control of one of your set Monsters for one round. So I'll be taking the one that you set yourself."

Enemy Catcher fired a tractor beam at the hidden Monster, and pulled it over to Gears's side.

"Now, let's see what it is," continued Gears.

The Monster flipped into Attack Mode, revealing itself to be KA-2 Des Scissors. (1,000 ATK)

"Ah, well," he said. "As one great duelist said, sometimes you've got to make the best of the cards you've been dealt.

"I'll use Big Saturn's effect, tossing one card and paying 1,000 Life Points for it to assume full assault mode."

He discarded a card, and Big Saturn sprouted its weapons again. Zweig clenched his teeth.

"Since I know what your other facedown card is, since it was my card, I'll attack it with KA-2 Des Scissors."

The Machine shot a spray of toxic gas from its front, and Morphing Jar appeared on the card before it crumbled to dust.

"And due to the effect of Scissors, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

Zweig groaned.

"But we still get five new cards due to Morphing Jar's effect," he replied.

Gears discarded the cards in his hand, and made five draws. Zweig simply made five draws.

"Enemy Catcher, attack him directly with retro engines!"

Enemy Catcher shot flames from its two side engines, and Zweig groaned as he shielded himself from them.

**(G: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 1,900)**

"This next hit is gonna wipe you out!" he shouted. "Big Saturn… Attack directly!"

Big Saturn's laser guns and missiles homed in on Zweig, and exploded around him…

But when the dust cleared, he was unharmed, and a phantom Monster was standing in front of him.

"Huh?" said Gears. "Necro Gardna?"

"Yeah…" muttered Zweig, as it vanished. "That's what I discarded when I used Big Saturn's effect myself."

"Then I end my turn…" said Gears.

KA-2 Des Scissors vanished and appeared back on Zweig's side of the field.

Zweig was visibly upset when he made a draw.

He threw a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Then he turned a card on his Disk, and KA-2 Des Scissors shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

He frowned at Gears.

"I take it you want me to go," said Gears, making a draw.

"Enemy Catcher, eradicate KA-2 Des Scissors!"

The Ally of Justice fired its retro engines, and the clawed mecha blew up.

"Big Saturn, attack…" he started.

"Not this time, Gears," said Zweig, as his facedown card lifted up. "You see, I was prepared… I activate Remove Brainwashing!"

An energy beam shot out of the card, and Saturn was pulled back to Zweig's side.

"Now it's back where it belongs," he said.

Gears looked at the six cards in his hand, then at Enemy Catcher, then at his concealed Monster.

He took one card from his hand, and threw it into his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Make your move…" he said.

Zweig chuckled as he drew a card.

"I activate my Trap Card!" responded Gears. "Hallowed Life Barrier! Now, I toss a card…"

He made a discard.

"…and you can't touch my Life Points this round."

Zweig laughed out loud.

"Thanks for triggering that so fast, fool!" he laughed. "If you hadn't, I might have wasted 1,000 Life Points and one of my cards to activate Big Saturn's effect!"

"I summon Cyber Raider!" he laughed.

As he played the card, an android wearing a blue, spandex suit and a metal helmet appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

Gears just glared at him. Zweig looked at Big Saturn.

"No need for full assault mode this time," he said. "Just crush that Enemy Catcher."

Big Saturn moved with uncanny speed for a machination its size, and socked the robot squid. The Ally of Justice blew up.

"Now, Cyber Raider's going to take out your mystery Monster! Go! Cyber knuckle!"

Cyber Raider dashed towards the facedown Monster. Gears grinned…

Ally Bomb appeared on the card, and was smashed to pieces.

"And you call me a fool," said Gears. "I triggered it early on purpose, so you would be sure to summon a second Monster.

"Now, since Ally Bomb was destroyed by a Light Monster, which Cyber Raider is because DNA Transplant is still in play, I get to destroy two cards…"

Then both Cyber Raider and Big Saturn started to sizzle and spark. Zweig cowered as both Machines exploded.

"And you know what that means," continued Gears. "We both lose 2,800 Life Points. However, because of my Hallowed Life Barrier, the damage to me is negated."

"But that means…" gasped Zweig.

"You lose," replied Gears.

Zweig screamed as an explosion erupted around him, knocking him to the ground.

**(G: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)**

Gears sighed.

"Just like last time," he muttered. "You'll never be a true duelist, Zweig, until you learn to be more than someone who tries to top everyone else's ideas…"

"Not the best philosophy," said a voice. "I've spent seven years now building ideas on those of my mentor, and I've improved them dramatically…"

A cold chill ran down Gears's spine. He slowly turned around.

Edmund was standing about twenty paces away. Apparently, he had been watching the whole time.

Gears took a close look. He could faintly see the small worms slithering behind the eyeholes of the mask.

"Same getup as the last guy," replied Gears. "Heavy, dark robes, a mask… Likely a lot of illusion magic too. All an attempt to hide what you really are under them… Even most Awares can't see the truth when looking at a worm that walks… The truth is just too terrible for their minds to accept."

"Thank goodness you're here!" gasped Zweig, getting up. "Now we can…"

"Save it, Zweig," said Edmund. "I'm through with you. You've outlived your usefulness."

"WHAT?" shouted Zweig. "But we had a deal!"

"Zweig, I'm a master of the dark arts," said Edmund. "Do you really think I'd keep a deal with some crooked junk dealer? Folks like you are beneath me."

He turned to Gears.

"Folks like _you_, however, pique my interest… That Turbo Duel we had made me want to learn more…"

Gears growled, and his Disk activated again.

"Ah, I don't think so," replied Edmund. "I'm not ready to face you again right away… According to my spies, something arrived at your place that I have to go look into.

"Business before pleasure, you know."

He turned around, and started to walk away. Gears made a rush for the fiend, but then hesitated. Trying to tackle a worm that walks was _not_ a good idea.

He tried to think of a way to subdue him, but as he did, Edmund vanished into the Shadows.

_He's going to the townhouse,_ thought Gears. _I've got to get there…_

He ran to his D-Wheel and leapt on. He hit the ignition.

It wouldn't start.

He looked at the console and shouted a curse word. That worm had drained the whole charge.

He took out his cell phone. The least he could do was call the townhouse and warn them.

"Shichiro!" he said into it. "It's me. You're about to have company, and that thing drained the power on my Wheel. You're going to have to handle him yourself."

"Roger on that, Gears," replied Shichiro. "What can I expect from this guy?"

"Okay, listen close…" said Gears. "If his deck is anything at all like the worm I fought before, he'll… Hello? Hello? Shichiro?"

All he heard was static. Something was interfering with the signal.

_Damn!_ he thought. _That guy thought of everything!_

"Uhm, I'll just be leaving," said Zweig.

Gears's head spun around.

Then he leapt at Zweig, and pinned him to the floor.

"Not this time, Zweig," he said, pointing the gemstone at him. "No alibi or excuse this time around… You're under arrest for aiding and harboring a practitioner of the dark arts. That's a felony, in case you didn't realize."

"This is not my day…" groaned Zweig.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Gears walked his D-Wheel towards a place where he hoped he could get enough of a charge to get home, a feeling of dread started to overtake him.

Another strange card had been on Zweig, fitting the general theme that they were used to now. He had placed it in his pocket.

It was Cloudian – Storm Dragon. Just what these Cloudian cards all meant, he didn't know. And he had a feeling that a true storm might be starting soon.

_**Gears had beaten one henchman, and had certainly found the worm that walks. But it hardly mattered, because now he was out of contact with us, and the worm was heading for our townhouse, intent on confronting us directly. Very few Shadowkind had ever successfully made an assault on a property owned by the Shadowchasers (would a criminal try to break into the police station?) but it had happened in the past by Shadows who were overconfident, egotistical, or just plain desperate.**_

_**At least Gears had managed to get a brief warning to us, enough for us to not be surprised. Still, Shichiro would be facing a foe unlike any he had ever seen before, armed with Monsters the likes of which the world had only seen when the last worm that walks had appeared, and Gears had hoped would stay buried.**_

_**As one of the Signers struggled to recover from surgery, due to an injury sustained from a violent Shadow Game, another such contest was about to start, in a different conflict…**_

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**ALLY OF JUSTICE THOUSAND ARMS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** This card can attack every face-up LIGHT Monster your opponent controls once per Battle Phase. If this card battles a non-LIGHT Monster, destroy this card after damage calculation.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Thousand Arms" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**BIG SATURN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned from the hand or deck. Once per turn, you can discard one card and pay 1,000 Life Points to increase the ATK of this card by 1,000 until the End Phase of the turn. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect, inflict damage to both players' Life Points equal to this card's ATK.

_Note: "Big Saturn" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United Stated._

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**QUANTIY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 400

**Flavor Text:** _This combat droid is not very formidable alone. However, a Quantity is only found alone after it has been deactivated._

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**QUALITY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed, Special Summon as many "Quantity" as possible from your Graveyard.

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**SPECIAL COATING BODY (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A Quantity covered in shining armor.

**Card Description:** All Special Summoned "Quantity" Monsters cannot be destroyed by battle.

_Note: The proceeding three cards were used by David Rabb in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**FLUTE OF HAMELIN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The Pied Piper, standing in front of a giant rat, underneath a crescent moon.

**Card Description:** Select one of your Monsters that was sent to the Graveyard this turn. Both players must discard all Monsters with the same name as the selected Monster from their respective hands and decks.

_Note: "Flute of Hamelin" was first used by Princess Rose in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Happily Never After". Creative credit goes to the writers of that chapter._

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**SPELLBOOK OF THE POT (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Three ghostly books flying out of the Pot of Greed.

**Card Description:** Both players draw 3 cards from their decks.

_Note: "Spellbook of the Pot" was first used by Jaden in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**It wasn't much of a warning, but at least Gears managed to get one out. Coming up next, Edmund arrives at the townhouse to find Shichiro blocking his path, and nothing is going to make him get out of it. Edmund finally unleashes the power of his true deck, and it's not going to be pretty, in more than one way. Still, Shichiro has a few new surprises of his own.**_

"_**Humanoid Worm Drake" is coming soon.**_

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Red Feather, a Shadowchaser on the Wild Side**

It isn't often that a Shadowkind joins the Shadowchasers, and even rarer that one does after being branded a criminal by them. But the elf who calls herself Red Feather not only did so, but has become one of the organization's most celebrated members.

Ten years ago, an elf was dragged into this world; her true name is not spoken of anymore, but at the time, she called herself White Feather. Used to the lush, unspoiled wilderness of her home, she was horrified by the toxins that poisoned the ground, water, and sky of this new world. Her heart trembled when she witnessed unchecked urban sprawl and factories spewing smoke and soot into the environment. Falling back on her instincts, she fled into what little wilderness she could find.

Over time, White Feather began to understand bits and pieces of this new world. She came into contact with a group of nature lovers who shared her views. Using her great beauty and natural charisma, she awed the environmentalists, and directed them to take action. Although she wanted to stay as far away from the cities as possible, she believed that it was only a matter of time before the dominant race of this planet drove it to ruin. She had to take action, and believed that no action was too small. She slowly formed a group, an environmental group that named themselves the White Feathers, after her, claiming that white was the color of purity.

At first, the White Feathers seemed like any other such group. They held protests and demonstrations against animal cruelty, pollution, and deforestation, and strove for gun control and wildlife protection. At first, it all seemed benign, and White Feather was making a name for herself.

But White Feather was naïve to the ways of man, and when she realized that very few people actually listened to her protesters, she made a grave mistake. Five humans offered to join her group, claiming that they had a method that would get better results. Eager to actually make a difference, White Feather welcomed them, and unwisely allowed them too much leniency.

Eventually, she was horrified when she learned that what she thought would be a protest at a chemical plant by her five new recruits had actually become an arson attack. The five radicals were arrested at the scene, and like most such criminals, made no effort to hide the name of their group.

In her naïveté, White Feather never realized that there was a dark side to her beliefs. Some humans took it too far, and committed the hypocrisy called eco-terrorism. She had let people into her group who might have been willing to commit murder to get the point across. And the responsibility for it fell on her.

Despondent, White Feather fled deeper into the wilderness when human authorities came. But she finally stopped running when the Shadowchasers came, tipped off that a Shadowkind had headed the group. White Feather gave up, now convinced that her cause was a lost one. She later pled guilty, and because no lives were lost in the attack, was given a lenient sentence.

The prison at Shadowchaser Headquarters has no work detail, so prisoners have two options: they can rot, or they can read. White Feather chose to read, and looked into the history of the organization. She eventually made a shocking discovery. Humans were not the only ones who had raped and poisoned nature… Shadowkind had been doing so for centuries, long before most of the cities and factories were built.

Necromancers created the walking dead and hideous flesh golems, abominations that were as much anti-life as the life she had wanted to preserve. Evil wizards called defilers fueled their magic by draining the energy from living things, reducing plants and trees to dust and causing wild beasts pain. Powerful divine magic cast by wicked shamans had caused wildfires that had burned whole forests into ash. Never before had White Feather heard of such evil…

But in reading of these crimes, she saw hope… She saw that the Shadowchasers kept them in check.

Upon release, she approached Jalal with a bold offer. She would resurrect her group, with one change: If the Shadowchasers would accept her, she would run it under his direction. She also said she would call herself Red Feather from now on; she was no longer pure, and red would be the symbol of the wound she had to take to see the dark side of every cause. Her offer was met with acceptance.

Red Feather's group is now small, made up mostly of Awares, and devotes themselves to a more active role in protecting nature, from threats that are far less subtle than the ones she had once meant to protect it from. She now does a background check on every prospective member to avoid another disaster. Despite the fact that she still dislikes technology, she uses it when she must, having learned to use a Duel Disk and other basic equipment.

Red Feather appears as a stunning elf beauty with raven-black hair and piercing blue eyes. She wears simple, hand-made clothing that suggests Native American design, which is decorated with feathers (of every color except white), shells, beads, and carved pieces of wood. When faced with a problem that dueling can't handle, she rarely uses a sword as most Shadowchasers do, preferring balanced throwing knives and a longbow, which is enchanted with elven magic.

**Story Ideas:** For an example of a Shadow-related villain whom Red Feather would be eager to oppose, look no further than Saruman from _Lord of the Rings_ (either the book or the movie trilogy will do, but the book is more complete). He committed many crimes, but the one that did him in was destroying an ancient forest to feed his forges, which enraged Treebeard and convinced the Ents to march against him. Red Feather could handle such a villain herself, or could just as easily convince her own army of nature spirits to help. A Shadowchasers story revolving completely around Red Feather is possible, if an author is willing to work on it.

Keep in mind that Red Feather will never turn radical, and will not ridicule herself. She isn't the type who would protest outside of a fast food restaurant chanting that meat is murder, or protest wearing nothing but a sign that says she would rather go naked than wear fur. While she will not eat meat or wear fur, she knows that somewhere, one must draw the line.

**Deck Suggestions:** Several are possibly, including Beastdown, Plants, or even Naturia Monsters. Neither Red Feather nor any of her followers ever use Machines, and are not too fond of Fiends either.


	32. Humanoid Worm Drake

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

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**Humanoid Worm Drake**

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_**In most stories that follow a good-guy/bad-guy theme, the principal villains tend to share something in common: they don't get involved. They stay out of the picture, leaving their henchmen and minions to handle the heroes for most of the story. Usually, the main villain only confronts the hero at the climax, when his overconfidence has left him no choice, or he has no other options.**_

_**Nowhere was this more expressed than in the old British television series "The Prisoner", which lasted only seventeen episodes. It was a spy series about a British agent who was held captive in a mysterious seaside village, and his attempts to escape. His enemy in every episode was an officer called Number Two. The Prisoner would foil Number Two's plans time and again, and would keep trying to find the elusive Number One, the person behind the whole scheme, but didn't succeed. Unfortunately, the series didn't last long enough for him to do so.**_

_**Why do villains not get involved? It isn't for lack of courage or ability. More likely, it is due to ego, or not wanting to risk the whole plan falling apart. Getting involved yourself would put you at undue risk, and that could spoil the whole game.**_

_**It seemed that one of our two foes was willing to take that risk right now, and go against tradition. Why? Maybe he simply didn't care. But we would soon learn that he was no pushover…**_

Thunder rumbled, and the clouds churned in the sky. Ccapac Apu had not been truly freed in his brief appearance, but the Shadow Game where he had appeared had caused his evil influence to linger over the city like a bad rash.

At the townhouse, Shichiro stood outside the front door, while Jinx, Ember, and Mistle lurked inside, watching out the windows.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," muttered Jinx. "Something bad has happened."

"Something bad is _gonna_ happen," replied Ember. "How long do you think it will take for that… thing to get here?"

"I'm surprised it isn't here already," replied Jinx. "Wizards often know spells that can transport themselves long distances in an instant."

"Like in _Star Trek_?" asked Ember.

"Not quite like that, but yes," replied Jinx. "Our D-Wheels can open portals and teleport using technology… Any wizard worth his salt can do it with magic. But magic has a much longer range. A truly powerful wizard might be able to teleport to any spot on the globe if he…"

"Uh, ladies?" said Boris's voice.

Mistle let out a small shriek.

"You scared me!" she shouted.

"Sorry," said Boris, as he held up a tray full of small rolls. "I thought these might help…"

"I can't believe this…" said Jinx. "A necromancer is on his way here, and you're baking…

"Uhm, what are those, anyway?"

"Garlic knots," replied Boris. "I heard that garlic helps keep evil supernatural creatures at bay, so I…"

"I don't think this guy follows the same rules as vampires, Boris," replied Ember.

She sighed.

"Then again, every little bit helps…"

She took one of them and bit into it.

"See anything yet, Shichiro?" asked Jinx.

"Not since you last asked me," said Shichiro, looking at his watch, "which was, oh, about two minutes ago!"

"Sorry," said Jinx.

"Me-YOW!" screeched Sorsha, as she ran up behind Jinx.

"Sorsha?" said Jinx. "Do you have fleas?"

"Fleas my butt," said the familiar. "There's a wizard who's at least on par with my master nearby. Only this one isn't as nice."

"You sure?" asked Jinx, standing up.

"I'm a familiar!" snapped Sorsha. "I can tell when wizards are around!"

"Hey, Shichiro!" shouted Jinx.

"Yeah, I heard!" he replied. "And here he comes…"

Twenty paces in front of him, a dark, inky, pulsating portal started to appear. Shichiro stood firm, ready to face whatever came out of it…

Edmund stepped out of the portal, and stretched his arms. He muttered something, and threw his arms down, causing the portal to vanish.

"Oh, hello, Shichiro…" he muttered, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Seems that Gears managed to get through to you before I jammed the cell service in that place, huh?"

"Briefly," replied Shichiro. "I'd say I was sorry to disappoint, but I don't feel much sympathy for freaks…"

"So I'm a freak, am I?" asked Edmund.

"Yeah…" said Shichiro. "And coming from a Shadowchaser who's dealt with creatures who have one eye, three eyes, or even no eyes, that is saying a _lot_."

"Must we resort to name calling?" asked Edmund. "I have a name, you know… Edmund Mason."

"Seems a rather ordinary name for a wizard with the guts to have read Kyuss's Tome," replied Shichiro. "Do you still use it, or did you give it up when you decided to become a walking bait shop?"

"Why should I use some dumb pseudonym?" asked Edmund. "I have no problem with my name, unlike most dark wizards… Lord Voldemort had a real name… Tom Marvolo Riddle. But since his mother gave it to him, his mother wasn't a wizard, and he hated people who weren't wizards, he stopped using it. Dumb, if you ask me.

"Course, a lot of things he did were dumb. You know how many times he tried to do away with Harry Potter using the Killing Curse, only for it not to work? Four. A smart wizard tries something new after something fails to work twice, at most."

Shichiro sighed.

"I assume you did this to yourself for the usual reason?" he asked. "To gain power?"

Edmund looked at him.

"Well, take a look at me," he said, as he took the mask off. "I didn't exactly do it to pick up chicks."

Mistle screamed. Jinx, Ember, and Shichiro covered their eyes. Then Shichiro forced himself to look.

"Put… the mask back on…" he gasped.

"Don't you start ordering me around, Shichiro!" echoed Edmund's voice, which came from no mouth.

Shichiro sighed.

"_Please_ put the mask back on?" he said.

Edmund put the mask back over his "face".

"As Stephen King once said," he said, "and I quote, 'If I cannot horrify, I'll go for the gross-out. I'm not proud'."

"Listen, Ed," said Shichiro.

"Edmund!" snapped Edmund.

"I suppose you came for the Silver Hemisphere," continued Shichiro.

"The thought did cross my mind," replied Edmund.

"Yeah, well…" said Shichiro. "It's in the vault downstairs, and the vault is now warded _specifically _against necromantic magic. You can't get in there unless you figure out how to turn the wards off…"

His Disk activated.

"And you can go into that townhouse over my dead body…"

"Hmm…" said Edmund. "Yes, that's a real pickle…"

He lifted his left arm, and a Duel Disk of his own appeared on it in a brilliant flash of light. It seemed not as high-tech as the standard Disk, made of a dull metal, its blade did not seem retractable, and had a sharper edge. Shichiro was more than a little surprised. It looked uncomfortably like the styles of Disks said to be used by some Duel Spirits.

"Well, if we must duel," he said, "I suppose we simply must… But first…"

He waved his hand, and a black flame appeared in it. Then he dropped the flame, and it started to spread, forming a ring of cold, dark fire thirty feet in diameter around him and Shichiro.

"What's going on?" asked Shichiro. "What's this fire?"

"Oh, that…" said Edmund. "Never mind… It's just a little something to make the duel more… Interesting…"

_I'd better be careful… _thought Shichiro. _This guy has a serious poker face…_

_Heck… He doesn't even HAVE a face!_

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Edmund: 8,000)**

"Oh, Shichiro, be careful…" muttered Jinx. "This is one guy that I do NOT trust!"

Edmund chuckled.

"Well, I don't trust any of you guys either," he said. "So we're even."

"Hold that pose," said Shichiro, drawing a card.

"I'll set a Monster," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared in front of him.

"And I'll leave it at that."

"Not much of a start," chuckled Edmund, making a draw.

"Tell you what, I'll also set a Monster."

A defensive Monster appeared on his side of the field.

"Then I'll set these, for later."

Two reversed cards appeared behind his Monster.

Shichiro made a draw.

"Time to take the offense!" he shouted. "I'll summon Queen's Knight!"

In a flash of light, the queen in crimson armor appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, I give her an Equip Spell… The Sword of Tengu."

He threw a card into his Disk, and Queen Knight's regular sword vanished, replaced by the long katana. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack his…"

"Not so fast!" interrupted Edmund.

His facedown card on the left lifted.

"I activate A Feint Plant," he said. "Now, you can't attack any facedown Monster I control this turn. And since the only Monster I have is facedown, you can't attack."

"Fine…" muttered Shichiro. "I end my turn."

_Something's up,_ he thought. _A Feint Plan is a very situational card…_

Edmund made a draw.

"I activate a Continuous Spell Card," he said, as a Spell flashed onto his side of the field.

Shichiro had never seen this Spell Card before. The image on it was a comical scene, with two Penguin Soldiers doing a handstand on top of the back of a Des Koala in a circus spotlight.

"It's called Flip-Flop," continued Edmund, "and it may look and sound funny, but I'm deadly serious. When this Continuous Spell is in play, a player loses 500 Life Points when his opponent activates a Flip-Effect."

"Just how many Flip-Effect Monsters can one deck have?" asked Shichiro.

"Far more than you may think," replied Edmund. "And I'm going to activate one right now…"

His facedown Monster flipped into Attack Mode.

"Meet Worm Apocalypse."

The creature that appeared could be described in two words: weird and grotesque. It looked like a humanoid earthworm with dun brown skin, two rubbery tentacles for arms, and two thin legs. Its face had two eyes shaped like vertical slits. (300 ATK)

"What the?" said Shichiro.

Then he cringed as a bolt of energy blasted out of the Flip-Flop card, striking him.

"And of course," continued Edmund, "its Flip-Effect _does_ something. It destroys one Spell or Trap Card."

Queen's Knight gasped as a spray of foul slime splattered on the Sword of Tengu. She quickly dropped it, and it fell to the ground and melted into sludge. (1,500 ATK)

"Continuing…" said Edmund, "I'll set another Monster, and end my turn…"

Another concealed Monster appeared next to Worm Apocalypse.

**(S: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

Shichiro looked long and hard at Edmund's Monster, and then made a draw.

"I Flip-Summon my own Monster," he said, as his own Monster flipped into Attack Mode. "Skelengel!"

The winged cherub with a bow and arrow appeared. (900 ATK)

"How adorable," said Edmund, sarcastically.

"Of yeah?" said Shichiro, with a grin. "Well, guess what? That was a Flip-Effect, so your own card works against you!"

Edmund didn't make much of a reaction as the red aura surrounded him.

"The irony would have surprised me more if I hadn't expected it," he said, sarcastically.

"And due to its effect," continued Shichiro, "I get to draw one card."

He made a draw, and then threw a card into his Disk.

"Now, I play this," he said.

"Reinforcement of the Army in a Warrior Deck," muttered Edmund, as the Spell Card appeared. "What will they think of next?"

Shichiro growled a little, as he took a card from his deck.

"You know, buddy…" he said. "You're starting to get annoying!"

He played the card.

"I summon King's Knight!"

In a flash of light, King's Knight appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Oh, what next?" asked Edmund, feigning excitement. "Wait… Could it be Jack's Knight?"

Shichiro frowned again, as Jack's Knight appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Skelengel," he ordered, "destroy Worm Apocalypse!"

The Fairy drew back its bow, and fired a shot. The Worm exploded in a burst of colored lights.

"Somehow," said Ember, "a worm is the last thing you'd ever expect to explode."

"Now, my King's Knight is going after your other Monster!" shouted Shichiro.

King's Knight lifted his sword. Another weird Monster appeared on the card. It was a humanoid, faceless creature that seemed to be made entirely out of pale gelatin.

"Ho boy…" said Ember.

King's Knight struck it with its sword, and it burst into quivering chunks of jelly.

"You flipped my Worm Hope!" exclaimed Edmund. "So first, Flip-Flop activates!"

The beam of energy shot out of the card, striking Shichiro again.

"And due to Worm Hope's effect, I get to draw one card…"

Edmund made a draw.

"However, since Worm Hope was also destroyed by your attack, I must also discard one card."

He chose a card from his hand, and then discarded it.

_Worms?_ thought Shichiro. _I've fought some spineless opponents in my time, but this..._

"I'm not done!" he shouted. "Queen's Knight… Attack him directly!"

Queen's Knight leapt at Edmund with her sword drawn…

"YA!" she shouted, slashing at him across the chest.

"Ergh…" muttered Edmund.

"Jack's Knight, you're up!" continued Shichiro.

Jack's Knight leapt at Edmund…

"Not so fast!" shouted Edmund. "I activate Defense Draw!"

His other facedown card shot up.

"Now, your Knight's attack is rendered useless, and I get to draw one card."

The sword simply bounced off of him, and he made a draw.

Shichiro sighed.

"I end my turn," he said.

**(S: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,400)**

"I have to admit, Shichiro," said Edmund, "dueling is a lot more exciting than fighting via spell battle…"

He drew a card.

"Of course, you can't cast real spells, so if I had tried to take care of you that way, it wouldn't have been very exciting at all. It would have been downright _boring_.

"I play Monster Reborn. I'll use it to bring back the Monster I tossed with Worm Hope's effect… A more powerful Worm…

"Worm Illidan!"

The glowing ankh appeared, and a huge, hulking, hideous creature rose onto the field. It was a muscular, blue-skinned thing, with pointy spires all over its hairless body, and inhuman, lidless eyes. Its most disturbing feature was its mouth, which had a vertical jaw, lipless, with pointed teeth. (2,000 ATK)

"Just how many of these Worms are there?" asked Shichiro.

"Twenty-six," replied Edmund.

"Huh?" asked Shichiro.

"The Worm Empire is made up of a race that has twenty-six subspecies," explained Edmund. "Each one has a name that starts with one of the letters of the English alphabet. So far you've seen A, H, and this is I."

"I'm curious to see the X Worm," said Ember.

"I'm sure not!" squeaked Mistle, who had been hiding below the window ever since Illidan had appeared.

"Of course," said Edmund, "I don't use _all_ twenty-six of them in the same deck at once.

"Let's continue, shall we? Illidan, wipe out Skelengel… There's only room around here for one group of Flip-Effect Monsters…"

Worm Illadan roared, and three of its spires shot from its body, striking Skelengel and blowing it to pieces.

"ERGH!" groaned Shichiro, as a pain ripped through him.

He started gasping for breath.

_That hurt…_ he thought.

He looked at the circle of flames.

_I should have known… This barrier… Edmund's mumbo jumbo… This isn't any Disk-created hologram… This is real…_

_A Shadow Game…_

_Makes sense… He is a dark sorcerer… But I have to win, or I may lose far more than the Silver Hemisphere…_

"Still my move," continued Edmund, "so I'll set a Monster…"

A reversed Monster appeared beside Worm Illidan.

"And each time I set a card, Illidan gains a Worm Counter."

A small, orange lump appeared on Worm Illidan's chest.

"And I end my turn."

**(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,400)**

Shichiro made a draw.

_So what does it do with them?_ he thought.

"I move all three of my Knights to Defense Mode," he said. "And that's all for me."

Queen's Knight knelt and held up her shield. (1,600 DEF) King's Knight did the same (1,500 DEF) and Jack's Knight followed suit. (1,000 DEF)

"Then it's my move," replied Edmund, making a draw.

"First, I set a new Monster…"

Another set Monster appeared.

"That means Illidan gains another Worm Counter…"

Another lump appeared on Worm Illidan's chest.

"And now that it has two, I can expend both of them to destroy one Monster."

The two lumps burst into a cloud of foul spores, and covered Queen's Knight. She screamed, before bursting into shards. Shichiro took a step back in shock.

"Next, I'll Flip-Summon the Monster I set last turn," continued Edmund. "Worm Dimikles."

The card flipped, revealing a four-legged creature the size of a wolf, with a clear membrane for a skin, a serpent-like face with a toothy mouth, and six long, sharp tails. (1,700 ATK)

The Flip-Flop card glowed, and the burst of energy shot out of it, striking Shichiro.

"And due to its Flip-Effect, it gains 300 points to both its scores."

(2,000 ATK)

_Crud!_ thought Shichiro. _One of these days, I've gotta find room for Nobleman of Crossout in this deck…_

"Dimikles, destroy King's Knight!" ordered Edmund.

The Worm's six tails shot forward, impaling King's Knight and blowing him to shards.

"Now, Illidan will finish up…"

Illidan roared again, and shot its spires at Jack's Knight, and he exploded into pixels.

"So what now, Shichiro?" he asked.

"Watch me," replied Shichiro.

**(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,400)**

_Then again,_ he thought, _I'm not it the best situation… I've got no Monsters on the field, and he's got two good ones…_

_I'm gonna need something really good if I want to get through this…_

He made a draw.

_Wow… Didn't expect that much…_

He quickly played a Spell Card.

"I activate Silent Doom," he said. "Now, I can bring Queen's Knight back to the field in Defense Mode…"

Queen's Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,600 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice her…"

Queen's Knight vanished, and a powerful aura of light appeared where she had been…

Music started to play over the field, of the type that typically heralded the coming of a cavalry. In a flourish of golden motes, a powerful man in decorated plate armor, with long, blonde hair, and a stately moustache, with a stern and noble expression on his face appeared, holding a longsword and a large shield. It was the commanding officer of the Warrior class of Duel Monsters, Freed the Matchless General. (2,300 ATK)

"Not bad…" muttered Edmund.

"All right, General," said Shichiro. "Take out his Illidan!"

Freed nodded, and lunged at Worm Illidan, slicing it down the middle with his longsword. The Worm's eyes bugged out, and then it exploded into a burst of disgusting mucus, some of which splattered on Freed's armor.

"Eh, gross," said Ember.

"I set two facedown cards," said Shichiro, as two reversed cards appeared, "and I end my turn."

**(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,100)**

Edmund silently made a draw.

He waved his hand, and Worm Dimikles curled up in Defense Mode. (1,700 DEF)

"That's all?" asked Shichiro.

Edmund glared at him.

"My move…" he continued, making a draw.

"Come on out, Axe Raider!" he shouted.

In another flourish of energy, the axe-wielding barbarian appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Freed, destroy Worm Dimikles!"

The Matchless General made a slash with his blade, cleaving the soft membrane of the Worm in two.

Shichiro paused.

_Once I attack that reversed Monster,_ he thought, _its Flip-Effect is gonna activate… But letting him activate it himself may be worse…_

"Axe Raider, attack!" he shouted. "Axe crash!"

Axe Raider swung his weapon, and the Monster on the card exploded in a burst of black tar.

"You activated the Flip-Effect of Worm Jeetrikups," chuckled Edmund.

The Flip-Flop card glowed, and blasted the bolt of energy at Shichiro.

"And as a result," continued Edmund, "since it was also destroyed, it is summoned back to the field in Defense Mode."

The Monster appeared, looking much like a mass of hulking, black tar, with arms, legs, and a face. (0 DEF)

"Crud…" muttered Shichiro. "I have to end my turn…"

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,100)**

Edmund chuckled as he made a draw.

"I'll get rid of Jeetrikups…" he said.

Jeetrikups vanished.

"…to summon Worm Erokin!"

A much larger, much more hulking creature appeared, one that was heavy set, and covered with disgusting slime. It had the same vertically hinged mouth, and the same cold eyes. (2,400 ATK)

"It's only going to get worse from here," said Edmund. "I could simply take care of Freed with that, but I'd much rather play the Spell Card, Searing Light."

Shichiro didn't like the look of the Spell Card that appeared at all. It was a Quickplay that bore the image of a duelist facing a bizarre Monster that he couldn't identify.

"I simply have to choose one Light Monster on the field," continued Edmund, "and then remove one in my Graveyard from play that's a lower Level."

Worm Illidan fell out of his discard slot.

"Erokin is Level 6," continued Edmund, "and Illidan is Level 5.

"Now, Erokin gains Attack Points equal to those of Illadan for one round."

Worm Erokin roared in pure bloodlust… (4,400 ATK)

"Erokin," ordered Edmund, "take care of his so-called Matchless General."

Worm Erokin spewed a gout of foul slime at the General, and Freed groaned as his armor rotted and corroded. Fortunately, he shattered before anything else happened.

"No way…" muttered Jinx. "He beat Freed…"

Edmund chuckled softly as he slipped a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind Worm Erokin.

"It's your move…" he said, as Erokin's Attack Score fell back down to 2,400.

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 5,100)**

"Light…" gasped Shichiro. "These things are… Light?"

"What did you expect them to be?" asked Edmund.

"I dunno…" muttered Shichiro. "They like slime so much, maybe Water? What are these Worms, anyway? Aliens of some sort?"

"Why, yes," replied Edmund. "Alien beings created to do the bidding of a far greater power. And they are the perfect example of natural selection at work.

"See, the Worms were never very powerful as a race. But they not only survived, they built a vast empire, all due to one skill they were exceptional at – the art of the ambush. By basing their powers on sneak attacks and surprise, they managed to conquer whole planets."

"And that's why they like Flip-Effects so much?" asked Shichiro.

"You'd better believe it," replied Edmund.

Shichiro made a draw, and looked at the three cards in his hand. Then he looked at the two on the field.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared next to Axe Raider. Then Axe Raider knelt in Defense Mode. (1,150 DEF)

"Is that all?" asked Edmund, making a draw.

He looked at the card, which was My Body as a Shield.

"Worm Erokin, attack his facedown Monster!"

Erokin spewed its slime at the hidden Monster. It was revealed to be a muscular human, bare-chested and dressed only in a ragged pare of green trousers, his long hair tied in a ponytail. He held a short sword in his left hand and a spear in his right. He cringed as the slime hit him, and then shattered.

"Did my eyes deceive me," asked Edmund, "or was that Kagemusha of the Blue Flame? That's one of those Monsters who've gotten a cult status from being so useless. Why would you have such a Monster in your deck?"

"Watch your tongue," replied Shichiro. "Perhaps Kagemusha is more useful than you may think."

"Bah!" said Edmund.

He took the My Body as a Shield card.

"I'll set this, and end my turn."

The card appeared reversed, next to his other one.

"My move!" shouted Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card, and his eyes perked up.

"Axe Raider, move to Attack Mode!" he ordered.

Axe Raider stood up.

"Now, I use my facedown cards," he said. "First… Birthright!"

The facedown card lifted up, and Kagemusha appeared again. (800 ATK)

"Next," he said, as the second facedown card lifted, "I activate The League of Uniform Nomenclature!"

Two twins of Kagemusha appeared next to the first. (800 ATK x3)

"You not only put a worthless Monster in your deck," chuckled Edmund, "you put three copies of it in there? Maybe you aren't as good as your reputation claims."

"We'll soon see," said Shichiro. "I summon Junk Synchron!"

In a small burst of energy, Junk Synchron appeared in the last space on his Monster Zone. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, let's show this worm a thing or two…"

Junk Synchron gave its ripcord a yank, and then it and one of the three Kagemusha flew into the sky. They dissipated into five glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Junk Warrior!"

Junk Warrior landed in front of him with a roar. (2,300 ATK)

"And guess what, Eddy…"

"It's Edmund!" shouted Edmund.

"Whatever," said Shichiro. "Junk Warrior gains the Attack Points of all Level 2 or lower Monsters that are on the field when it's summoned. NOW do you see the point of my low-Level Warriors? They don't seem so useless now, do they?"

Junk Warrior glowed with golden energy… (3,900 ATK)

"Uh oh…" said Edmund.

"Junk Warrior…" shouted Shichiro, "attack Worm Erokin with Scrap Fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it flew at the vile Worm. Jinx, Ember, and Mistle cheered as it socked the creature in its fat gut, blowing it into particles.

"Ergh…" groaned Edmund.

**(S: 2,800) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,600)**

"Now to take you down!" shouted Shichiro. "Kagemusha… Axe Raider… Attack him directly!"

All three of the Warriors charged at Edmund…

"Not yet, Shadowchaser…" growled Edmund.

One of his two facedown cards lifted up, revealing a Quickplay.

"I activate Dark Wall of Wind!"

A fierce tornado of pitch-dark wind erupted, concealing Edmund and knocking the three Warriors backwards.

When the storm subsided, Edmund was chuckling softly.

"Seems I underestimated you, Mr. Osaka," he said.

"So, you've decided to address me more formally now?" asked Shichiro.

"I thought that you were little more than an upstart at first," replied Edmund. "A young Shadowchaser who couldn't handle a true test of might…

"It seems I'll have to unleash my true power upon you…"

Shichiro glared at him.

"I'll set a card facedown…" he muttered, as a reversed card appeared, "and that's all."

Edmund made a draw. He quickly played it, as it was Pot of Avarice. He took five Worms from his Graveyard – Erokin, Jeetrikups, Dimikles, Apocalypse, and Hope – and shuffled them into his deck, and then drew twice.

"I play this," he said. "Swords of Revealing Light."

The Spell Card appeared, and a shower of swords fell around Shichiro.

"Aw, nuts…" he said.

"That will keep you at bay for three full turns," said Edmund. "And I'll end my turn now…"

Shichiro made a draw. He looked at the two cards in his hand.

He set one on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared on his last space.

"Mmm!" he said.

"My draw…" said Edmund.

He drew a card.

"I'll set this Monster, and that will end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared.

Shichiro drew a card.

_Oh, Big Shield Gardna? _he thought. _I was hoping for something more useful…_

"I pass…" he said. "I can't do anything…"

"Then it's my draw again…" said Edmund, making a draw.

"I flip Worm Cartaros into Attack Mode," he said.

The facedown Monster flipped up. This Worm appeared humanoid, but hunched over, with pale, white flesh, the same vertical jaw, and four leathery, wing-like membranes on its back. (1,200 ATK)

The Flip-Flop card glowed, and shot its wave of energy at Shichiro. He grunted.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,400)**

"And due to its Flip-Effect," continued Edmund, "I get to take any low-Level Worm I desire from my deck…"

He took a card from his deck.

"I choose Worm Barses. And now I can summon it."

He played the card, and another Worm appeared. This one was a bulky creature with an ovoid head-torso combination covered with scales, four arms with thick-fingered hands, and the same vertical mouth. (1,400 ATK)

"Next," continued Edmund, "I play my Double Summon Spell Card."

"Oh no…" muttered Jinx. "This can only mean one thing… A double sacrifice…"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Edmund. "Not quite… True, the Monster I'm summoning is Level 8… But, I'm allowed to summon it with one sacrifice if the Monster being sacrificed is a Reptile-Type Monster with the word 'Worm' in its name."

_First they're Light, now they're Reptiles?_ thought Shichiro.

"So, I sacrifice Worm Cartaros…" said Edmund.

Cartaros vanished, and a large burst of radiant energy erupted from the spot…

"I summon her royal majesty… The Worm Queen!"

Shichiro stepped back in fright as the huge creature loomed fifteen feet over the field. The name that Edmund had given it was the only indication of its gender – it was not female in any mammalian sense, and was not beautiful. In shape, it was somewhat centaurian, its lower body a bulbous abdomen with six legs. Its upper body was muscular, had four arms, and horn-like spines on its back. It had similar horns on its head, and the only features on its face were two glaring eyes that were devoid of any emotion. Its whole body was covered with a thick, grey exoskeleton. (2,700 ATK)

Mistle hid again, and covered her eyes.

"Tell me when it's gone!" she squeaked.

"So…" muttered Shichiro. "I suppose this is the ruler of this Worm Empire you've been talking about?"

Actually, he doubted whether that was actually the case, but he thought he should ask.

"Maybe…" said Edmund. "Maybe not… But she's still no-one you'd want to be messing with…"

He played the last card in his hand.

"I play Book of Moon! I usually use this to reuse the Flip-Effects of my Monsters… But now it will have a much better use…"

Shichiro gasped as Junk Warrior vanished, replaced by a facedown Monster.

"Worm Barses," ordered Edmund, "get that Junk Warrior!"

The four-armed Worm rushed at Junk Warrior. It appeared crouching on the card, just as the Worm started to pummel it with its fists, causing it to shatter.

"Now that I've gotten that out of my system…" said Edmund. "Worm Queen… Destroy the Kagemusha of the Blue Flame on the left!"

Worm Queen glared at the Kagemusha with piercing eyes. Then, it simply lifted its front right foot, and stepped forward to squash him flat…

Shichiro's facedown card shot up as it actually did so.

"I activate… Spirit Force!" he shouted. "Now, the damage I would take is reduced to zero, and I get to retrieve a Tuner from my Graveyard."

Junk Synchron slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Well, good luck using it," replied Edmund.

_My Swords are still in play for one round,_ he thought, _and I didn't let him in on Worm Queen's effect…_

_Once per turn, I can sacrifice a Worm Monster to summon one from my deck that's an equal or lower level._

_So, next round, since Worm Queen is Level 8, I can use that effect to sacrifice Worm Queen herself to summon the actual lord of my deck, and show him the true meaning of fear._

"My move!" shouted Shichiro, making a draw.

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode," he said. "Meet Tuningware!"

The card flipped up, revealing a tiny, cute robot wearing a saucepan over its head, and a scarf around its neck. (100 ATK)

"Eh?" said Edmund.

"Now, I summon Junk Synchron again," continued Shichiro.

Junk Synchron appeared again. (1,300 ATK)

Junk Synchron pulled its ripcord again, and this time, both it and Tuningware split into _four_ glowing stars. A smaller shape started to form…

"Synchro Summon… Armory Arm!"

The Synchro Monster that appeared was indeed an arm. It looked like a robotic arm, with long, clawed fingers. (1,900 ATK)

"And what good will _that_ do you?" asked Edmund.

"We'll see," said Shichiro. "You see… Because I used Tuningware in a Synchro Summon, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"And now I'll use it! The Giant Trunade Spell Card!"

He played the Spell Card, and a fierce wind erupted over the field, causing the Flip-Flop card, Swords of Revealing Light, and Edmund's facedown card to vanish.

"Is Shichiro nuts?" shouted Ember. "That will let Edmund reset the Swords card next turn!"

"Not if I finish this on _this_ turn," replied Shichiro. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the glowing symbol appeared. Junk Warrior materialized again. (2,300 ATK)

Then Junk Warrior lifted its arm. Armory Arm flew over it, and its sleeve opened up, and lowered over Junk Warrior's hand, fitting into place like a gauntlet.

"Huh?" said Edmund.

"Armory Arm is like a Union Monster," said Shichiro. "It can Equip to other Monsters. And it increases Junk Warrior's Attack Score by 1,000 points."

(3,300 ATK)

"But first… Axe Raider, destroy Worm Barses!"

Axe Raider charged, and slammed his axe into Worm Barses, blowing it into hunks of unidentifiable material.

"Now, Junk Warrior…"

Junk Warrior lifted its gauntlet, and then its whole body was surrounded by an aura of flame…

"…slay his Worm Queen!"

Junk Warrior roared, and flew towards Worm Queen, socking the evil monarch in the chest. Worm Queen shrieked, and exploded into a burst of colored energy.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 2,700)**

"Monsters come and go," cursed Edmund, "but I won't be so easily defeated!"

"Oh yeah?" replied Shichiro. "Well, Armory Arm has another effect. You now lose Life Points equal to your destroyed Monster's Attack Score.

"And I'm afraid that's exactly how much you've got left."

Edmund gasped as a large hand of fire shot towards him…

Then he screamed…

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)**

Edmund glared at Shichiro as the burning circle around them died down, and then disappeared.

"It's all over Edmund…" said Shichiro.

He drew his sword from its sheath and pointed it at the necromancer.

"Now put your hands in the air."

"My pleasure…" said Edmund, raising his hands.

And then, Shichiro felt weaker than he had ever felt before. He dropped his sword, and fell to his knees.

"SHICHIRO!" screamed Jinx.

She ran out of the house.

"What happened?"

"I made a stupid mistake…" gasped Shichiro. "I told a wizard to raise his hands…"

Meanwhile, Edmund was pondering. That Shadow Game had taken a lot out of him… He likely had enough power left to overpower Jinx and Ember and take the Silver Hemisphere by force… But then, he would have none left to get back to Satellite, and then he'd be in real trouble when Gears finally got back.

So, he decided to simply cut his losses. As Jinx helped Shichiro to his feet, he turned and walked away. He turned a deaf ear to the threats that Shichiro shouted at him as he conjured up the portal again.

He hated to lose, yes… But he who fails and runs away lives to win another day.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was half an hour later that Gears sped into the garage on his bike. He would owe a debt to the Stout Mug Clan that lived in Satellite charging his D-Wheel, but the important thing was, he made it back.

_Well, the townhouse is still standing,_ he thought, as he leapt off his bike. _That's good news…_

He ran inside, to see Boris situated on a chair, reading a magazine.

"Boris!" shouted Gears. "Where's Shichiro!"

"You mean Hurricane Shichiro?" asked Boris. "In the kitchen. And I'd advise you not to let any of your limbs get too close to his mouth."

Gears ran into the kitchen, and saw that Shichiro had moved the table close to the refrigerator, and was in the process of devouring the leftovers. Jinx, Ember, and Mistle were watching in puzzlement.

"Oh, hi Gears," he said, with his mouth full. "You weren't saving that leftover cheesecake, were you?"

"What happened to him?" asked Gears to Jinx.

"He dueled that thing," replied Jinx. "He won, but it hit him with some sort of spell… It left him exhausted, dehydrated, and apparently, very, very, hungry."

Gears sighed.

"It was likely Enervation," he replied. "Not the most powerful necromantic spell, but one of the most notorious. It sucks the energy right out of you.

"Shichiro, did this guy use Light-Attribute Reptile Type Monsters called Worms?"

Shichiro nodded.

"Ugly things, too," he replied. "Did you have this much trouble with the first one?"

"Did I ever…" sighed Gears, sitting down. "Maybe it's time I told you all the whole story…"

"We're all ears," muttered Shichiro. "Do we still have any of that spaghetti left?"

"I remember it all too well…" started Gears. "Seven years ago, I was much younger, and had only been a Shadowchaser for a few months… And then he showed up… A worm that walked with diabolical plans. I never even learned his name.

"I foiled several of his schemes, dueling several of his minions, before I finally confronted him once and for all in the B.A.D. Area of Satellite, the worst part of the worst part of town. He forced me into one of the most dangerous of duels… A Turbo Shadow Duel.

"His Worm Monsters were like nothing I had ever seen. I was nearly outmatched. Finally, with my Life Points in triple digits, I lucked out, and my Colossal Fighter destroyed his Worm Queen, defeating him.

"The force of the impact caused him to lose control of his D-Wheel, and he crashed. The engine must have ignited, because it exploded. I know he didn't survive – I saw his burning carcass. And I didn't find any trace of his cards either. I assumed they were burned to ashes.

"I was victorious, but it wasn't over. For days afterwards, my dreams were haunted by the Worms… Monsters of Light more merciless than the Darkest of Fiends. I knew they were just biding their time until they decided to come back and get me.

"Then, one week later, I was asked to deliver something to a dwarf merchant. He was a very old, very friendly dwarf, and he invited me in for brandy and scones. It was the dead of winter, so I accepted. We talked, and I mentioned the Worms. To my surprise, he knew about them. He told me a weird story, and I couldn't help but listen.

"He told me that the Worms were created by a sinister force of Light that lurked in a distant galaxy, a malignant intelligence that was personified by a white hole."

"A white hole?" asked Ember.

"It's the opposite of a black hole," replied Gears. "White holes were only rumored to exist until one was discovered a few years ago… This very one, incidentally. While black holes absorb light, white holes apparently emit it somehow, spewing out radiance like a gigantic volcano of light.

Now, there are some theories and philosophies among Shadowkind that say that incredibly old celestial bodies, like stars and planets, can become sentient and intelligent over several millions of years. This 'white hole', if you will, developed a particularly malignant and sadistic intelligence, along with unheard-of power. It desired nothing less than the destruction of all beings that were inferior to itself, which was basically everything."

"The Light of Ruin…" muttered Shichiro.

"Yes, that's what this guy called it," replied Gears. "The Light of Ruin created the Worms as its blindly loyal servants, forming them into an army, skilled in the art of the ambush. The Worms marched forward like a relentless tide, conquering many planets and forming an empire.

"But they made the mistake of invading a world that was the home to a race called the Justicars.

"The Justicars had long been skilled in making gadgets and mechanical devices, and it was their love of such toys that saved them. When the Worms invaded and started to subjugate and enslave their race, they acted.

"Their artificers stripped their planet of all their valuables. Brass, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and gems, which fortunately were of no use to the Worms. They pounded the metal into shape in magical forges, forming robotic hulls, and gave them gems for hearts and brains. Creating mechanical beings that could combat the Worms…"

"The Allies of Justice!" exclaimed Jinx.

"That's why they're so powerful against Light Monsters!" added Ember.

"Exactly," replied Gears. "The Justicars enchanted them with the Light of Ruin's opposite – the Healing Darkness.

"And no sooner did the Allies of Justice come to life, they knew their purpose. When the Worms attacked next, they were met with fierce opposition. Their skills of ambush and deception proved worthless against the logical minds of the Machines, and the weapons of the Allies seared and burned their flesh that was so thick with the evil Light.

"The Worms fled, but the Allies pursued. Their empire started to crumble, as the Allies liberated one world after another. The Justicars gained more resources, and made more of their miraculous Machines, and the Worms were chased to the far ends of the universe. But the Light of Ruin continued to spawn its servants, and no Allies ever managed to find the Worms' homeworld. Apparently, the war continues even to this day.

"Now, the story seemed a little farfetched when I first heard it. I doubted the old dwarf's words at first… And then, he showed me his deck. The true Allies of Justice. I was shocked to actually see them, and even more shocked when he told me to take them! I objected, of course. How could I accept cards so precious? But he told me that he was old, and he could no longer duel. Arthritis and poor vision plagued him. He knew he didn't have many years left. He said he would feel safer knowing that they were in a competent duelist's hands.

"So I took the cards, and made a deck around them, knowing now that I had a weapon in case those Worms ever did come back…"

"And now they have…" muttered Shichiro.

"Heaven help us…" muttered Jinx. "But… On the plus side, we still have the Silver Hemisphere…"

"And we have to guard it with our lives," replied Gears. "It's the only thing that's keeping DaPen and this necromancer from doing whatever they're planning to do. If the fully assembled Regalia of the Day can allow a wizard to cast the most powerful of spells, it could let a necromancer cast the most powerful necromantic spells."

"Such as?" asked Ember.

"Terrible things…" replied Gears. "Possibly create whole armies of undead, or create flesh golems the size and strength of titans… Or even worse, transform himself into an undead sorcerer of even greater power than a worm that walks.

"We must be prepared…"

_**As the day came to a close, the general feeling in the air was one of doom, gloom, and despair. We had seen what Edmund could do, and Shichiro's victory over him hadn't seemed to accomplish much. But it had at least kept the final component of DaPen's scheme safe in our hands.**_

_**As the night began to fall, I would try to sleep, and wouldn't have much success. When I did finally fall into a slumber, visions of the hideous Monsters that Edmund had brought to life appeared in my dreams… Minions of the Light of Ruin, a source of Light more evil than any Fiend that was Dark…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM APOCALYPSE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** Flip: Destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM BARSES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, switch 1 Monster in face-up Defense Position to Attack Position.

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**WORM CARTAROS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** Flip: Search your deck for 1 Reptile-Type "Worm" Monster that is Level 4 or less and add it to your hand.

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**WORM DIMIKLES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** Flip: Increase this card's ATK and DEF by 300 for as long as it is face-up on the field.

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**WORM EROKIN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. Once per turn, you may select 1 "Worm" Monster you control and switch it to facedown Defense Position.

_Note: The proceeding five "Worm" Monsters were released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**WORM HOPE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,500

**Card Description:** Flip: If this card is flipped face-up by your opponent's Monster attacking, draw 1 card. Also, when this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, select 1 card in your hand and send it to the Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM ILLADAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Each time you set a card on your side of the field, place 1 Worm Counter on this card. You may destroy 1 opposing Monster by removing 2 Worm Counters from this card.

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**WORM JEETRIKUPS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** Flip: When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard on the turn it is flipped face-up, Special Summon this card in face-up Defense Position.

_Note: The proceeding three "Worm" Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 02: Invasion of Worms!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**WORM QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 1,100

**Card Description:** This card can be Tribute Summoned in face-up Attack Position by Tributing 1 Reptile-Type "Worm" Monster. Once per turn, by Tributing one Reptile-Type "Worm" Monster you control, Special Summon 1 Reptile-Type "Worm" Monster from your deck that is an equal or lower Level than the Tributed Monster.

_Note: "Worm Queen" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 04: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**DARK WALL OF WIND (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A man in a white cloak, in the center of a dark whirlwind.

**Card Description:** Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase. Reduce the damage you take from direct attacks this turn to zero.

_Note: "Dark Wall of Wind" was first used by Marik in the original anime episode "The Darkness Returns (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLIP-FLOP (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Two Penguin Soldiers balancing on one flipper on a Des Koala's back on a circus platform in a spotlight.

**Card Description:** When the Flip-Effect of a Flip-Effect Monster is activated, the opponent of the Monster's controller takes 500 points of direct damage.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SEARING LIGHT (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A duelist shielding himself while confronting Arcana Force 0: The Fool, which is emitting a blinding aura of light. (The duelist has more than a passing resemblance to Judai Yuki, suggesting that the card was designed by someone with a grudge against him.)

**Card Description:** Select one LIGHT Monster you control. Remove from play one LIGHT Monster in your Graveyard with a lower Level than the selected Monster. Increase the ATK of the selected Monster by the ATK of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_DaPen and Edmund are going to leave the Shadowchasers alone for at least a chapter, which gives Ember a good opportunity to finish her training. And it's going to be difficult, because Jalal reveals her fourth test, and it's going to be much harder than any of the first three. Meanwhile, she's going to do what she's supposed to do, pay attention to Jinx, as the latest Shadowkind threat she has to handle is one whose race is actually native to Earth. A Shadowkind race that's native to Earth? How is that possible? It will all be revealed soon._

"_Giant Soldier of Stone" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Mr. Yoshitsumo, Snakeblooded Shark**

It can be said that the world of high-finance is similar to swimming in a tank full of sharks. Among these predators lurks Mr. Yoshitsumo, perhaps the most ruthless and cunning financial mogul ever to enter a boardroom. He's one of the most sought-after consultants and advisors in the world, if not THE most, for good reason: he's one of the most successful. If he has a first name, no-one has ever learned it.

Mr. Yoshitsumo looks innocent enough on the surface. He's clearly of Japanese origin, is in his fifties, with graying hair, and is clean-shaven. He often wears a black trenchcoat over his custom-tailored business suit, and is never seen without his briefcase. Many folks would love to get ahold of that briefcase, knowing that the contents he is entrusted with are worth a fortune, but no-one has ever succeeded. Awares and Shadowkind recognize Mr. Yoshitsumo as a snakeblooded human, but even the ophidia fear him for his influence and power.

Mr. Yoshitsumo is on one hand, a mystery. Even the Shadowchasers have only discovered the following about his past: No record exists of his birth. He was raised in an orphanage in Fukuoka, Japan. He left both the orphanage and any organized education at the end of junior high school. As far as anyone knows, he never attended any college or university. He would have seemed to be simply a cipher, but at the age of nineteen, he made the front pages of [I]The Wall Street Journal[/I] and [I]The London Financial Times[/I] for single-handedly brokering an eight-way merger between companies in the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, and Taiwan.

From that point on, Mr. Yoshitsumo went on to become the most sought-after consultant in the world. He shuns employment with a single company, instead selling his services to anyone willing to pay. And he gets results, almost every time.

Mr. Yoshitsumo has repeatedly turned down offers to be partner, President, CEO, CFO, or Chairman of the Board for most of the Fortune 500 companies, as well as seats on the cabinets of the last five U.S. Presidents. He also has never given public consideration to starting a company of his own. "The world of high finance is too risky for me," he often says. "However, if my opinion may be of assistance to braver souls, then I am glad to give it." Of course, his fee for giving it is astronomical, and usually includes a percentage of revenue.

Despite being a snakeblooded, there is no proof (or even any solid evidence) that Mr. Yoshitsumo uses supernatural aid in his work. Despite this, his relation to the vile ophidia makes some people suspicious of him. Jalal has never hired Mr. Yoshitsumo, but he has worked with companies who have, and he keeps an eye on the consultant. Jalal is rich enough not to worry about Mr. Yoshitsumo's influence, which likely could ruin most folks who are too interested in him. For now, Mr. Yoshitsumo doesn't seem any more corrupt than the next corporate tycoon… But what his ultimate plans are, only time will tell…

**Story Ideas:** Probably the only duelist in the Yu-Gi-Oh anime who could afford to hire Mr. Yoshitsumo is Seto Kaiba, and he has little to do with the Shadowchasers. (If he ever gave either Gozaburo or the Big Five any advice, they clearly didn't heed it. Rex Godwin might have worked with him at some point, but he's not exactly a heroic figure.) Jalal could, but he doesn't trust him, and most characters in any fanfic do not even approach his price range. So what to use this man for?

Mr. Yoshitsumo's mysterious agenda might bring him into contact with almost anyone. He could appear almost anywhere, appearing out of the shadows when someone hits a dead end, possibly to point that person in the right direction. Once he has done so, he can leave as mysteriously as he came. Exactly how Mr. Yoshitsumo knows these things and why he's choosing to share them isn't important. His presence and odd bits of advice can add to the tone of certain plots, particularly dark ones.

Keep in mind that Mr. Yoshitsumo does not do anything for charity. If he gives help to anyone, he's going to want something in return eventually. If he knows that the folks he's helping could never meet his regular fee, he might require payment of a different sort. To that end, he could become a villain in his own right, or a plot device to open a new chapter.

**Deck Suggestions:** Many and varied. Mr. Yoshitsumo likely has many decks to use if he ever had to duel, and prides himself on not being predictable. In fact, if he had to use Duel Monsters to solve a problem, and there were any living witnesses to the duel (his opponent included) he'd likely never use that deck again.


	33. Giant Soldier of Stone

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

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**Giant Soldier of Stone**

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_**It's been well-established that Shadows are not native to Earth, but to elsewhere in the universe. It's possible for a Shadow to be born here, but while he may be native to our world, his people are not. No Shadowkind race originated on Earth, right?**_

_**Well, yes and no. It can be confusing, but sometimes things happen, and sometimes Shadows do weird and powerful things that create creatures that have not been seen anywhere, either on Earth or in their native realm. Sometimes these creatures become numerous, develop the ability to reproduce, and become a race unto themselves. Their race thus originated on Earth…**_

_**And yet, they are still Shadowkind for all intents and purposes, because their origins lie in magic and enchantments caused by Shadowkind. The veil still obscures them from common people, and anything that affects a Shadow still affects them. Thus, they fall under the jurisdiction of the Shadowchasers.**_

_**As a new day was dawning, I was about to meet one of these "native Shadowkind", and find out that native to our world or not, some Shadowkind had bizarre goals, and this led to them doing some bizarre – and illegal – things.**_

The next morning at six-thirty, the four Shadowchasers were gathered around the breakfast table, discussing the immediate problems. Both Edmund, and more importantly, the giant that they had learned had appeared in Satellite yesterday, a demon the size of a skyscraper that Jalal had identified as Ccapac Apu. They had wondered just where it had gone… How could a thing that size have hidden itself?

And more importantly, none of them were eager to go and face it if Jalal told them to do so. What would they do, stab it in the toe?

"More Java, anyone?" asked Boris, coming up with the coffee pot.

Simultaneously, four mugs lifted up.

"I thought you folks didn't like my coffee…" muttered Boris, as he started to refill them.

"We need the caffeine today," replied Shichiro. "Gears, how are we going to find Edmund now?"

"Well, he likely won't go back to that junk shop now that I know he was there," replied Gears. "Jinx, is your scan picking up anything?"

"No," replied Jinx, sipping her coffee. "Funny that you mentioned the B.A.D. Area. It's been so full of negative energy lately, it's the only spot on the map that's registering."

"That place has been a hot spot for evil energy ever since Zero Reverse," muttered Shichiro.

"Well, in the past few weeks, it's gotten a great deal hotter," said Jinx. "It's a regular chill-grill."

"A 'chill-grill'?" asked Ember.

"It's a slang term for a very large source of negative energy," replied Gears. "Since negative energy is the energy of death, most folks associate it with cold, so any large source of it is like a very big fire, but very cold instead of hot. Shadows and Shadowchasers call an area like that a chill-grill.

"I hesitate to think what might be going on in that place…"

"Something that the four of you should not concern yourselves with… yet," said Jalal's voice. "I'm considering our options."

He slowly appeared in front of them in holographic form.

"You know what's happening there?" asked Shichiro.

"It and the appearance of Ccapac Apu are connected," replied Jalal.

The four humans shuddered as he mentioned that.

"Fear not," said Jalal. "From what I now know, Ccapac Apu and the rest of the Earthbound Gods…"

"There are more of them?!" gasped Gears, getting up.

"Do not interrupt me, Gears," replied Jalal. "Yes, there are more, but they are imprisoned in some way. They can only influence the world at this point when their minions summon them in a Shadow Game.

"However… We will _not_ engage these minions until we learn more about them. Like I said, I'm considering my options, and there is one force opposing them already."

He cleared his throat.

"Michiko, if you needed to take a shower, why don't you do so now?"

Ember felt a little excited as she got up. Did this mean her fourth test was going to be assigned?

"C'mon, Gears," said Shichiro, as they watched her leave the room. "You said you'd help me fix the transmission on my Wheel."

"I didn't know that the transmission on your Wheel was…" started Gears.

Then Shichiro hit him on the back of the head.

"Oh, right…" he said.

The two of them left the room as Jalal sat down (apparently on nothing).

"One test remains, Kaede," he continued. "One more, and then Michiko may attempt the Rite of Passage."

Jinx sighed, and didn't say anything.

"I know, Kaede, I know," said Jinx. "Most apprentices become frightened when they hear what they must do to complete the Rite of Passage, and it's difficult for teachers to give it to them. But it must be done…

"To complete the Rite of Passage, young Michiko must handle a Shadow-related threat on her own, alone, without help from you or any other Shadowchaser."

"It's a dangerous and reckless tradition," muttered Jinx.

"Well," said Jalal, "it need not be done right away…

"In the meantime, here is the fourth test…"

She handed Jinx a card. It was the Trap Card, Limit Reverse.

"You can't be serious!" shouted Jinx. "You're telling me that this one actually _can_ be given?"

"I don't design tests that I never mean to give, Kaede," said Jalal.

"Well, I certainly can't recall anyone ever taking it," replied Jinx. "Let alone passing it…"

"Maybe someone did and was told to keep quiet about it," replied Jalal. "Tell Michiko that I wish her good luck…"

Jinx didn't know that Ember had been listening outside the kitchen door the whole time. Jalal knew, and his wish of good luck was meant to be a personal one.

Ember didn't know what the Limit Reverse entailed. But now she knew what the Rite of Passage did…

And Jalal had been right… It _did_ frighten her.

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Half an hour later, Ember was in the room she had been given, going over her deck.

She looked at Flamvell Urquizas and her other key cards: Flame Swordsman, Infernal Flame Emperor, Familiar-Possessed Hiita, and all the other Flamvell Monsters…

One person was in her mind right now… Hebi-Na.

It was kind of hard to imagine that Hebi-Na had been the one to fully open her eyes, and that she had done so by trying to put a bullet in her head. It was all water under the bridge now, of course. She was locked up, and would likely be given five consecutive life sentences soon…

"Ember?" asked Jinx's voice from behind.

"Uh, yeah Jinx," said Ember. "I'll be ready to go in a minute…

"Jinx, I have a question… What do the ophidia worship?"

A serious expression crossed Jinx's face.

"The ophidia worship a Shadowkind deity that they call Seghulerak," she replied. "She's a very odd goddess, who represents both survival and destruction."

"In other words," replied Ember, "she teaches the ophidia that, in order to survive, they must conquer and subjugate all other races."

"Exactly," said Jinx. "Her dogma is full of talk of the Age of Serpents that she urges her children to prepare for…

"A time when the Earth will split, and vomit a torrent of snakes and crawling things, which will descend on humanity like a plague, and establish the ophidia as the true masters of the world, where Seghulerak will rule as queen."

"So, why do the Shadowchasers put up with this talk?" asked Ember.

"Well, Ember," said Jinx, sitting down, "alone, an ophidia criminal can be dangerous. Hebi-Na would have killed you, and wouldn't have lost any sleep over it. She likely had a lot of blood on her hands. But as a Shadowkind race, their goals are jokes.

"We have yet to see any magic that their leaders cast work properly. They spend time on elaborate rituals that never actually do anything. It can actually be sad sometimes. In the past, they have planned grand incantations in order to summon Seghulerak to Earth, preparing for decades or even centuries to finish the project. Nothing ever results from these grandiose schemes, except rebellion from the members of the clans who were told they would work. And when the Shadowchasers study these rituals, we find that they weren't even close to being what was needed for such magics. Half the time, the ophidia who attempt them aren't even divine magicians. Some of us tend to doubt that Seghulerak even exists."

"So maybe the whole joke is on the ophidia," said Ember, "and they don't realize that they're the butt of it."

"More than likely," said Jinx. "But keep in mind, they're still dangerous. If we didn't keep them in check, they wouldn't keep their appetites in check. Every ophidia alive would love to taste human flesh again, and it's only the Treaty that stops them.

"Most of them…"

She sighed, and handed her the Limit Reverse card.

"Here."

Ember smiled a little, as she always did when she saw this card. It had the image of Swordsman of Landstar on it, clearly not Katsuya Jonouchi's strongest Monster, but one of his cutest.

"So, is this my fourth test?" she asked.

"Yes, and listen closely," said Jinx. "Once I explain the rules, you'll only have an hour to adjust your deck. After that, you can't change it.

"The next time you duel alone, you must win by reducing your opponent's Life Points to _exactly_ zero. Not one point more."

A serious expression crossed Ember face.

"Has… anyone ever done this test?" she asked, even though she had heard what Jinx had said to Jalal.

"I have never met a Shadowchaser who has," replied Jinx. "I always thought tests like this were symbolic in some way.

"Do you need to change your deck?"

Ember spread out her deck and looked at the cards.

"I'll go with what I've got," she said.

Jinx sighed.

"Then let's go jogging," she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, Jinx was slowly driving her D-Wheel down the main boulevard of the city with Jinx jogging behind her.

"Come on, Ember!" urged Jinx. "Feel the burn!"

Then an incoming call flashed on her D-Wheel.

"Take five," she said, pulling over.

She threw Ember a towel, and turned on the screen. Shichiro's face appeared on it.

"Jinx, how far are you two from the Air and Space Museum?" he asked.

"About four blocks," replied Jinx. "Why?"

"Cause a guy who you're just dying to see just went in there," said Shichiro, "and I don't think he paid the admittance fee…"

"Wait…" said Jinx. "You're kidding! That thieving Arcane Golem went there again? He's actually stupid enough to try to rob the same place twice?"

"Apparently so," replied Shichiro.

"Arcane Golem?" asked Ember.

"Get on!" ordered Jinx.

Ember hopped on and put her helmet on, as Jinx started up the engine.

"I've got you now…" she said.

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Just what was an Arcane Golem? Jinx explained it later.

Magic is divided into many schools, such as evocation, illusion, alteration, and necromancy, like what Edmund studied. Most wizards are generalists, but some, like Edmund, become specialists, specializing in one school. By doing so, they can become very powerful in that school, at the cost of limiting their options in others.

There was one school of magic that you could _only_ use if you specialized in it. Generalists could not use spells of this school at all. It was called wild magic.

Wild magic is a very powerful but very unpredictable school of magic that taps the raw energy of Chaos. A wild mage, as a practitioner is called, can cast some very powerful incantations, but the problem is, his spells often don't do what he intends them too. Plus, there is always the risk of the dreaded wild surge, an explosion of chaotic energy that can literally do anything. What's more, _any_ spell that a wild mage casts, not just a wild magic spell, carries a risk of something going wrong, and the chance increases when the wild mage casts a wild magic spell. The more powerful the spell that the wild mage casts, the greater the chance for a mishap. Only the bravest (but not always the most intelligent) wizards choose to become wild mages.

Fifty years ago, there was an elven wild mage named Holla. She wasn't scared by the unpredictability of the art, and her response to the occasional wild surge, even the one that sent her to the middle of the Northern Territory of Australia, was that "accidents will happen". Unfortunately, the frequent explosions that her magic caused frightened the other elves in her clan, until her clan leader gave her an ultimatum – switch to more traditional magic, or leave the clan. Holla decided to leave, saying that she'd prefer privacy anyway.

And soon, she created the first of the Arcane Golems. They were marvelous constructs made of stone, each one seven feet tall, incredibly strong, and each one able to channel a type of elemental energy – fire, acid, lightning, or frost. Holla made more and more of them, and they became stronger, and seemed more intelligent. She even tried to sell them to the Shadowchasers, but was met with a flat refusal.

The reason for this was, Jalal had seen them function, and was becoming worried about how smart they seemed. What if they rebelled and killed her, and then turned their aggression on innocents? Holla laughed. Impossible, she said. She had a plan that she thought was foolproof.

In order for the Golems to keep functioning, she had to cast a certain spell on them once a month to recharge their magical energies. If she didn't, they'd turn to immobile stone statues, dead for all practical purposes. The spell was written in ancient elven, which only elves could comprehend and read, and even if they found a way to read it, they couldn't cast it themselves, because the spell had to be spoken, and she didn't give them any voices or other ways to talk. So they didn't dare rebel, because doing so would write their death sentences. It was a plan that certainly seemed foolproof.

Then, one day, Holla cast a spell that created the mother of all wild surges, the _wildwind_, a storm of chaos more lethal than any other. The surge turned every human in a five-block radius into weird, pink fish with feet. It took two Incantifers to turn them back and quell the surge.

The Shadowchasers arrived, of course, but they had come too late to either arrest or save Holla. She had apparently been caught in the epicenter of her own surge, and had vanished without a trace. Some say that it had been waiting to happen, and it had served her right. All efforts to locate her after that failed, and her ultimate fate is a mystery. (But a warrant for her arrest is still valid if she ever appears alive.) The Arcane Golems remained behind, cleaning and maintaining her laboratories in case she came back. She had cast the spell to maintain them only a few days previously; everyone assumed that in only a month, they'd be no more, so they decided not to risk any lives trying to destroy them.

But the Golems were far smarter than even Holla had believed. They read her spellbooks, and while they couldn't cast any powerful spells individually without voices, they could cast a few powerful ones by combining their powers. They were able to cast one that allowed one of their own to talk. Eventually, this one member learned to cast more powerful spells, and before the one-month deadline was up, he managed to cast the spell that kept them from going inert. Soon, they were all able to talk, and could cast the spell at any time.

It didn't end there. They started to build more Arcane Golems. They improved on Holla's design, making the spell needed to recharge them unnecessary. For the ones who still required it, they managed to create special amulets that made it unnecessary for them as well. They nourished themselves by eating stone and other mineral substances, like oil and coal.

The Arcane Golems soon became so numerous, they started to split into small groups. Eventually, they started to petition to Jalal to obtain the rights allotted in the Treaty to other Shadowkind. Jalal couldn't ignore this. Whether the Golems had actually gained life was a question for philosophers to answer, but they now clearly possessed the three traits that defined sentient beings, according to the Shadowchasers' definition: intelligence, sapience, and self-awareness. They were also becoming civilized, another prerequisite of falling under the Treaty's jurisdiction. So he consented.

The only problem is, in recent years, Arcane Golems have realized that their diet of normal minerals can benefit greatly from the addition of minerals of more exotic types. Stones of magical nature or ones used in alchemy can give them additional powers. And with hearts that were created by wild magic, they don't always seek them out through legitimate channels…

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When pulling in front of the Neo Domino Air and Space Museum, one would instantly take notice of the large marquee in the front:

**NOW APPEARING! THREE WEEKS ONLY!**

**APOLLO 11**

**EXPERIENCE THE MAJESTY**

"I've heard of this exhibit," said Ember, as they got off the bike. "The Apollo 11 exhibit is on loan from the Smithsonian. So what does some golem want from it?"

Jinx opened the compartment next to the seat of her D-Wheel.

"I have a pretty good idea," she said.

She took out two small tubes of red liquid, and one tube of a blue one. She handed one of the red ones to Ember.

"Drink this, and follow me," she said. "It will protect you from what this guy can do."

Ember uncorked the bottle and followed Jinx up the steps to the entrance. She drank it in three gulps.

"Mmm!" she exclaimed. "It tastes like cinnamon! But, what can this guy do?"

They ran into the museum, and stopped short.

Everyone in the museum had been literally frozen. Every human was frozen in mid-stride, and covered with a fine coating of frost.

"There's your answer," replied Jinx.

"Are they dead?" asked Ember.

"Naw," replied Jinx, shaking her head. "They'll come to in about an hour… With bad headaches. But we have to find the guy who did this before he makes off with what he came here for."

What the Arcane Golem had come for was something that was hard to get anywhere but a museum that was showing this particular exhibit.

In the exhibit hall where the Apollo 11 display was kept, mementos of the famous moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were on display. There were dozens of photographs, the two astronauts' space suits, and parts of the Apollo 11 craft itself.

In the center of the room, the Arcane Golem himself was standing over a display case containing several stone samples that had been collected on the moon's surface by the two astronauts. He was trying to figure out how to disable the alarm that protected the case.

He was a monolithic creature, seven feet tall and made of stone, in the shape of a human, covered with pale blue runes that looked like a cross between carvings and tattoos. His left hand was bigger than the right; an Arcane Golem used its left hand for anything that required strength, and its right for anything that required manual dexterity.

"Hold it," said Jinx.

The Golem turned around and saw her. It grumbled a little.

"It's a good thing we got here," said Jinx. "NASA would hate to lose those rock samples… It's not like it's easy for them to get new ones."

"And just what good are they to NASA?" asked the Golem, turning around. "They can't actually do anything with them except display them in museums like these, because they're lunar in origin.

"But for someone like me… A stone that came from such a source can grant great power… A bit of the moon's soil has enchantment that can't be found on Earth's surface, and can't be gotten by anyone without the ability to go to the moon."

"Well, keep dreaming, buddy," said Jinx. "You Arcane Golems seem to think you can take anything you want these days. Life isn't like that."

The Arcane Golem held up his left arm, and it started to shape like putty. A stone Duel Disk took shape on it, complete with a deck in a holder.

"You cannot beat me," replied the Golem. "I am hard stone, and all you are is soft flesh."

Jinx smirked, and activated her Duel Disk.

"Oh, you're lucky I have to duel you," she said, "or you'd see what I was capable of doing to 'hard stone'."

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Arcane Golem: 8,000)**

"I draw…" said the Golem, making his first draw.

He looked at the card he had drawn, which was Heavy Storm. Not the right time for that, perhaps, but a good card to have.

"I set three cards," it said.

It placed three cards into its Disk, and three facedown cards appeared in front of it.

"Then, I summon B.E.S. Armored Core."

There was an unearthly hum, and a large spacecraft rose behind the Arcane Golem. It looked like a bulky, robotic fighter drone, with a glowing core in the center. (1,300 ATK)

"I end my turn."

Jinx slowly made a draw.

_B.E.S. Monsters, huh?_ she thought. _Normally, those are a big problem… If one of them is destroyed, another one takes its place…_

_But… In order to do that, he'd need a Continuous Spell Card called Boss Rush, and he hasn't got it!_

"Jinx, careful…" said Ember.

"Don't worry, Ember, he's trying to scare me," said Jinx. "I summon Abare Ushioni!"

In a burst of energy, the bull-like Beast-Warrior appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I activate its effect…" she said.

A coin appeared in her hands.

"On the contrary…" said the Golem.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"Divine Wrath?!" gasped Jinx.

The Golem discarded Heavy Storm, and a bolt of lightning struck Abare Ushioni, vaporizing it.

_Okay, maybe he's better at this than I give him credit for…_ she thought.

She placed a card in her Disk, and a set card appeared.

"That's all," she said.

"Draw," said the Golem, making a draw.

"B.E.S. Armored Core, attack the female directly."

The craft fired several rounds from a laser cannon on its underside, striking Jinx and knocking her over. She slowly stood up and held her stomach in pain.

"I end my turn," he said again.

**(J: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 8,000)**

_Alright!_ thought Jinx. _Enough fooling around…_

"I summon X-Saber Urz!"

With a battlecry, the savage Warrior holding twin scimitars leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Ground that spaceship!" she shouted.

Urz assumed a fighting stance…

Then, a siren sounded through the whole room, and red lights flashed.

"Huh?" said Ember. "Did someone trip an alarm?"

"No, you foolish human," said the Golem, pointing to a Trap Card he had just activated. "Your attack triggered a Trap Card called Alert. Now, I get to activate a set Continuous Spell Card, just like I would a Trap Card."

"A Continuous Spell Card?" gasped Jinx. "But that means…"

"Yes," said the Golem, as his last facedown card lifted. "Boss Rush."

Urz couldn't stop his attack. He leapt at the spaceship, striking it with his scimitar and slicing it cleanly in half.

**(J: 6,700) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 7,700)**

"I… end my turn…" muttered Jinx.

"Not before I use the effect of Boss Rush," replied the Golem, "to Special Summon B.E.S. Tetran."

A new spaceship appeared, this one saucer-shaped and flat, again with a glowing core in the center (with a gap in the front exposing it) and four tentacles sprouting from each corner. (1,800 ATK)

"My move," said the Golem, making a draw.

"The problem with summoning a Monster with Boss Rush is, most of the time, it doesn't have any shields to protect its power source.

"But I can give it some, with the Spell Card, Shield Recovery."

He quickly played the Spell Card, and B.E.S. Tetran glowed. Three shields formed in front of the core.

"Now, I can expend one of them, to destroy your Trap Card."

The Tetran blasted a bolt of energy from one of its tendrils, hitting the facedown card…

"I activate it!" shouted Jinx. "Skull Dice!"

The little imp appeared, and tossed its die. It skipped and bounced, and landed on the three. B.E.S. Tetran fell to an Attack Score of 1,500.

The Golem frowned.

"I set one card," he said, "and then play the Continuous Spell Card, Debris Collector."

A set card and a Continuous Spell appeared on the field in front of him.

"My draw!" exclaimed Jinx.

She drew a card.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she shouted.

The toad-like Warrior in armor appeared next to Urz. (1,800 ATK)

"This is pointless," said the Golem. "Your tribesmen cannot match my futuristic technology."

"We'll see about that," said Jinx, fitting a card into her Disk. "Once I Equip Urz with Soul Saber!"

Urz's two swords vanished, and a larger sword that looked like X-Saber Passiul's weapon appeared in his hands.

"When he's Equipped with this, he can survive any battle," she continued. "So Urz, take out the second shield!"

Urz gripped the Soul Saber in both hands, and leapt at the direct center of the craft, striking the second shield, and shattering both it and the weapon. He fell backwards, but was unharmed.

"Of course, while he survived, the Soul Saber was destroyed," continued Jinx. "But when that happens, I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

"Now, Galahad attacks, and when he attacks, he gains 300 Attack Points."

Galahad leapt at Tetran, his Attack Score rose up to 2,100, and he slashed at the third and final shield, smashing through it.

"My Tetran is still standing," said the Golem. "And now I will activate my Trap… Cyber Summon Blaster."

His facedown card lifted up, and a huge machine rose up behind him. It looked like a laser gun of some sort on tank treads, with a dish antenna for a blaster.

"This Continuous Trap will inflict 300 points of damage to you whenever I Special Summon a Machine-Type Monster."

"Uhm, I'm guessing that's not good…" said Ember.

"Not particularly," replied Jinx.

**(J: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 7,400)**

"And now, it's my move," said the Golem.

He drew a card.

"B.E.S. Tetran," he ordered, "obliterate X-Saber Galahad."

The craft aimed its guns at Galahad, and the X-Saber's Attack Score fell to 1,300…

"I activate his effect!" shouted Jinx. "If he would be destroyed in battle, I can protect him by sacrificing another X-Saber! Urz, see you later!"

The laser beams struck Galahad, and Urz vanished into grains of light as Galahad withstood it.

_But because it battled without a shield,_ thought Ember, _Tetran will be leaving…_

It sure looked that way. B.E.S. Tetran's core ruptured, and explosions rocked all over its hull. Then it shattered into pixels.

"Of no consequence," said the Golem. "Due to Debris Collector, since my Monster was destroyed by its own effect, I now get to draw one card."

He made one draw.

"I now end my turn, and activate the effect of Boss Rush, to Special Summon Big Core."

Jinx stepped back as a larger, more ominous spaceship loomed over the field. It was big, bulky, and armored, and once again had a glowing core in the center. (2,300 ATK)

"And that means my Trap Card activates," said the Golem.

Cyber Summon Blaster shot a beam of energy, striking Jinx. She hollered in pain.

**(J: 5,700) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 7,400)**

_Man, I'm getting nowhere fast,_ thought Jinx. _Time to try something new…_

She made a draw.

"I sacrifice Galahad…"

Galahad vanished into pixels of light.

"…to summon Maximum Six!"

With a roar, the muscular, six-armed ogre appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, let's see if I can't turn this around…"

A die appeared in mid-air, and it started to skip and bounce…

Then it landed on the six.

Maximum Six roared again. (3,100 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Jinx. "Aim for the core!"

Maximum Six leapt at the huge craft, and jammed its fist right into the glowing power source. Big Core shuddered, and then exploded into space junk.

"Ergh…" growled the Golem.

"No matter," he said. "Since it was actually destroyed by its effect, I get to draw once due to Debris Collector."

He made a draw.

"I end my turn…" muttered Jinx.

"Then it's time for something new," replied the Golem. "B.E.S. Crystal Core."

A new spaceship appeared, this one different than all the others. It looked like a huge mass of crystal, with a glowing core in the center, and two metal tentacles tipped with laser cannons. (2,100 ATK)

Cyber Summon Blaster fired, striking Jinx again. She grunted.

**(J: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 6,600)**

The Golem drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said. "I'll summon B.E.S. Assault Core from the Graveyard."

The holy symbol appeared, and Assault Core appeared again. (1,300 ATK)

Then Cyber Summon Blaster glowed, and zapped Jinx again.

"Ugh," she said.

"Now, I activate Crystal Core's effect," continued the Golem, "to move your Monster to Defense Mode."

A wave of energy shot from the Crystal Core, and Maximum Six knelt and shielded itself. (1,600 DEF)

Then Crystal Core aimed a tentacle at Maximum Six and fired a laser, blowing it to shards.

Assault Core aimed its guns at Jinx…

"Not again…" she said.

She screamed as it fired its weapons at her, knocking her down again.

"Jinx?" asked Ember.

"I'll be fine…" gasped Jinx. "So long as I don't laugh or sneeze any time soon…"

"Now, it is time for Crystal Core to leave…" said the Golem.

Crystal Core exploded into shards.

"Which means I get to draw once due Debris Collector…"

He made one draw.

"And now I summon one of the most powerful members of the Bacterium fleet… The B.E.S. Big Core MK-2."

Before Jinx's eyes, the biggest, most frightening-looking spaceship appeared in front of her. It was large, streamlined, and more high-tech than any of the previous B.E.S. ships, colored in hues of silver and crimson, with two cores, complete with two gaps that would hold the shields.

And she was even more surprised to see three shields materialize in each of those gaps. (2,400 ATK)

"Wait just a minute!" she shouted. "B.E.S. Monsters don't get shields when they're Special Summoned!"

"_Most_ B.E.S. Monsters don't," corrected the Golem. "This one does."

Then Jinx screamed as the Cyber Summon Blaster zapped her again.

**(J: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 6,600)**

_Man…_ thought Jinx. _I'm really getting pounded…_

She drew a card, and then looked at the five cards in her hand.

"I summon Time Wizard!" she shouted.

In a flash of light, the short, humanoid clock appeared. (500 ATK)

The Arcane Golem lifted an eyebrow.

"Go!" shouted Jinx. "Time Roulette now!"

Time Wizard thrust its staff forward, and the arrow on the tip started to spin.

It spun, and spun, and spun…

Then, Jinx made a curse as it landed on one of the two skulls. The air warped, and then Time Wizard dissolved into particles.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh," chuckled the Golem.

"Don't laugh yet," said Jinx. "I throw a card facedown, and then play Monster Reborn."

A reversed card appeared, and then the holy ankh appeared in mid-air. X-Saber Urz appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And I end my turn."

**(J: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 6,600)**

"My draw," said the Golem, drawing a card.

"B.E.S. Big Core MK-2, annihilate X-Saber Urz."

The spacecraft glowed with energy, and shot a beam of pulsating energy at the X-Saber.

"Activate… Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

Her facedown card shot up, and a coin appeared in her hand once again.

"Heads!" she shouted, giving it a toss.

The coin fell to the ground, and this time, her luck was better. It was indeed heads.

X-Saber Urz swatted the blast aside, and the large craft shuddered. One shield on each of its sets shattered. The Arcane Golem growled.

"I end my turn," he said.

**(J: 3,250) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 5,000)**

Jinx quickly made a draw.

"First, I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said. "Then I summon X-Saber Airbellum."

With a savage growl, the leather clad, clawed Beast appeared next to Urz. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both of them together!"

Both Airbellum and Urz glowed, and faded into seven glowing stars. They flew to the ceiling of the museum room…

X-Saber Urbellum landed, drawing his two swords. (2,200 ATK)

"Do you really think some primitive barbarian can defeat my space age Machine?" asked the Golem.

"We'll see, won't we?" asked Jinx, playing a Spell Card. "I play Pot of Avarice."

She played the card, and took Galahad, Airbellum, Abare Ushioni, Maximum Six, and Time Wizard from her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and made two draws.

She looked at them.

"I set two more cards facedown, and end my turn."

Two more reversed cards appeared behind Urbellum.

**(J: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 5,000)**

"Your Trap Cards don't scare me," said the Golem, as he drew a card. "Even if my Monsters are destroyed, my Boss Rush will just summon new ones to replace them.

"B.E.S. Big Core MK-2, destroy X-Saber Urbellum!"

B.E.S. Big Core MK-2 prepared to fire its weapons…

"Hold on there, big guy!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted. "I activate… Ordeal of a Traveler!"

A huge, stone sphinx appeared behind her. She held up the two cards remaining in her hand.

"First, you gotta choose a card in my hand. Then you gotta guess whether it's a Spell, Trap, or Monster. You guess right, your attack can go through. But if you guess wrong, then your Monster goes back to your hand."

"WHAT?" shouted the Arcane Golem.

He hesitated.

"Get the idea?" asked Jinx. "It might put a big crimp in your whole Boss Rush strategy, now wouldn't it?"

The Golem grit its teeth.

"C'mon, c'mon…" said Jinx. "Shouldn't be too hard… There are only two cards…"

"All right…" said the Golem, lifting his hand. "I believe…

"That the card in the right… is… a Monster!"

Jinx grinned. She turned the card around. It was Double Spell.

"Wrong," she said.

The Arcane Golem gasped as B.E.S. Big Core MK-2 vanished, and the card reappeared in his hand.

"You'll pay for that!" snarled the Golem, taking a card from his hand. "I summon…"

Then he stopped short.

"You can't make Normal Summons with Boss Rush on the field, can you?" asked Jinx. "That's the big weakness of your whole strategy."

The Golem quickly chose another card.

"I play A Feather of the Phoenix," he said. "Now, I toss one card…"

He discarded a second Boss Rush.

"Then, I get to take any card I desire from my Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck."

A card slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed it on top.

"Then, I move Assault Core to Defense Mode…"

Assault Core landed, and the core dimmed. (2,000 DEF)

"…and then set a card facedown."

A reversed card appeared.

"It's your move."

Jinx drew a card, and looked at it.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

_If I attack Assault Core, I'll just get another big spaceship to deal with,_ she thought. _I'll play it safe for now._

"I set one Monster, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared next to Urbellum.

**(J: 2,250) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 5,000)**

"I draw one card," said the Golem.

He made a draw.

"And now I activate Reckless Greed."

His facedown card lifted. He made two more draws.

"That's what I was hoping for," said Jinx. "I activate… Gamble!"

Her own facedown card lifted.

"This card is risky, but it can work out when you're in a bind. Since you now have seven cards in your hand and I have only two, I get to toss a coin. If I guess right, I get to draw until I have five. But if I guess wrong, I have to skip my next turn."

She tossed a coin.

"Heads!"

Ember nervously watched as the coin flew.

She breathed a sigh of relief as it came down heads. Jinx grinned as it came up heads. She made three draws.

"Enjoy it while you can," said the Golem. "I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and a fierce wind tore through the room, eradicating Boss Rush, Cyber Summon Blaster, Debris Collector, Fairy Box, and Ordeal of a Traveler.

"Now, I set a new card…"

A new reversed card appeared.

"And I sacrifice Assault Core to summon my ultimate weapon!"

B.E.S. Assault Core vanished.

Jinx and Ember waited.

"I don't see any Monster," said Jinx.

Then static appeared on the large Imax movie screen behind the Arcane Golem. A cinema scene appeared on it, showing an enormous military satellite, armed with a giant laser, orbiting the Earth. (0 ATK)

"Satellite Cannon?!" gasped Jinx.

"That's right!" exclaimed the Golem. "One of the most lethal examples of space-age weaponry ever built!

"With that, I end my turn, which means that its charging sequence begins."

Satellite Cannon started to glow with energy… (1,000 ATK)

"My move!" shouted Jinx.

She made a draw.

"I play Roll of Fate!" she exclaimed, playing a card.

The Spell Card appeared, and a die shot out of it. It skipped and bounced, and landed on the two.

"Not the best," she said, as she made two draws, "but I'll take it."

She then took the next two cards, and pocketed them.

"First I set a new Monster," she said.

A second reversed Monster appeared next to her other one.

"Urbellum, there's your target!" she shouted, pointing to the huge satellite. "Get it!"

Urbellum looked at the screen, and then growled a little.

"You can't be serious," said the Arcane Golem.

Then Urbellum took a step, and vanished.

"He's a Synchro Monster, genius," said Jinx. "He's right at home among the stars."

Everyone turned and looked at the screen, and saw X-Saber Urbellum literally flying towards the huge Machine with his weapons drawn.

"Maybe so," replied the Golem, "but it's pointless. Only Level 8 and higher Monsters can destroy Satellite Cannon in a battle. Your Warrior is one Level too low."

"But Urbellum has more points," replied Jinx. "And that means you'll still take damage!"

As she said that, Urbellum made a slash at the huge craft with his two blades, and it shuddered.

Then the Golem waved his hand, and his facedown card shot up.

"Nice try," he said, "but you triggered a Trap called Spirit Barrier. Now, I won't lose any Life Points from a battle so long as I have a Monster on the field.

"I'm untouchable…"

Jinx sighed as Urbellum reappeared in front of her.

_It's okay,_ she thought. _He can't draw for two rounds due to Reckless Greed, and that thing won't be powerful enough to destroy Urbellum for a while._

"My move," said the Golem. "I'll skip my Draw Phase, then I'll summon Moai Interceptor Cannons."

In a shimmering burst of energy, a large Easter Island statue with a cannon in its mouth appeared in front of him. (1,100 ATK)

"Next, I play a Spell Card," he said, as a card appeared in front of him. "It's called Charge. This Spell rushes the charging process of Satellite Cannon, giving it two rounds worth of energy right away."

Satellite Cannon glowed with energy again. (3,000 ATK)

"But first…. Moai Interceptor Cannons, attack the defensive Monster on the right."

The Cannon's gun blasted, and X-Saber Palomlo appeared on the card before being blown away.

"Satellite Cannon…

"FIRE!"

Satellite Cannon swerved in mid-orbit…

Then it fired a brilliant beam of pure light earthbound. Jinx shielded herself as the beam crashed down, eradicating X-Saber Urbellum.

Jinx stopped to catch her breath as Satellite Cannon's Attack Score fell to zero.

"I activate Palomlo's effect!" she shouted. "Since you just destroyed one of my X-Saber Monsters, I can pay 500 Life Points to bring him back!"

Palomlo appeared, kneeling and shielding himself with his spear. (300 DEF)

"So be it," replied the Golem. "I activate the effect of Moai Interceptor Cannons, moving it to facedown Defense Mode."

The statue vanished, and was replaced by a reversed Monster.

"I end my turn."

Satellite Cannon glowed again, starting to recharge. (1,000 ATK)

**(J: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 5,000)**

Jinx drew a card.

"Time to finish this," she said. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

She played the card she had just drawn, and the cyclone tore across the field, blowing the Spirit Barrier card to pieces.

"Fine," said the Golem. "Whatever you summon, I'll survive, and my Cannon can't be destroyed. It can gain Attack Points even when it's in Defense Mode."

"But you can't switch it to Defense Mode until next turn," replied Jinx. "And by then, it will be too late.

"I'm going to summon a very special member of the X-Sabers… One so special, they had to give him a second X!

"I summon XX-Saber Reijigra!"

She quickly played the card, and a strange creature appeared next to Palomlo. It looked like a humanoid gecko lizard, dressed in armor, a red cape, and red pantaloons, holding two daggers. (200 ATK)

"It doesn't seem like much to me," replied the Golem.

"Big things come in small packages," replied Jinx. "By summoning Reijigra here, I get to recover any X-Saber I want from my Graveyard."

X-Saber Urz slipped out of her discard slot, and she took it.

"Next, I'll play my Double Summon Spell Card."

She played another card, and a Spell Card appeared.

"Now I can summon Urz."

Urz leapt onto the field, brandishing his swords. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I Flip-Summon X-Saber Passiul!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Passiul stood up, holding his sword. (100 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Palomlo and Urz! All together, now…"

Urz and Palomlo leapt up, and dissolved into five glowing stars. The sound of galloping hooves and a howling wolf echoed through the room…

From out of the shadows, X-Saber Wayne appeared. He drew his bladed six-shooter, and twirled it on his finger. (2,100 ATK)

"How cute," said the Golem.

"I'm not done," said Jinx. "When Wayne is summoned, I get to Special Summon a Warrior-Type Monster from my hand. So, I'll bring out X-Saber Anabelera!"

Anabelera leapt onto the field, brandishing her sword. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, time for another Tuning! Passiul, Anabelera, GO!"

The two X-Sabers leapt up into the air, and then both of them split into _six_ glowing stars. Another galloping sound was heard, and Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth rode onto the field on his charging steed. (2,600 ATK)

"Want more?" asked Jinx, taking two more cards. "Remember this?"

She played another card, and Double Spell appeared.

"I'll toss one Spell Card…"

She discarded her Dangerous Machine Type-6.

"…and use your Monster Reborn!"

In a flash of light, X-Saber Urbellum appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

_She managed to summon three of her Synchros in one turn!_ thought Ember, opening her eyes wide.

"All right…" said Jinx, as the three Warriors looked at the screen. "Let's see if you and your Satellite Cannon can survive the onslaught I'm sending towards it…"

The three Synchro Monsters vanished…

They all looked up at the screen. Gaia was leading the assault, riding his mount through the astral towards the huge satellite, with Wayne and Urbellum following close behind.

"I already know the answer!" shouted the Golem. "Yes I can! I have 5,000 Life Points left, and the amount I'll lose from your attack only totals 3,900!"

"Then let's fix that," said Jinx, as she threw her last card into her Disk. "I play Graceful Dice!"

The winged teddy bear appeared, holding its blue die.

"Now, each of my Warriors will gain 100 Attack Points times what I roll. Four or more, and I can end this on a high note.

"Roll!"

The bear tossed the die… It rolled…

It landed on a five. A look of fear crossed the Golem's face…

Gaia's Attack Score rose to 3,100, Wayne's to 2,600, and Urbellum's to 2,700. Gaia stabbed his two lances into the giant satellite, Urbellum slashed with his blades, and Wayne fired six rounds.

"ARGH!" screamed the Arcane Golem.

**(J: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (AG: 0)**

The screen went dark.

"Put your hands in the air," said Jinx. "You're under arrest."

The Golem's eyes glowed with an icy blue light.

"Let's see how you arrest me after I break your back," he said.

He charged at Jinx.

That was a mistake. As he made a grab for Jinx, she threw a punch at his face. Ember grit her teeth as a sound like a pickaxe cracking stone echoed through the whole building and the giant collapsed.

"Jinx…" said Ember, as she walked up to her. "You… You can punch out a creature made of _stone_?"

Jinx took some deep breaths and held her fist.

"Not normally," she replied. "You know that potion I gave you, the one that tasted like cinnamon that protected you from his frost powers?"

"Yeah?" said Ember.

"I also drank a second potion," continued Jinx. "It's called a Potion of Bull's Strength. Guaranteed to make a human more than a match for anything up to a frost giant's level of strength."

She took the gemstone out of her pouch.

"How strong are frost giants?" asked Ember.

"Oh, strong enough to lift a small bus on a good day," replied Jinx.

"Remind me not to hug you until it wears off," said Ember.

The Arcane Golem vanished.

"So…" said Jinx. "Ready to get back to jogging?"

_**Another criminal arrested, another job accomplished. I was learning more and more, even though I was close to finishing my training, closer than I thought, actually. Very soon, I would get an opportunity to do the fourth test, and soon after that, the Rite of Passage, which was still on my mind.**_

_**I didn't know it, but DaPen still had plans for today. He had plans to target both Shichiro, who was still at the townhouse, and Gears, who was gathering information from tipsters…**_

_**And for Jinx and me as well. His plan for us would take shape later in the day.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALERT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A spaceship corridor with alarms flashing.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent declares an attack. Activate a set Continuous Spell Card on your side of the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SHIELD RECOVERY (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A mechanical claw sparking with energy reaching towards a metal plate.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up Monster with the word "B.E.S." in its name or one that is named "Big Core" that has no Counters. Place a number of Counters on the selected Monster equal to the number it gains via its effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**B.E.S. ARMORED CORE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** If you control no Monsters, and your opponent controls at least one Monster, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: The proceeding three cards were first used by Gil in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Duelfellahs". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Of special note, "B.E.S. Armored Core" was called "Assault Core" in the anime, and no effect was used. The effect listed above is the one used in the video game "Tag Force 2".)_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CHARGE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Satellite Cannon orbiting the Earth, with the sun rising over the horizon.

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of all "Satellite Cannon(s)" you control by 2,000.

_Note: "Charge" was first used by Orgene in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Generation neXt." Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEBRIS COLLECTOR (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A robotic spaceship with two tentacles, loading space debris into a hatch on its top.

**Card Description:** When a Monster is destroyed by its own effect, the controller of the destroyed Monster may draw one card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SOUL SABER (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** X-Saber Urbellum holding up X-Saber Passiul's sword.

**Card Description:** Equip only to an "X-Saber" Monster. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, you can destroy this card to prevent the Equipped Monster from being destroyed. If this card is destroyed in this manner, draw one card from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Who here is a fan of the _Underworld_ series? In that series of movies, vampires and werewolves are depicted as enemies. Well, if that enmity ever existed in the world of Shadowchasers, it doesn't any more – vampires were wiped out centuries ago. But werewolves still prowl the cities, and they've become a real problem for the Shadowchasers._

_Next chapter, we find out what Gears was doing when Jinx was dueling that Golem. A disturbance at Bootleg leads to a Turbo Duel where he pits his Allies of Justice against some of the most powerful cards in the modern game, made even more deadly using the rules of the Turbo Duel. It's all coming to a head in "Battle-Scarred", coming soon._

_And no, there won't be any Archfiends…_

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**Shadowchaser Files:**

**Maddy Webber, Pop Princess of Shadow**

Pop stars come and go in the modern world. Most of them don't last longer than a few months, lacking the talent and the charisma to make it big in the entertainment world. The newest pop sensation that everyone has their eyes on is the young (it seems), upcoming star, Maddy Webber.

Maddy didn't get her start as a mail-order star headed by some big corporation, as is often the case in recent years. A few years ago, she started her own band called the Web-Slingers, and started playing in small gigs in New York. Soon, both the Web-Slingers and Maddy alone were hot and in demand. Eventually, she expanded, and released her first single, which shot to the top of the charts, and she was a star.

Maddy seems to be a young woman just over nineteen. She has richly-tanned skin, with hair that is tied in long pigtails, always dyed vibrant colors, like orange or violet. She wears fashionable clothing that often includes a halter top that shows off the navel. Maddy's past and personal life has not been delved into much yet; she is better at avoiding the paparazzi than most pop stars, and when a question is asked about her love life or plans, she usually responds by saying "Maybe!"

Awares and Shadowkind see Maddy for what she truly is. She is a dark elf who is at least one-hundred years old (still quite young for her people). As such, she cannot abide the light of the sun, but the hip crowd she usually associates with rarely sees the light of day either, so they do not question her nocturnal lifestyle. Of course, many Shadowkind are not happy to see a dark elf achieve such success.

Many simply do not trust her. They say that female dark elves cannot come into any positions of power without doing anything corrupt, as it is commonplace in their society to get ahead by betraying those close to you. Maddy laughs at these rumors when she even hears about them, saying she's just a girl who likes to sing.

The Shadowchasers know the following about Maddy: She comes from a clan of dark elves that make their home in Schenectady, New York. She is rarely at home anymore, but a great deal of her profits go to her clan. Her clan leader, a powerful dark elf priestess, is also her agent and her advisor. All of the other members of the Web-Slingers, whom she still performs with on occasion (as Bruce Springsteen does with the East Street Band) are also dark elves from the same clan. Nothing particularly sinister has been uncovered about Maddy or her clan, but the Shadowchasers still unofficially watch any Shadow who becomes this successful.

Recently, Maddy has gotten her biggest break: She won the bid to sing in the halftime show of this year's Superbowl. After that, the sky may be the limit.

**Story Ideas:** Celebrities, especially pop stars, are frequently in the media spotlight. And they are often the subject of scandals, mostly about their sexuality and vices. Some of these scandals have some truth to them, while many are baseless lies. Most stars take them with a grain of salt. Dark elves, however, have too much pride to allow themselves to be insulted in such a public manner. If Maddy becomes so popular that she becomes a target of vile scandal rags, the ones responsible for starting such rumors might find themselves the targets of dark elf assassins. Whether such attacks are orchestrated by Maddy herself or by the matriarch of her clan (which begs the question of who ultimately has more authority) could be something that the Shadowchasers have to figure out. Maddy could indeed just be a "girl who likes to sing", but her clan might have other ideas.

The situation may well be reversed. Remember, fighting Shadows is only one part of the Shadowchasers' job. They also protect benign Shadows from anyone who wishes to harm them. Possibly, Maddy herself might become a target of an assassin, possibly from a rival pop star who's jealous of the dark elf's success. It might be difficult, but there are worse jobs than protecting the latest pop sensation…

**Deck Suggestions:** Dark elves love Duel Monsters, but there's no universal deck theme among them. They tend to put together decks that involve magic, darkness, or both, such as Spellcasters or Fiends. A Dark Necrofear/RFG Deck might suit Maddy very well. She might also own a D-Wheel that she keeps handy, if only for the occasional thrill.


	34. Battle Scarred

Author's note: Credit for the creation of the antagonist in this chapter goes to fellow fanfic author SeekerD. Thanks for the help, pal.

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

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**Battle-Scarred**

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_**As I learned more about the new world I was a part of, I studied the Shadows in great detail. Shadowkind are more than just monsters. They are complex creatures with societies and traditions. One point of interest is lycanthropes. There are not only several subspecies, but two general classes: infected, and true.**_

_**An infected lycanthrope is the type that most Mundanes are familiar with, the type that Hollywood has glamorized since the days of the Universal Studios monsters. If a human is injured by a lycanthrope (and survives, naturally) he stands a chance of contracting a curse which can transform him into an infected lycanthrope. This curse causes him to transform into a beast involuntarily, and the chances of it happening each night depend on the phases of the moon (not much chance under a new moon, a very strong chance under a full moon). Also, there are spells and rituals that some evil wizards use to inflict this curse on others, or even inflict it on themselves (although they'd have to be pretty insane to do so). The Shadowchasers have a simple protocol for dealing with infected lycanthropes: capture alive so that a cure can be administered using magic (and fortunately, doing so is far easier than popular culture would suggest). There are even vaccines against lycanthropy, but they are so hard to make, that only the Shadowchasers themselves get them. (I didn't get mine until after my initiation, and it was much like getting any other shot.)**_

_**Now, true lycanthropes are very different. They are not cursed; they are part of an actual race, born as lycanthropes. Either one or both of their parents was a true lycanthrope, and they gain the ability to transform into beast form at puberty. (You think growing pains are bad for the typical teenager? Try dealing with it when you start sprouting claws and fangs.) Once they get past this point, true lycanthropes can control their changes, and aren't bound by the phases of the moon, but their attitudes tend to reflect their beast side. Wererats thus tend to be sneaky and stealthy, while werewolves can be aggressive and domineering. Whether or not a true lycanthrope can control his beast side depends on his personal self-control and background.**_

_**Anyway, most true lycanthropes have a hard time dealing with humans (partially because they can spread the curse) and those that turn really bad are hard to deal with…**_

While Jinx was dealing with the Golem, Gears was riding his D-Wheel through the Daimon Area, on patrol.

This part of town wasn't as interesting since the Black Rose Witch came out of the closet, but it was still a hotbed for violence. Gangs of kobolds fought over turf at times, orcs hung out up to no good, and if a troll was pulled over from Shadow into this city, it usually showed up either in Satellite, or around here.

It seemed rather slow today, but Gears didn't know that more than one person had his eye on him as he crossed an area that was about ten blocks from Bootleg…

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DaPen was sitting in his office, thinking hard.

His head turned as his mobile rang. He picked it up.

"Speak," he said into it.

He listened.

"I see… Hmm… Yes… Okay, keep him in sight…"

He hung up. Then he started to dial another number. He looked at the clock.

"It's only nine AM," he muttered. "Lukas is likely sober enough to handle this… At least, I hope…"

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Indeed, at the popular criminal watering hole of Bootleg, Lukas Wolf was indeed still sober. It was a little early for hard liquor, and he could hold it more than most folks could. Nonetheless, he had finished one beer, and the serving maid was bringing him another.

"Anything else?" she said, trying hard not to be rude.

"Naw," said Lukas. "I'll call you when I need you…"

Then he slapped her on the behind with a laugh. She was angry, of course, but she was too afraid of him to raise a hand. She just muttered a curse word as she went back to the bar.

Anyone could clearly see that Lukas didn't care much about his appearance. He had long, grey hair that was ruffled and uncombed, leaving split ends and bangs that almost completely covered his eyes. He wore a dusty gray T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a torn up black trench coat. He was barefoot (not many shoes could survive being put on his feet anyway, which had long, uncut toenails). Both the barmaid and the bartender wondered just why he spent more money on the D-Wheel parked outside than he did on himself.

If they were Aware, they might have known the truth. Buying new clothes was pretty pointless for a werewolf, as his transformations tended to rip them.

Lukas's early life hadn't been _too_ out of the ordinary, even if it wasn't perfect. When he was young, he grew up only with his mother to care for him, not knowing who his father was or whether that man was alive or not. Neither he nor his mother knew that his father had been a true werewolf, and that the genes had been passed onto him. He was teased by the kids for his gray hair, but aside from that he would've had a typical childhood.

But it was on his thirteenth birthday that he experienced his first lycanthrope transformation, and he didn't take it well. In his beastly rampage, he killed his mother; fearing persecution, he ran away and lived in the streets of Neo Domino, hiding out in the more rural areas.

Constantly he was pursued by Security and the Shadowchasers alike, and had more than one run-in with a novice (at the time) who called himself Gears. Then, one day about five years ago fate brought him into contact with Louis DaPen. From then on, he worked for DaPen, believing he would not have survived otherwise.

He had half-finished the drink when his own mobile rang.

"Eh," he muttered, answering it. "What?"

Then a look of shock crossed his face.

"Mr. DaPen!" he gasped. "Sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Quiet, Lukas, or I'll turn you into a rug," replied DaPen. "Do you still have those new cards I gave you, or did you already hawk them?"

"Calm down, I've still got 'em," replied Lukas. "And I'm itchin' to use 'em…"

"Well, you'll get your chance," replied DaPen. "Your old 'friend' is heading towards Bootleg, so all you have to do is attract him there."

"Right!" said Lukas. "Uh… How do I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know…" said DaPen. "Cause a scene or something…

"And for heaven's sake, don't end the duel too fast. Make it last a while this time."

Lukas hung up.

He looked around. Not too many more people were in the bar. There was the bartender, the barmaid, and six customers besides himself, each of them tough guys with criminal marks.

He looked over at the barmaid. He thought for a minute…

_Naw, I'd better not,_ he thought. _That would be TOO much of a scene._

He strode up to a customer that wasn't with any of the others.

"Hey, fellah," he said, tapping him on the shoulder.

The patron looked at him.

"I don't like your face," said Lukas.

"Eh?" said the man.

Before he could do anything, Lukas had socked him in the jaw.

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At that moment, Gears, was only two blocks from Bootleg. He looked down at his screen as a message flashed on it.

"Go ahead, Shichiro," he said.

"Guess what, Gears?" replied Shichiro. "The docket just bleeped. Your least favorite shapeshifter is at Bootleg, tearing up the place."

"Good lord, again??" shouted Gears. "The last time this happened, we had to de-curse ten people and give one of them a booster shot!

"Don't worry, I'm on it… And I'm bringing him in this time…"

He shifted gears on his bike.

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Lukas was disappointed. _Very_ disappointed.

He had taken down all six of them without even assuming his bestial form. The barmaid was cowering behind the counter, while the bartender was reaching for something.

"Man, what do they feed you guys in jail?" asked Lukas. "Baby food?"

Then he heard the cocking of a gun behind him.

"Put 'em in the air, pal!" shouted the bartender.

Lukas turned, and saw the bartender pointing a hunting rifle at him.

He chuckled. The odds that it was loaded with silver bullets were incredibly slim. Still, this gave him an excuse to let out his frustration even more, and maybe get out of paying his bar tab.

He looked at the bartender and growled a little.

"You know, Lukas," said Gears's voice. "I would think that seven people wouldn't meet the requirements for a barroom brawl."

Lukas spun around to face the Shadowchaser. Gears saw that he came just in time. The transformation had started. Lukas's eyes were glowing, and his canine teeth had grown into fangs.

The bartender pointed the gun.

"Put it down!" shouted Gears. "You'll only make him angry, and you do NOT want him angry!"

"To late for that, Gears," snarled Lukas.

Only Gears could see it happening, but the transformation was starting in earnest. Lukas's face was becoming far more feral, and his hair was becoming fuller and growing all over his body.

"Is he having a stroke?" asked the bartender.

"Get on the floor and stay there!" ordered Gears.

Then Lukas threw back his head and let out a howl. The bartender dropped his gun and did what he was told.

Lukas snarled and leapt at Gears, but Gears was ready. He clocked the werewolf on the chin. Normally, using your fists on a lycanthrope was suicide, but Gears knew ways to do it that you could only learn in the Shadowchasers.

Still, Lukas was only stunned a little by the blow. Now that the transformation was complete, he made a leap, jumping right over Gears and rushing out the door.

"Want to take it outside, do you?" asked Gears. "Fine."

Truthfully, that's what he wanted. A true werewolf in this form kept his human intelligence, but it was dominated by a bestial rage.

Still, he wasn't expecting what happened when he ran outside. As he did so, he heard the roar of a noisy engine. He dodged aside, just in time to avoid being run over by the D-Wheel with Lukas at the controls.

Lukas swerved as Gears got a good look at the D-Wheel. It was similar to Mukuro Enjo's Wheel, a similar chopper design, with flames painted on the chassis, and rat skulls decorating the handlebars.

Lukas took off his helmet and smiled at Gears. It was a very unpleasant smile – all fangs and very little actual smile.

"What do you think, Gears?" he asked. "Is it me?"

"Actually," replied Gears. "Yes."

Lukas chuckled, and started up the engine again. Gears leapt onto his own Wheel, and it started up.

"So, you've upgraded yourself?" said Gears. "Fine… I just had the engine overhauled, and I'm eager to see how well it does!"

"Eat my dust!" laughed Lukas.

He howled again, and sped off down the street with Gears in pursuit. Both of them hit a command on their dashboards, and the Speed World card appeared on them.

Gears knew he had to be careful. As crude as Lukas was, he was friends with many Card Ghouls, thieves who stole Duel Monsters cards and sold them on the black market. He had often worked for them as an enforcer and a legbreaker. As a result, he had access to a great deal of rare cards, and had put together one of the most lethal deck themes in existence.

To make matters worse, the rage that dominated him in beast form did not seem to impair his ability to duel. In fact, it seemed to improve it. This was one reason why Lukas had not been caught up to now. No-one had been able to beat him.

And Gears really had NO idea how this theme could be applied to a Turbo Duel. He'd just have to play it by ear.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Lukas: 8,000)**

Gears made his first draw, and looked at the six cards on his gauntlet.

_Okay…_ he thought. _I'm off to a good start…_

"Okay, hairy," he said. "I'll set one card, and then summon Ally of Justice Blind Sucker."

A set card appeared, and then the glowing portal opened. Blind Sucker flew out on rocket jets. (1,600 ATK)

"It's your move."

Lukas snarled, and made his first draw. Both Speed Counters rose to one.

"I'll see your Machine," he snarled. "I summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari."

The portal opened behind him, and a humanoid Beast leapt out. It looked like a warrior with indigo fur and the head of a bull, wearing a kilt and metal gauntlets. (1,600 ATK)

"Heh, heh," he said. "Your move…"

Gears drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

_I've got just what I need to spring a big surprise on this guy,_ he thought.

"I set one more card, and then set a Monster," he said.

A new facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared before both vanished.

"And I end my turn."

Lukas laughed as he made a draw. Both Speed Counters went up a notch, to three apiece.

"I'm bringing out Gladiator Beast Bestiari!" he exclaimed.

The portal opened again, and this time a Winged Beast flew out. It had green feathers, a head shaped like that of a sparrow, wore a kilt and armor covering its wings, and wore gauntlets equipped with blasters. (1,500 ATK)

"And the best thing about Gladiator Beasts is… They combine!"

Bestiari and Dimacari lifted their arms, and clashed their gauntlets together. Both of them flew into the sky, and burst into a flash of light.

"Fusion Summon… Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!"

Another Winged Beast flew out of the sky. It looked like Bestiari at first glance, but had much heavier, bulkier, darker armor. (2,400 ATK)

"Now I can use his effect to wipe out both your Monsters!"

Gyzarus started to glow with a radiant light…

"On the contrary, Lukas," answered Gears, as one of his facedown cards spun around, "he'll do know such thing! I play Destruction Jammer! Now, I just toss one card…"

He quickly discarded Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais.

"And it's bye-bye birdie."

Gyzarus screeched and exploded into black pixels.

"Why, you!" snarled Lucas. "Now I'm _really_ mad!"

He took a card from his gauntlet, and a Speed Spell appeared in front of his D-Wheel.

"But I can improvise… I play Speed Spell – Zero Rebirth. Now I can bring back Gyzarus in Attack Mode… But his Attack Score becomes zero."

Gyzarus appeared again, flying in front of Lukas's D-Wheel. (0 ATK)

"I throw a card facedown," he said. "And I end my turn."

A facedown card appeared next to his D-Wheel, and then faded from view.

_Okay, this is weird,_ thought Gears. _Gyzarus can use its effect when it's Special Summoned in any way, not just Fusion Summoned. Lukas could have done so when he brought it back with Zero Rebirth._

_But for some reason, he chose not to… Why?_

He made a draw. Both Speed Counters rose to four.

"I Flip-Summon Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!" he exclaimed.

Dekoichi appeared next to his bike, chugging alongside him. (1,400 ATK)

Gears drew a card.

"Blind Sucker, attack Gyzarus!"

Blind Sucker's jetpack ignited. It flew in front of the Gladiator Beast, and fired its missile…

"I activate… Defensive Tactics!" exclaimed Lukas, as his facedown card spun around. "Now, the damage to me is reduced to zero, and my Monster isn't destroyed."

The missile exploded against Gyzarus's armor, but didn't leave a dent.

"And even better," he continued, holding up the Trap Card, "Defensive Tactics doesn't go to the Graveyard, it goes to the bottom of my deck."

He slid the card on the bottom of his deck.

"Now then…" he said. "I use his effect… He goes back to my deck…"

Gyzarus vanished.

"And in his place, two Gladiator Beasts come out! So, let's hear it for Hoplomus and Laquari!"

Two separate portals opened, and two creatures emerged. The first was a hulking, humanoid rhinoceros clad in plate armor. (2,100 DEF) The second was a humanoid tiger in a breastplate, surrounded by a ring of flames. (1,800 ATK)

"And due to their effects, Hoplomus gains a boost to his Defense…"

Hoplomus growled a little. (2,400 DEF)

"…while Laquari's Attack Score rises!"

Laquari roared. (2,100 ATK)

"I know what you're trying to do, Lukas, and I won't let it happen," said Gears.

His other facedown card spun around.

"I activate Overworked! This destroys all Monsters on the field with Attack Scores higher than their base scores."

Laquari burst into flaming pixels.

"You're going to have to work harder than that to bring out the big guy this time, pal," said Gears. "I set a Monster, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared in front of him, and then faded from sight.

_Gears seriously juiced up that deck of his,_ thought Lukas. _What he doesn't know is, I've done the same with mine._

He drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to five. He looked at the Speed Spell.

_This'll be good for later,_ he thought.

"Come on out, Test Tiger!" he laughed, as he played a card.

The portal opened again, and a large tiger leapt out, one wearing a colorful costume. It started to run beside his D-Wheel. (600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it, to use its effect, and bring out another Gladiator Beast."

Test Tiger vanished into an orb of energy…

"Gladiator Beast Darius!"

The orb burst, transforming into a tall, humanoid horse, wearing a loincloth and shoulder guards, and holding a metal whip. (1,700 ATK)

"And since he was summoned using Test Tiger's effect, he gets to use his own effect, as if he were summoned by another Gladiator Beast."

"You mean?" asked Gears.

"That's right," replied Lukas. "I get to bring back a Gladiator Beast from my Graveyard. So welcome back, Gladiator Beast Laquari!"

In an aura of flames, Laquari appeared again with a roar. (1,800 ATK)

"All right!" laughed Lukas. "Laquari… Hoplomus… Darius… Let's bring 'em all together!"

The three Gladiator Beasts flew into the sky, and burst into an explosion of light, which turned into a sphere of fire. It fell back to Earth like a falling meteor…

"Fusion Summon… _Gladiator Beast Heraklinos_!"

With a savage roar, an eight-foot-tall, fiery Beast-Warrior appeared from the orb. He seemed to combine the features of a wolf and lion at first glance, but then again, might have had the features of several animals in him in one way or another. He carried an axe, shield, and wore armor. (3,000 ATK)

"Terrific…" said Gears.

"That's an understatement," chuckled Lucas. "You're dead meat."

Heraklinos slashed with his weapon, and Blind Sucker exploded. Gears struggled as his D-Wheel shook, and his Counters fell to four.

"I set two cards facedown," said Lukas, "and end my turn…"

Two facedown cards flashed into existence in front of his bike, and faded from view.

**(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,000)**

Gears's eyes narrowed. He drew a card.

His own Speed Counters clicked up to five, while Lukas's went up to six.

He looked at the cards in his hand.

_Two facedown cards…_ he thought. _Heraklinos can negate any Spell or Trap I try to play, so long as Lukas can discard a card… But Monster effects are its weakness…_

_Normally, a duelist who uses Gladiator Beasts uses a Trap called Gladiator Beast War Chariot to handle that…_

_So… Either one of those facedown cards is War Chariot, or Lukas is bluffing…_

_Fortunately, I have something that can help me… And with Lukas, it will be pretty easy to tell whether he's bluffing or not…_

"I Flip-Summon Mecha Bunny," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and a large, metal bunny appeared, hopping in front of his D-Wheel. It had the words "Love It" on its forehead. (800 ATK)

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Lukas. "Sending a rabbit out against a wolf… Whatever will I do?"

"Yeah, you laugh," said Gears. "When Mecha Bunny is flipped, I choose one card on the field, and that card's controller takes 500 points of damage. So, I think I'll choose your Gladiator Beast Heraklinos."

"Erk!" said Lukas. "Is that the best you can do?"

"No, THIS is!" replied Gears. "I summon Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator!"

The dark portal opened, and the robotic bluejay flew out. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Cyclone Creator and Mecha Bunny!"

The two Machines flew into the sky, and dissolved into five glowing stars…

Ally of Justice Catastor flew down, and glared at Heraklinos. (2,200 ATK)

"Eh?" said Lukas.

"Catastor automatically destroys any Monster it battles that isn't a Dark Monster," said Gears. "And gee… Isn't Heraklinos a Fire Monster?"

Then Lukas bore his fangs and let out an angry snarl…

"You should take anger management classes, Lukas!" laughed Gears. "Your own attitude gives you away! Now I _know_ that neither of those facedown cards is War Chariot!

"Catastor, destroy Heraklinos!"

"You're right, congratulations," snarled Lukas. "But I'll use one of them anyway…"

One of the two facedown cards spun around.

"It's called Alter for Tribute. Since Heraklinos has had it anyway, I'll sacrifice him, and gain Life Points equal to half his Attack Score."

Heraklinos vanished into granules of light, and Lukas glowed with energy.

"Fine!" shouted Gears. "Catastor… Attack him directly!"

Catastor prepared to fire its beam again.

"Forget about my other Trap Card?" asked Lukas, as his second facedown card spun around. "It's something no Gladiator Beast should be without… It's called Waboku."

Three blue-robed, hooded priestesses appeared in the air in front of Lukas, blocking Catastor's blast with a dome of energy.

"It reduces the battle damage I would take this round to zero. It wouldn't have protected Heraklinos from Catastor, but it would have done wonders against a stronger Monster.

"I may get mad every now and then, Gears… But that doesn't mean I'm dumb, y'know…"

"At least Heraklinos is gone," replied Gears. "It's your move."

**(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)**

"Enjoy it while you can, Gears," replied Lukas. "I'm far from beaten…"

"Give it up," said Gears. "I just took out your best Monster. Everyone knows that Heraklinos is the strongest Gladiator Beast."

Under his helmet, Lukas smiled evilly…

_How little he knows…_ he thought.

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In his headquarters, DaPen walked down a hallway.

He came to a door, where a sign on the front said, "Do not disturb". He knocked on it.

No answer.

That meant to come in. If the person inside didn't want him to come in, _then_ he would have said something.

DaPen opened the door, into a room of complete darkness. The only light came from the open door behind him.

"Hello?" said DaPen. "Uh, you are in here, right? It's kind of hard to tell with no lights…"

"I like the dark," said a soft, soothing voice in the center of the room. "Dark for dark business, I always say…

"You know, an old English proverb says, it is better to light a single candle than to curse darkness… Some, like me, choose to embrace the darkness itself. When you don't use your eyes, you open your mind to things it otherwise wouldn't see…"

"Yes, yes, quite," said DaPen. "Well, I'm sorry to interrupt your meditations, but we have business to attend to. Ready to do that favor you owe me?"

"Of course," said the voice. "I'm a man of my word… And I always pay back my debts…

"Besides… I might even enjoy it…"

In the darkness, the man smiled, ever so slightly…

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Lukas made a draw, and his Speed Counter rose to seven, while Gears's rose to six.

_Thanks for the card, DaPen,_ he thought, as he looked at it.

"I play this," he said. "Speed Spell – Summon Aura!"

"HUH?" said Gears, looking at it. "A _Continuous_ Speed Spell?"

"That's right!" laughed Lukas. "And so long as my Counters stay at four or more, I'm allowed to keep it.

"And as for what it does, it deals 500 points of damage to you whenever I Special Summon a Monster."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears.

"I didn't design the card," chuckled Lukas. "Now then… I summon Gladiator Beast Secutor."

The portal opened again, and a smaller Gladiator Beast leapt out. This one was a lizard man of some sort, wearing a toga, with two odd blaster mechanisms on his back. (400 ATK)

"Yeah, I know that guy's effect," replied Gears. "You can send him back to your deck to summon _two_ Gladiator Beasts. But only if he survives a battle, which seems unlikely."

"More likely than you think," replied Lukas, as a new Speed Spell appeared. "See, since my Speed Counters are at least as high as his Level, I can use him in a Death Battle!"

Gears looked at the Speed Spell. He had never seen this one either, but since Gladiator Beast Andal was on the art, it seemed to have been designed specifically for Gladiator Beasts.

"Alright, Secutor," said Lukas, "attack Dekoichi!"

Secutor flew in front of the Battlechanted Locomotive, and aimed his blasters. He fired a blast of plasma…

Then, to his surprise, Gears felt an impact of energy. He groaned as his Counters slipped one notch, to five.

"Death Battle not only protects my Monster from being destroyed in the battle," explained Lukas, "but the battle damage is transferred to you. The catch is, Secutor would die at the end of my turn."

"But since he's a Gladiator Beast," added Gears, "he goes back to your deck via his effect before that happens, right?"

"You got it!" laughed Lukas, as Secutor vanished.

He held up two cards.

"Now, by using his effect, I can Special Summon two Gladiator Beasts… Meet Theseus and Flamma!"

The portal opened again, and this time, two Beasts flew out. The first one, the one that Lukas had named after the legendary king of Athens, seemed to be a relative of Panther Warrior. He had the same cat-like features and scimitar, although his armor was more like the other Gladiator Beasts. (2,300 ATK)

The other one seemed to have based its animal side on a hawk. It had golden feathers and larger, fuller wings than Bestiari, and wore a white toga. It carried a long halberd in its upper talons. (1,500 ATK)

"I've never seen these guys before!" gasped Gears.

Then he screamed as two blasts of energy shot out of the Summon Aura card, and struck him.

"They aren't exactly common," chuckled Lukas. "Theseus never saw much use because he can only be summoned by Secutor, and folks didn't use Secutor all that much.

"And Flamma is _incredibly_ rare, because he's a Level 4 Tuner."

"A Gladiator Beast Tuner??" gasped Gears.

"That's right!" laughed Lukas. "And I'm gonna use both my Monsters to summon a Gladiator Beast Synchro!"

Flamma spread its wings, and its eyes shone with pure light. Then, it and Theseus flew into the sky, and split into nine glowing stars…

A bolt of light shot down from the heavens…

"Synchro Summon…" laughed Lukas, "Gladiator Beast Julius!"

Flying out of the ether of Speed World was a Winged Beast who resembled Gyzarus at first glance, but with armor of bronze, and a head resembling that of a bald eagle. He had a twenty-foot wingspan, and held twin swords in both of his upper talons. (3,300 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Gears.

Then he screamed again as he was blasted by the Summon Aura again.

"You know, Gears," said Lukas, "according to legend, Romulus and Remus, the two founders of Rome, were raised by a she-wolf after their father, the god Mars, abandoned them."

"I know," replied Gears. "And after they built their city, they fought each other over who had the right to rule, and Romulus killed his brother. That's why the city is called Rome and not Rem. It just goes to show you what influence wolves can have on young people."

"Well, my influence over this guy," replied Lukas, "who was named after one of the greatest military minds in Roman history, will certainly leave a mark. And by the way, Julius here is a Dark Monster, so your tin can's effect won't work on him.

"But I'm not gonna take any chances. Since I used Flamma in a Synchro Summon, its effect activates, and I get to bring out yet another Gladiator Beast. I think I'll bring out Gladiator Beast Murmillo."

The portal opened again, and a small, aquatic fish-man with blasters on its back similar to Secutor's appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

The Summon Aura blasted at Gears again, and he grunted.

"And due to Murmillo's effect," continued Lukas, "I can destroy one Monster."

Catastor exploded into shards.

Lukas chuckled.

"It's your move… And you're going down…"

**(G: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)**

_He's not too far off,_ thought Gears. _My Life Points are way down. And with that huge eagle on the field, and me not even knowing what it can do, I'm not in the best shape…_

He made a draw. His Counters went up to six, while Lukas's went up to eight.

"I move Dekoichi to Defense Mode, and then set a Monster," he said.

Dekoichi slowed down a little. (1,000 DEF) Then a set Monster appeared.

"That's all I can do."

Lukas chuckled as he drew. Both Speed Counters went up by one.

"Murmillo moves to Attack Mode," he said.

Murmillo stood up into a fighting stance. (800 ATK)

"Julius, attack Dekoichi with pride of Rome!"

The Winged Beast slashed with his two blades, and the Battlechanted Locomotive was blown to scrap.

"And when Julius destroys one of your Monsters, he takes out all your others as well."

Gears gasped as his reversed Monster shattered.

"Now, Murmillo, attack directly!"

Murmillo fired its blaster at Gears, and he groaned a little.

"Next, I send Murmillo back to my deck…"

Murmillo vanished.

"…to bring out Gladiator Beast Retiari."

The portal of energy opened, and a new Beast flew out. It was another lizard man, who seemed to have a passing relation to Gagagigo in some way. He was dressed in a loincloth and cape, and carried a trident. (1,200 ATK)

Summon Aura glowed, and blasted Gears again.

"By summoning him," said Lukas, "I can banish one Monster in your Graveyard from the game. So I'm getting rid of Catastor so I don't have to worry about it again."

Gears growled a little.

"It's your move…"

**(G: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 8,700)**

Gears punched his dashboard. He was angry now.

_This walking carpet isn't better than me…_ he thought.

He drew a card. His own Speed Counters rose to eight, while Lucas's rose to ten.

He looked at the four cards on his gauntlet.

_Well, here goes nothing,_ he thought.

He took all four, and threw them all on his console. A reversed Monster, and four reversed cards appeared.

"Your move," he said.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Lukas. "Trying to bluff your way out of this, huh?

"Retiari, get his Monster!"

Retiari charged, and thrust with his trident. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

"Now we have to toss our hands and draw five more," said Gears.

Lukas chuckled, and discarded the one card in his hand. Both of them made five draws.

"As if it will matter," he said. "Julius, attack him directly!"

Julius swooped down on Gears.

"Sorry, wolf-boy," said Gears, "you thought I was bluffing, and you're gonna regret it. Go, Dimension Wall!"

A portal of light appeared in front of Julius, and the Gladiator Beast stared at it.

Then he lifted his swords, and slashed at it. Lukas howled in pain.

"All the damage I would have taken from that attack is now taken by you instead," said Gears.

"You miserable…" snarled Lukas.

His Speed Counters fell three places, down to eight.

He looked at the five cards in his hand.

"I send Retiari back to my deck…"

Retiari vanished.

"…to summon Gladiator Beast Auctorati."

A new Gladiator Beast flew out of the portal, this one had the head of a savage greyhound, was dressed in a toga, and carried a steel mace. (950 ATK)

The Summon Aura glowed, and blasted Gears again.

"With Auctorati's arrival, I get to draw one card," he continued.

He made a draw.

He looked at it. It was Bestiari again.

_I'll save him for later,_ he thought, stowing it on his gauntlet.

He threw a card on his console, and a facedown card appeared.

"Make your move…"

**(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 5,400)**

Gears made a draw. His Speed Counters rose to ten.

"Come on out, Mechanicalchaser!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Machine hunter materialized. (1,850 ATK)

_Now…_ thought Gears. _I have to hope that he does what I need him to do…_

"I end my turn…"

Lukas drew, and his Counters also rose to ten.

He looked at Bestiari.

_Control yourself, Lukas…_ he thought. _Sure, you want to beat him bad… Tear him apart… Suck the marrow from his bones, eat his liver…_

_Where was I?_

_But you can't get carried away. Besides, DaPen said he wants this duel to last a while._

"I sacrifice Auctorati…" he said.

Auctorati transformed into a globe of light.

"…to summon Gladiator Beast Alexander!"

With a roar, another Gladiator Beast burst out the orb. He was a lion-like humanoid, in golden armor, with large, golden wings. (2,400 ATK)

"Destroy his Mechanicalchaser!"

Alexander roared, and flew at the Machine.

"I activate… Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card spun around.

"Now, you can either end your Battle Phase, or keep going… But if you keep going, the Attack Scores of your Monsters are halved."

"Then I end it!" shouted Lukas, now even more enraged.

He placed a card on his Disk, and another facedown card materialized.

"But your Traps aren't gonna last you forever, y'know!"

_They don't have to, pal,_ said Gears. _You did just what I wanted you to do…_

He drew a card, and his Speed Counters hit twelve. He was now at his limit.

"I summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer!"

A strange Machine rose into the air behind his bike. This Ally of Justice didn't resemble a creature in the slightest. It looked like a large computer cabinet on rocket engines, with a glowing portal in its center, full of scintillating colors. (2,400 ATK)

"How did you summon THAT without a sacrifice?" shouted Lukas.

"I had help," replied Gears. "From _you_. You see, Cosmic Closer may be Level 8, but I can Special Summon it if my opponent has more than one Monster and _one_ of them, no more than one, is a Light Monster.

"You have two Monsters right now, a Light one, and a Dark one."

Lukas growled.

"And I'm far from done," continued Gears. "I activate another Trap Card…"

His last facedown card spun around.

"Birthright. Now, I can bring back the Monster that Julius destroyed earlier."

Robotic Knight appeared in a flash of light. (1,600 ATK)

"I'm still not done," said Gears, as a Speed Spell appeared. "I play Speed Spell – Synchro Return. Guess who's back?"

A pitch-black portal opened, and Catastor flew out. (2,200 ATK)

"No way!" shouted Lukas. "I removed that thing from play!"

"And that's _exactly_ why I was able to bring it back using Synchro Return," replied Gears. "And I'm still not done…"

He played a second Speed Spell.

"I plat Speed Spell – Platinum Echoes. Now I can Special Summon an Ally of Justice from my Graveyard, so long as it has a lower Level than one on the field. So, since Cosmic Closer is Level 8, I can bring Claíomh Solais back from the Graveyard."

Another glowing portal opened, and Claíomh Solais flew out. (2,300 ATK)

"Five Monsters, and not one of them can beat Julius," sneered Lukas. "Pathetic…

"And I think I'll activate this…"

One of his Trap Cards lifted up.

"Gift of the Mystical Elf! A pansy name, yes, but now I get 300 Life Points restored for each Monster on the field."

"Lovely," said Gears. "Thing is, can you count?"

"Oh, you are SO dead…" snarled Lukas. "There are seven, smart-ass, and that means I get 2,100 Life Points!"

"And there's one more coming up," said Gears. "I haven't made a Normal Summon yet. I sacrifice Catastor and Robotic Knight…"

The two Machines turned into an orb of pure energy…

"To bring out Perfect Machine King!"

In an explosion of flames, Perfect Machine King flew onto the field, flying on a heavy-duty jetpack. (2,700 ATK)

"With three other Machines on the field," continued Gears, "its Attack Score rises by 1,500 points!"

(4,200 ATK)

"HEY!" shouted Lukas. "Wait a minute…"

"Obliterate Gladiator Beast Julius!" shouted Gears. "Mega missile assault!"

Two hatches opened on Perfect Machine King's shoulders, and it launched a volley of missiles at the Winged Beast. Julius let out a screech, and then went down on a stream of flames. Lukas's anger briefly turned to fear.

"Cosmic Closer," ordered Gears, "attack Alexander!"

Cosmic Closer's portal glowed even more intensely. Alexander roared, and flew towards the Machine.

Both duelists braced themselves, as both Monsters were blown to bits.

"All right!" shouted Gears. "Mechanicalchaser, Claíomh Solais… Attack him directly!"

Claíomh Solais blew flames from its beak, and Mechanicalchaser made a slash with one of its knives. Lukas howled savagely as his Life Points took a dive, and his Speed Counters fell to eight.

**(G: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,450)**

Gears placed his last two cards on his console, and two facedown cards appeared.

"Your move," said Gears.

There was silence for a few seconds. Lukas didn't respond.

"Lukas?" said Gears.

He slowed down his bike a little to make sure that Lukas was still keeping up with him.

Then he saw something he didn't like. Lukas's eyes were now completely inhuman, and he was drooling. Clearly, his bestial side had now completely taken over.

_The question is,_ thought Gears, _can he even finish this duel?_

Lukas growled in a primal tone, and drew a card off his deck. Clearly, he still could, even if he had to do so purely by instinct at this point.

Gears had to stay with his plan. He hit a command on his dashboard, and one of his Trap Cards activated.

"Dust Tornado!" he shouted. "I've had about enough of that Summon Aura!"

The windstorm blew across the field, and the Summon Aura card was blown to pieces.

Then his second facedown card lifted up, and DNA Transplant appeared.

"Now, all Monsters on the field are changed to Light Monsters," he said.

Lukas didn't seem to care. He hit a command on his own console.

"Limit Reverse," he snarled, in a voice that had no humanity in it.

His facedown card spun around, and Gladiator Beast Auctorati reappeared. (950 ATK)

Lukas growled, and played another card. Gladiator Beast Bestiari appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, Monsters go bye-bye," he snarled.

Auctorati and Bestiari flew into the sky, and vanished into a flash of light again…

Gyzarus was back. (2,400 ATK)

_No…_ thought Gears. _I don't have a Destruction Jammer set this time…_

Gyzarus's eyes glowed, and both Perfect Machine King and Claíomh Solais shattered into pixels.

Gyzarus screeched, and dive-bombed at Mechanicalchaser. It made a slash, ripping it in half.

"ERGH!" groaned Gears.

**(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 2,450)**

Then Gyzarus vanished, and Laquari (1,800 ATK) and Darius (1,700 ATK) both appeared. Darius glowed with energy, and Flamma appeared as well. (1,500 ATK)

Then all three of the Gladiator Beasts flew into the sky, and exploded into a ball of fire once more. Gladiator Beast Heraklinos alighted in front of Lukas's bike again. (3,000 ATK)

"Are you done?" he muttered Gears.

Lukas barked at him.

"I'll take that as a yes," replied Gears.

_Okay…_ thought Gears. _Now is not the time for a bad draw…_

Gears drew a card, and looked at the field.

He quickly set it on his console, and a set Monster appeared before it faded.

He nodded.

Lukas grinned, and drooled, and made a draw. He barked a command, and Heraklinos charged.

He made a swipe with his blade, and Unknown Crusher appeared on the card. It was blown to pieces.

"Gotcha!" laughed Gears. "Any Light Monster that battles Unknown Crusher is removed from play. And since you don't even have any facedown cards this time…"

Lukas let out a cry as Heraklinos vanished.

"It's my move…" said Gears.

He made a draw.

_Not the best,_ he thought, _but I'll take it…_

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg!"

The robotic, four-legged fox leapt out of the portal, and dashed beside Gears's bike. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" he shouted.

Garadholg leapt up, and clawed Lukas in the face. Lukas roared, and tried to claw the hologram, not fully aware of what it was.

"Your move now, Lukas," said Gears. "Time to end this battle…"

**(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 850)**

Lukas growled, and made a draw.

He chuckled, and set a card on his console. A facedown Monster appeared.

He grunted at Gears, and nodded.

Gears looked at his screen, and considered.

_It's likely another Hoplomus,_ he thought. _If I attacked that and didn't destroy it, he'd be able to Special Summon Spartacus, and I'd be in trouble again. And it has a Defense Score of 2,100._

He made a draw.

He grinned.

_And to think I was thinking of taking this guy out of my deck…_ he thought.

"I summon Ally of Justice Reverse Break!" he exclaimed.

The portal opened, and a large, armored vehicle drove out, driving beside his bike. It looked like a drilling machine, with a four-eyed face under the drill, and two metal tendrils above, each one tipped with a spinning rotary saw. (1,200 ATK)

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Lukas, as he looked at the weak Monster.

"Laugh while you can," said Gears. "Its name is 'Reverse Break'. Get it? 'Reverse', as in reversed Monsters, and 'Break', as in, it breaks them. When Reverse Break attacks a set Monster, that Monster is automatically destroyed, battle damage is reduced to zero, and Flip-Effects are negated."

"Err?!" said Lukas.

"Go!" shouted Gears. "Get that Monster!"

Reverse Break sped towards the facedown Monster, its drill and blades spinning. It hit the card, and the facedown Gladiator Beast exploded.

"It's time I end this!" shouted Gears. "Garadholg, attack directly!"

Garadholg pounced on the werewolf, and Lukas screamed. He lost control of his D-Wheel, and went spinning out of control, eventually coming to a stop in a pile of garbage.

**(G: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (L: 0)**

Lukas was on the ground, panting heavily, gasping with grunts of rage, his human side not yet emerged. Gears ran up behind him, holding a vial of liquid with a special stopper on the end.

Before Lukas could do anything, Gears jabbed the end of the stopper into his arm. Lukas roared, but then felt incredibly tired. The tranquilizer worked fast, and he fell asleep in ten seconds.

_Man…_ thought Gears. Should _I get him to a doctor… Or a vet?_

He looked at the deck on Lukas's D-Wheel. He took the cards from it.

_I really lucked out,_ he thought. _I mean, he never once drew even one copy of his War Chariots?_

He thumbed through the cards. He looked through all of them.

To his surprise, the deck didn't even _have_ any War Chariots.

_Why?_ thought Gears. _Why would he take out such a powerful card?_

Then he took Gladiator Beast Julius out of the discard slot…

Then he looked at the three other Gladiator Beasts he had never seen before: Theseus, Flamma, and Auctorati. Then he looked at the Summon Aura and Death Battle Speed Spells.

If you want to put new cards in a deck, you have to take some out. Clearly, Lukas had figured that the new strategies that DaPen had given him were worth the risks posed by Effect Monsters…

Gears sighed. The double-edged sword of deck construction.

"Lucky me…" he said.

He looked at Lukas, who was snoring like a baby. He reached into his pocket, and sure enough, a card was there.

Cloudian – Turbulence.

_I'll file this with the others,_ he thought, as he took the gemstone out his pocket. _Right now, I'd best get back to Bootleg and make sure that none of the folks that he beat up need to be de-cursed…_

_**My cousin had often told me about Gladiator Beasts. He had encountered them a lot on the pro circuit. They were tough… More than a match for his Lightsworns. Gears was incredibly lucky that his opponent wasn't as good at using them as most pros.**_

_**The day wasn't half-over, and DaPen wasn't half done. He hadn't really expected Lukas to make any headway. Lukas's true purpose was to remind Gears that he was still there. **_

_**DaPen had another plan of that nature aimed at Shichiro, which would be going down very soon…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SYNCHRO RETURN (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Junk Warrior glowing with soft light, with Speed World's energy in the background.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon one of your Synchro Monsters that has been removed from play. At the End Phase of the turn, remove the Special Summoned Monster from play.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – ZERO REBIRTH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A young boy in a boxer's outfit surrounded by a flaming aura, standing over an adult in a boxing outfit who has been knocked out.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Special Summon 1 Monster from your Graveyard that was destroyed by a card effect this round in Attack Position. The ATK of the Special Summoned Monster becomes zero.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Synchro Return" and "Speed Spell – Zero Rebirth" were first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Second Round Showdown (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE COSMIC CLOSER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** If your opponent controls 2 or more Monsters, 1 of them being a LIGHT Monster, you may Special Summon this card from your hand.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" set. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE REVERSE BREAK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** If there is a face-up LIGHT Monster on the field, destroy this card. If this card attacks a facedown Defense Position Monster, destroy that Monster without flipping it face-up or applying damage calculation.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Reverse Break" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – PLATINUM ECHOES (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Allies of Justice Garadholg and Catastor flying through the energy of Speed World.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card when you have 5 or more Speed Counters. Select one "Ally of Justice" Monster you control. Special Summon an "Ally of Justice" Monster from your Graveyard that is a lower Level than the selected Monster. The effect of the Special Summoned Monster is negated.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLADIATOR BEAST JULIUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 3,300  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Gladiator Beast" Monsters_

If this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, destroy all other Monsters your opponent controls with this card's effect. If this card battles, by returning a "Gladiator-Beast" monster to the deck at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon 1 "Gladiator-Beast" monster from your deck except one with the same name as the Monster that was returned to your deck. This effect can only be used once per turn. If you use this effect to return this card to your Extra Deck, Special Summon 2 "Gladiator Beast" Monsters from your deck instead.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLADIATOR BEAST THESEUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Gladiator Beast Secutor". When this card is Special Summoned, it is unaffected by Trap cards. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLADIATOR BEAST AUCTORATI (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 950  
**DEF:** 900

**Card Description:** If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladiator Beast" Monster, draw 1 card from your deck. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card attacked or was attacked, you can return it to the deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladiator Beast" Monster from your deck except "Gladiator-Beast Auctorati".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GLADIATOR BEAST FLAMMA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If this card is used to Synchro Summon a Synchro Monster, Special Summon 1 "Gladiator-Beast" Monster from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – SUMMON AURA (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** Doom Shaman conjuring up a portal, through which a Diskblade Rider is emerging.

**Card Description:** Activate only while you control "Speed World" with 4 or more Speed Counters. If your Speed Counters fall below 4, destroy this card. Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent each time you Special Summon a Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – DEATH BATTLE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Gladiator Beast Andal charging through the aura of Speed World.

**Card Description:** To activate this card, you must control "Speed World" with at least as many Speed Counters as the Level of the intended target for this card. Target one Monster you control in Attack Position. The targeted Monster cannot be destroyed by battle during this turn. If the targeted Monster attacks a Monster with greater ATK or DEF than the selected Monster's ATK, inflict the Battle Damage to your opponent. At the end of the Battle Phase, destroy the targeted Monster.

_The proceeding six cards were created by fanfic author SeekerD. Special thanks to him._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Who was that creepy guy in that dark room? Well, you might have seen him before, actually. And next chapter, he goes to meet with Shichiro, as DaPen's plans for today are not yet complete._

"_Mind Crush" is coming up next._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Chicken Bone, the Hermit of the Bayou**

There are many enigmas in the world of Shadow, and Chicken Bone, a strange old recluse who lives in the Louisiana bayou a few miles outside of New Orleans, is one of the biggest.

Some folks think that Chicken Bone is a practitioner of Voodoo, but this is not the case. Chicken Bone, who appears to be human, at least on the surface, is a member of a very rare and secretive Shadowkind religion called Voodan. It may or may not be related to Voodoo in some way; the few known practitioners will not confirm nor deny.

Those who have met Chicken Bone have his image forever etched in their heads. He seems like a wrinkled, old man, of clearly African origins. His hair is cropped close to his head, and he wears long robes colored in a mishmash of hues that some would call gaudy. He seems to be frail with age, and leans on a wooden staff, from which dangle dozens of bones. Despite his name, these bones come from many small animals, including frogs, squirrels, mice, fish, and rats, as well as chickens. He may or may not be typical of the Voodan – so few have been seen, it is impossible to say.

Visiting Chicken Bone's wooden shack can give people quite a scare. Zombies prowl the outside perimeter, but they don't harm anyone unless Chicken Bone is threatened. Some Shadowchasers who know about undead have recognized them as juju zombies, more powerful versions of standard zombies. Chicken Bone does not claim to have created them, nor does he claim to be their master.

Chicken Bone is sought out occasionally for the wisdom he possesses, but also for a darker purpose: he has the ability to bestow curses on humans or Shadows alike if he has a sample of the intended victim's tissue. A hair sample is enough, and Chicken Bone will do so for a price. However, Chicken Bone has no use for simple money, and he does not reveal what the price is until he has done the job (he claims that the cost comes to him in the ritual he must cast) and always requires a tissue sample from his customer first, in case payment is not made.

Casting such a curse requires a ritual that takes several hours. (The more potent the curse, the longer it takes.) During the ritual, Chicken Bone enters a trance where he lights several candles, chants in an incomprehensible language, burns incense, and offers the life of one of more small animals (to what, he will not say). Once the ritual is done, the curse takes effect, and Chicken Bone reveals the payment to his customer.

The curse, regardless of potency, is very hard to remove. The only known way to do so is to visit Chicken Bone and convince him to reverse it. Fortunately, this seems easy to do. Chicken Bone seems to have little loyalty to past customers, and is willing to cancel one of his curses for discount costs.

One could simply try to force Chicken Bone to remove a curse, but this may be unwise, because in addition to the zombies that protect his home, several other spirits have been known to come to his aid. Anyone who challenges him to a duel must take incredible caution; it is rumored that he is able to create Shadow Games as well.

Story Ideas: Casting curses on your enemies is not a morally sound thing to do, so the Shadowchasers are unlikely to see Chicken Bone as any sort of ally. His being hired by an unscrupulous Shadow to harm them is more likely, but one must take into account just how powerful he can be. Just how far can his spells reach? Can they affect any victim on any location on the globe? If they can, he could be a force to be reckoned with. Keep in mind, an enemy would have to get close enough to one of the main characters to get part of her tissue. Getting a hair sample is never easy.

If a successful curse is cast, dealing with Chicken Bone might make up a key part of the story. Although Chicken Bone is not truly a practitioner of Voodoo, he is similar. It's up to you whether you want his powers to be based on true Voodoo (in which case you can research the history of Haiti for more information) or whether you want to go with the image that is presented in popular culture. (Such as that presented in the James Bond film _Live and Let Die_.)

Deck Suggestions: Most likely, a Zombie Deck. In a duel, Chicken Bone may not use a Disk, dueling in a fashion similar to the way that Saiou dueled Manjoume in the second season of GX.


	35. Mind Crush

_Author's note: This chapter uses the Japanese name for an important card. As for why, well, you'll see why later._

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

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**Mind Crush**

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_**You may have noticed that before Jinx and I went to go fight that Arcane Golem, and before Gears went to handle Lukas, we were all tipped off about them by the same source – Shichiro.**_

_**Where was he? Well, he was holding down the fort, for good reason. Our possession of the Silver Hemisphere was the only thing keeping DaPen from doing whatever he planned to do with the Regalia of Day, so leaving the townhouse without anyone on duty was not an option. So, while Jinx and I were training and Gears was on patrol, he was watching television and keeping a close eye on the docket.**_

_**He wasn't complaining… There were harder parts of his job. Still, he was bored.**_

_**Things were about to get more exciting fast.**_

Shichiro changed the channel on the TV. He remembered how his father often said that the common complaint in his time was, how there could be two-hundred channels and still nothing good on.

Things were a little different for Shadows and Awares. If you paid a small monthly fee to any digital television or satellite provider, you could be hooked up to the channels that only they had access to. Some called it STV (Shadow Television) but it was not just one network. On these channels, Shadowkind could provide entertainment for their own, provided they knew enough about broadcasting.

Some of the soap operas that one elven producer had put together were interesting to say the least…

Right now, Shichiro was clicking through the channels while Sorsha was watching behind him. He had turned off _Dances With Werewolves_ halfway through. (The name should have tipped him off.)

He stopped as he saw the opening sequence for _Dr. Time Space and the Continuum_.

_Eh, the show for science nerds… _he thought. _I always wondered what Maskent saw in this…_

"Oh, Shichiro?" said Boris's voice.

"What's this?" asked Shichiro, as the skull held up a plate of brownies.

"I'm trying something new," said Boris. "Taste it…"

Shichiro picked one up and bit into it.

"Interesting…" he said.

"Uh huh," said Boris. "I found the recipe for these escargot brownies on the internet…"

Shichiro looked at the brownie.

"Escargot?" he said.

"Uh huh," replied Boris.

"So, in other words," replied Shichiro, "snails."

"Yup," said Boris. "Oop, better go check on the cake I had in the oven…"

As Boris turned around, Shichiro tossed the brownie underhand and backwards, and Sorsha caught it.

_We have got to start limiting his internet time…_ he thought.

Then there was a beeping noise from a device next to the computer on the desk.

"What the?" said Shichiro, getting up.

He looked at the device, and typed in a command on the screen.

"Wanted Shadowchasers criminal in the immediate area?" he muttered. "Who…"

He looked at the results.

"Well, well, well…"

He picked up his Duel Disk, and looked out the front window.

Sure enough, someone was standing about a block down the street who didn't seem to fit in, mostly because he was wearing an academic robe. A frown crossed Shichiro's face.

He walked outside, and the man made a slight smile.

"Hello, Shichiro," he said, calmly. "Long time, no see…"

"Well, well, Professor Frank…" said Shichiro. "The infamous Dueling Counselor… I never figured we'd see you again…

"You'll be glad to know that the halfling you took on as a patient responded quite well to your treatment. She sure lost weight, like she wanted to… Unfortunately, she became so anorexic, she might have wasted away if we hadn't gotten her to a more _competent_ psychiatrist!"

"One can't expect success all the time in my business," replied Frank. "In fact, when one method fails, that's how one develops _better_ methods."

"And the people you hurt while discovering your 'better methods' are of no consequence to you," replied Shichiro. "We saw the stunt you pulled at the Fortune Cup. We figured that after that, you wouldn't be capable of feeding yourself any more, let alone getting back into business."

"True…" replied Frank. "I was rendered almost completely comatose, due to my attempt to delve into a mind of a Duel Spirit of incredible power. Godwin committed me to some psychiatric ward where I couldn't do much except stare at the wall.

"But… One day a new doctor came in, or at least someone who had convinced the other doctors that he was one. This person used psionic surgery to repair my maimed mind, bringing me back to normal."

"As normal as you ever were, I guess," replied Shichiro. "Let me guess, that 'doctor' was Louis DaPen."

Frank nodded.

"Too bad he couldn't do anything to cure that annoying grin," added Shichiro.

"Well, I always pay back my debts," replied Frank.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, Frank," said Shichiro. "DaPen is not the type of person you'd want to work for. He's far worse than Godwin."

"Why?" asked Frank. "Because he's an illithid?"

Shichiro looked at him with a dumbfounded look.

"He… Told you?" he asked.

"No," replied Frank, "but it was hardly something he could keep hidden from me. So he's some tentacled mutant with weird powers and an eating disorder. He doesn't scare me, I've dealt with worse. Know what he reminds me of? He reminds me of those old H.P. Lovecraft stories I read when I was a kid. Heh, I really loved those old books…"

"That explains a lot," said Shichiro. "You're either very brave, or very foolhardy, Frank. I really don't know what to make of you… What are you, a psychiatrist, or a nut?"

Frank chuckled a little.

"Why can't I be both?" he asked. "Maybe you could call me a psychiatry nut, or a nutty psychiatrist. In the grand scheme of things, Shichiro, not everything is always viewed in terms of black and white. The great Sigmund Freud knew that well… That's why he suggested that there were three aspects that defined the human mind rather than two: one good, one evil, and one that was a mediator between the two."

"You realize that most psychoanalysts these days regard Freud's theories as obsolete?" asked Shichiro.

"True," said Frank, "but like I said before, wrong theories are often as beneficial as correct ones. When a theory is debunked, good theorists form new ones. Freud is to be commended for getting the ball rolling, so to speak."

"Let's stop beating around the bush, Frank," said Shichiro, getting annoyed. "Just what do you want?"

Frank held up a Duel Disk.

"To take you down," he replied.

Shichiro activated his own Duel Disk.

"So, you've become nothing more than a common assassin?" he said. "Well, fine… You'll find me much harder to defeat than some little girl who uses pixies and unicorns…

"And by the way, don't think you can hypnotize me like you did her, because you won't succeed."

"Duel!" they both exclaimed.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Frank: 8,000)**

"My draw, Professor," said Shichiro, sarcastically.

He drew a card.

He set a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all for now."

"Then the turn goes to me," said Frank, drawing a card.

"And I will summon…"

He played a card.

"…Symmetry Rorschach!"

A large blob of ink appeared in the air, and it turned into a wide, flat, symmetrical shape, much like one of the images shown to a patient during a Rorschach test. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, Shichiro," said Frank, still in his calm tone of voice. "Take a look at my Rorschach and tell me… What does it suggest to you?"

Shichiro sighed.

"Frank, I'll tell you the same thing I tell every shrink who gives me a Rorschach test," he replied. "It looks like a puddle of ink."

"Are you sure?" asked Frank.

"Frank, the whole concept behind the Rorschach is dumb," said Shichiro. "I defy you to deny that half of the patients that take this test don't say that most of the ink blots look like butterflies."

"Humph…" said Frank. "You're gonna be a tough case…

"Spiral mind…"

Symmetry Rorschach started to pulse and convulse, and Shichiro's facedown Monster shuddered. Then his Skelengel shattered.

"Thank you," said Shichiro. "Now I get to draw one card…"

He went to make a draw.

"Hold it," said Frank.

Shichiro paused.

"According to the rules of Duel Monsters," said Frank, "a Monster is destroyed before its Flip Effect occurs, so Symmetry Rorschach's effect occurs first.

"That means I first get to see the top card on your deck. So, if you would…"

Shichiro flipped the top card on his deck. It was Queen's Knight.

"Excellent," replied Frank. "NOW you may draw."

Shichiro drew the card, which was Queen's Knight.

Frank looked at the other five cards in his hand.

_I may not be able to hypnotize him,_ he thought, _but I can still read his actions and anticipate his moves. _

_He has Queen's Knight, so he'll likely summon her on his next turn, so that he can attempt his Poker Knight combo._

He took a card from his hand.

_Well, I'll be ready…_

He fit a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move," he said.

Shichiro drew another card.

"I summon Queen's Knight!" he shouted.

With a battlecry, Queen's Knight leapt onto the field, waving her sword. (1,500 ATK)

"Impressive," said Frank.

His facedown card lifted.

_A Trap? _thought Shichiro. _What is it? Bottomless Trap Hole?_

"Since your Queen is a Light Monster," continued Frank, "I can activate Guiding Light to the Inner Depths. First, some bad news. You send the top five cards from your deck to the Graveyard."

Shichiro frowned. He took five cards off of his deck, and discarded them.

"Next, good news," continued Frank. "You get to draw the next card."

Shichiro frowned again, and made a draw. He looked at it.

"Then, more bad news," said Frank. "If you do not play the card you drew this turn, you lose 2,000 points of damage."

Shichiro looked at the card again.

"Whatever you say, Frank," he said, fitting it into his Disk. "I Equip Queen's Knight with Synchro Boost!"

Queen's Knight glowed with a soft light.

"It gives my Monster 500 more Attack Points, and increases her Level by one.

"Now… Splatter his Rorschach!"

Queen's Knight leapt at Symmetry Rorschach and made a swipe with her blade. It was torn to shreds like cloth, and the shreds dissolved.

_Weirder and weirder,_ thought Shichiro.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 7,200)**

"My move…" said Frank, drawing a card.

He chuckled as he saw the Monster on the card.

"Here's a little trick I learned from Bommer," he said, as a Spell Card appeared.

"Star Blast?" said Shichiro. "That lets you downgrade the Level of a Monster, right?"

"Correct," replied Frank. "So long as I pay 500 Life Points for each Level I want to lower it. So I'll pay 1,000 Life Points to downgrade this Level 6 Monster to Level 4.

"Which means that I can instantly summon… Id, the Super Demonic Lord!"

With a roar, and an explosion of energy, a fearsome beast appeared next to Frank. It looked like a giant wolf or other predator, made entirely of dark, crackling energy, with sharp claws and horns. (2,200 ATK)

"Gee, Frank," said Shichiro, "I didn't know you were a fan of _Forbidden Planet._"

"I wouldn't call myself a 'fan'," replied Frank, "although I did watch it once. Yes, that old cult classic did have something called the Id Monster that looked similar to my Monster. And like this one, it was formed out of the concept of Id, the part of the psyche which Freud identified as the basic inherent part of the human mind that drives the most savage instincts. A man's evil side, if you will.

"But anyway…

"Attack. Violent egotism."

Id appeared to grow bigger as it loomed over Queen's Knight. It slammed down its mighty claw, crushing her in one swipe. Shichiro growled.

A facedown card appeared behind Id.

"I'll end with a reversed card, and then you can go."

**(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,200)**

Shichiro made a draw.

_The only way to permanently destroy that thing is via battle,_ he thought. _At least he can't summon any other Monsters with it on the field._

He looked at his hand.

_But anyway… I've got just what the doctor ordered…_

"I summon Junk Synchron!"

With a flourish, the cute robot leapt onto the field. (1,300 ATK)

"And thanks to him, I can bring Skelengel back from the Graveyard."

The winged cherub appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"Now, let's show this shrink some Synchro action!"

Junk Synchron grabbed its ripcord, and gave it a yank. Both Monsters flew into the sky, and faded into five glowing stars.

Junk Warrior descended, and spun around in mid-air. (2,300 ATK)

"Your Junk Warrior is very interesting," said Frank. "It seems to be cobbled together from spare parts and old machinery to make a powerful fighter.

"In other words, it's a Gestalt… A whole that is different than the sum of its parts."

"Will you stop with the psychological bibble-babble?!" shouted Shichiro.

"Why should I?" asked Frank, as his facedown card lifted up. "What I just said fits the current situation perfectly. I activate Gestalt Trap."

A large clamp flew at Junk Warrior, and clamped around its waist. It roared, as its Attack and Defense Scores both fell to zero.

Shichiro growled.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

"Then I draw," said Frank, drawing a card.

"Next, I Equip Junk Warrior with Immortal Homeostasis," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. "As the name suggests, this makes Junk Warrior immortal.

"Now, my Monster attacks."

Id loomed over Junk Warrior, and brought his claw down, smashing Junk Warrior to pieces.

"ERGH!" grunted Shichiro.

Then the shattered pieces reformed, and Junk Warrior appeared again.

"I set a facedown card," said Frank, as a new reversed card appeared, "and I end my turn."

**(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,200)**

_This guy's more annoying than the gas you get from eating baked beans,_ thought Shichiro. _And I have a pretty good idea what that facedown card it._

_I'd better draw something good…_

"I draw!" he exclaimed, making a draw.

"That means the other effect of Immortal Homeostasis activates," replied Frank. "Since Junk Warrior's Attack Score is not its base score, you lose 300 Life Points."

Shichiro frowned as a red aura surrounded him. He looked at the card he had drawn.

"I play a facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "and then I move him to Defense Mode."

Junk Warrior knelt, and crossed his arms over his chest. (0 DEF)

"Then I set another Monster in Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared.

"And I end my turn."

**(S: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,200)**

Frank drew a card.

"I first move Id into Defense Mode," he said.

Id sat, and shielded itself with its claws. (800 DEF)

"Now I activate a new Trap," he said, as his facedown card lifted up. Zero Gravity. Now, all Monsters on the field switch Modes."

Id reared up into Attack Mode again. (2,200 ATK) Junk Warrior stood up as well. (0 ATK)

"Now, Id, attack Junk Warrior again."

Id loomed over Junk Warrior a second time…

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd do, Frank," said Shichiro. "I have a Trap of my own! Go, Malevolent Catastrophe!"

His facedown card shot up.

"Now, since you declared an attack, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are wiped out!"

A look of fear crossed Frank's face.

"Not again…" he moaned.

Gestalt Trap and Immortal Homeostasis shattered into shards. Junk Warrior roared as its Attack Score shot back up to 2,300.

"Junk Warrior, show that demon some Scrap Fist action!" shouted Shichiro.

As Id tried to take a swipe at Junk Warrior, the Synchro punched it hard. Id, the Super Demonic Lord let out a bellow, and shattered into black shards.

For the first time, Frank looked a little angry.

"I set a card, and then play The Dark Door," he said.

A reversed card appeared, and then a Continuous Spell appeared.

"And so long as this Door remains, both players may only attack with one Monster per round."

"Then it's my move," said Shichiro.

He made a draw.

"I summon Marauding Captain," he said.

The armored, battle-scarred Warrior appeared, holding his two swords. (1,200 ATK)

"Next, I use his effect to summon Hayabusa Knight."

He played another card, and the hawk-headed, rapier-wielding swashbuckler appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Next, I flip Axe Raider into Attack Mode."

His facedown card flipped up, and Axe Raider appeared with a howl. (1,700 ATK)

"I can see you have a lot of pent-up aggression," said Frank. "However, thanks to my Dark Door, you can only release it in small doses."

"I'll show you aggression," said Shichiro. "Junk Warrior, attack him directly!"

Junk Warrior flew at Frank, socking him in the chest and knocking him over.

"Ouch…" he said.

**(S: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,900)**

He got up, which wasn't the easiest thing to do, considering what he was wearing. His calm demeanor was quickly fading.

"My draw," he said, in a low snarl.

He drew a card, and looked at it.

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

He nodded.

_Curses,_ thought Shichiro, drawing a card. _If it weren't for that Dark Door, I could have beaten him last turn. _

_But I just have to try to do my best…_

Junk Warrior flew at the card. Morphing Jar appeared on the card and shattered.

It couldn't have come at a worse time for Shichiro. He now had to discard five of his cards, two of which were Tuners. Frank, on the other hand, didn't have to discard any.

They both drew five more, and Shichiro looked at his.

"All right, mind-wrecker," he said, "I'm setting a card facedown."

A reversed card appeared.

"And it's your move…"

Frank made a sixth draw, and looked at his hand.

"First I'll set a Monster," he said. "Then, I'll play the Continuous Spell Card, Wave of Ill-Intent."

The set Monster appeared, and then the Spell Card appeared. Shichiro was a little shocked by the appearance of the Spell, which depicted a bloated, demonic face.

"It's my move!" he shouted.

He made a sixth draw of his own.

"Junk Warrior, crush his Monster!"

Junk Warrior flew at the facedown card yet again. This time, the Monster that appeared was a multicolored wreath with feathered wings.

"You destroyed my Nova Summoner," said Frank. "Now, I get to Special Summon a Light-Attribute, Fairy-Type Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less. Like another Nova Summoner.

A second Nova Summoner appeared. (800 DEF)

"And that's not all. Since my Monster was destroyed, Wave of Ill-Intent activates, and you lose 300 points of damage."

Shichiro growled.

_My Mystical Space Typhoon is in this deck somewhere…_ he thought.

"I end my turn!" he shouted.

**(S: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,900)**

Frank chuckled as he drew a card.

"I'm sick of defending…" he said. "Time to be a little aggressive myself…

"Do you remember when I said that Freud outlined three parts of the psyche? The Id was one, and there was also the Superego. The Superego was the opposite of the Id. It represented a person's morals and ethics, his restraint. It was the positive where the Id was negative."

He chuckled a little.

"Do you know those cartoons you used to watch as a child, where a character considers doing something bad, and a little angel appears on his shoulder trying to persuade him not to do it, while a little devil appears on his other shoulder trying to persuade him to do so? Most folks don't know it, but that is a simplified version of the struggle between the Id and the Superego."

"And does this actually go anywhere?" asked Shichiro.

Frank grinned evilly.

"I sacrifice Nova Summoner…" he exclaimed.

Nova Summoner vanished.

"To call forth Superego, the Super Celestial Lord!"

In another explosion of energy, a new Monster appeared. It suggested Id at first glance, but it was made of golden energy, and suggested a large lion, rather than a wolf. (2,200 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Shichiro.

"Attack his Marauding Captain!" shouted Frank.

Superego, the Super Celestial Lord breathed a beam of pure light from its jaws, and Marauding Captain was reduced to vapor.

**(S: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,900)**

Frank played a new card.

"I next play Card pf Safe Return," he chuckled. "It's your move…"

Shichiro quickly drew a card.

"Come on out, Command Knight!" he exclaimed.

He played the card, Command Knight appeared in a burst of flame. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, all my Warriors receive 400 more attack points."

Junk Warrior rose to an Attack Score of 2,700, Hayabusa Knight rose to 1,400, Axe Raider to 2,100, and Command Knight herself to 1,600.

"Junk Warrior, attack!"

Junk Warrior punched Superego, and the huge Fairy exploded into shards of light. Frank cringed a little.

"So much for that," said Shichiro.

"And you lose 300 more Life Points from Wave of Ill-Intent," replied Frank.

Shichiro groaned.

"I end my turn…" he said.

**(S: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)**

"I draw!" laughed Frank. "And now, guess who's back?"

In an explosion of light, Superego reappeared. (2,200 ATK)

"HOW?" shouted Shichiro. "I destroyed it via battle!"

"Exactly!" laughed Frank. "Superego is the opposite of Id in every way! Id is a Fiend, Superego is a Fairy… Id is Dark, Superego is Light…

"And Id can revive itself if destroyed via card effects… Superego can do the same if destroyed via battle!

"And due to Card of Safe Return, I now get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Now, I activate Curse of Aging."

His facedown card lifted up, and he discarded a card in his hand, a second Curse of Aging. All of Shichiro's Warriors gasped. Junk Warrior started to rust and corrode, while wrinkles appeared on the faces of the others. Their Attack Scores all fell by 500 points.

"Superego, attack Junk Warrior!" commanded Frank.

Superego shot forth his beam of light, and both Junk Warrior and Superego were eradicated.

"Now, you once again lose 300 Life Points from Wave of Ill-Intent," said Frank.

"Ergh…" groaned Shichiro.

"I set a facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared in front of him. The wrinkles of the faces of the other Warriors vanished, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

**(S: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)**

"My draw, Frank," said Shichiro, making a draw.

He drew, and looked at the card.

"Hayabusa Knight…" he said.

Then Frank's facedown card flipped up.

"I activate Threatening Roar!" he exclaimed.

A loud bellow echoed over the field.

"Now, there'll be no battle this turn."

"You're gonna run out of shields soon enough," said Shichiro.

His own facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Wicked Rebirth. Now, I'll drop 800 Life Points to bring back Junk Warrior."

With a flash of energy, Junk Warrior leapt onto the field again. (2,300 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"The catch is, he can't attack.

"Now, I'll move my other Monsters to Defense Mode."

Axe Raider knelt and held his Axe in his lap. (1,150 DEF) Hayabusa Knight sheathed his rapier and knelt. (700 DEF) Command Knight crouched behind her shield. (1,900 DEF)

"I'll set a card facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared behind his Warriors.

**(S: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)**

Frank drew a card.

"Once again, Superego returns," he said.

Superego appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

"Once again, I draw once due to Card of Safe Return…"

He made a draw.

Then he laughed. He laughed in a voice that didn't sound sane.

"I can tell you just drew a powerful Monster, Frank," said Shichiro. "But how will you summon it? That thing on your field keeps you from summoning any other Monsters."

"I'll show you," said Frank. "But first…

"Superego… Attack Junk Warrior!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Superego blasted its beam, and Junk Warrior simply swatted it aside. Superego roared, and burst into pixels.

"Now, you lose 300 more Life Points from Wave of Ill-Intent," continued Frank. "Plus, I'm able to play Mental Contamination."

He quickly played a Spell Card.

"Since my Monster was destroyed, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card, like Wicked Rebirth."

The Trap Card shattered, and so did Junk Warrior.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,900)**

"And Superego won't be coming back next turn… I'm removing it and Id from play to summon my mightiest beast…

"As I said, Freud outlined three parts of the psyche… The third one was the most powerful and most vital, for it was the mediator between the Id and the Superego, the one which kept each one in check, and kept each one from gaining complete dominance over the other…

"I now summon my third psychoanalytical being! Come forth, Ego, the Concordant Lord!"

There was a rumble, and a huge, monolithic form rose next to Frank. It stood twenty feet tall, and resembled a statue made of seamless brass, shaped like a muscular, androgynous human, with a completely blank expression. (3,200 ATK)

"Uhm…" said Shichiro. "Okay, that's certainly… big…"

"Of course," said Frank, "my Battle Phase is finished for this turn… And I can only us his effect during my first Main Phase. So… I think I'll just end my turn now…"

Shichiro nervously drew a card.

Jutte Fighter.

He looked at his three Monsters. He didn't have the right combination of Levels right now to summon Colossal Fighter. Not that Colossal Fighter would do much good anyway.

Slowly, however, a plan started to form, but it would take a lot of luck.

"Okay, Frank," he said. "I'm setting a Monster and a reversed card facedown."

He set Jutte Fighter and another card from his hand, and both appeared facedown.

"Do your worst."

"My worst, eh?" laughed Frank, drawing a card. "Your wish is my command.

"During my first Main Phase, Ego has the ability to destroy any card at all. So Command Knight is about get shock treatment."

Thunder rolled, and a bolt of lightning flashed out the blue, striking Command Knight. She screamed right before being blown to shards.

"Now, I'll discard one card so that my Concordant Lord can attack."

He discarded one card.

"Destroy Hayabusa Knight! Attack with brain wave!"

Ego barely moved, but waves of powerful energy blasted from its forehead, blowing Hayabusa Knight to bits.

"I doubt you can summon a Monster stronger than mine," continued Frank, as he played a Spell Card, but just in case, I'm playing a second Immortal Homeostasis. Only this time, I'm Equipping it to my own Monster.

"And with that, I end my turn…"

_It's now or never…_ thought Shichiro.

He drew a card.

_Well,_ he thought, _guess it's time to call in a specialist._

"I play the Warrior Returning Alive," he said, as he quickly played it. "Now, I can retrieve a Monster that you forced me to discard with your Guiding Light to the Inner Depths."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"But before I summon him, I'm flipping Jutte Fighter into Attack Mode."

His facedown Monster flipped up, and Jutte Fighter appeared. (700 ATK)

Then, he glowed with energy, and Ego knelt down and crossed its arms. (2,500 DEF)

"My Monster!" shouted Frank. "It's moving into Defense Mode!"

"That's right," said Shichiro. "And now I sacrifice Axe Raider and Jutte Fighter…"

Both Warriors vanished into pixels of light.

"To summon Gilford the Legend!"

In an explosion of energy, the mighty Gilford appeared, holding aloft his enormous sword. (2,600 ATK)

"Have you forgotten about my Immortal Homeostasis?" asked Frank. "That big lug can't destroy my Monster!"

"Who needs to destroy it?" asked Shichiro. "I activate Gilford's effect, which lets me Equip him with the two Equip Spells in my Graveyard…

"Synchro Boost… And Big Bang Shot.

"You already know what the first can do. Big Bang Shot gives him 400 more Attack Points and a trampling effect."

Both Equip Spells appeared behind Gilford. (3,500 ATK)

_Big Bang Shot?_ thought Frank. _When did that go to his…_

_Oh… It must have also been one of the five cards that I sent there with Guiding Light to the Inner Depths…_

"Big deal!" he shouted. "I'll survive, and thanks to my own Equip Spell, so will Ego!"

One of Shichiro's facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Micro Ray!" he shouted. "This reduces Ego's Defense Score to zero."

Frank turned pale, as his Monster's Defense Score fell to nothing.

"I hate to end this, Frank," said Shichiro, "but your hour is up."

"HEY!" shouted Frank, "that's MY line!"

"Gilford…" ordered Shichiro, "attack the Concordant Lord with legendary blade!"

Gilford let out a roar, and slammed his sword into the huge statue. Professor Frank let out a loud scream…

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)**

Shichiro caught his breath as the holograms vanished.

Then he saw Frank running away, down the street.

_Oh, no, pal, _he said. _You don't get away that easily…_

As Shichiro started to chase him, Frank ducked into an alleyway, where he tripped over his long outfit.

"Damn academic robe…" he cursed. "How the heck do the pros duel all the time in those ridiculous costumes?"

Then his mobile rang.

"WHAT?" he shouted, answering it.

"Hello, Professor," said DaPen's voice.

"Uh, Mr. DaPen!" said Frank, nervously. "Uhm… The plan hit a snag…"

"Yes, I know," said DaPen. "I was watching the whole thing. I found it very interesting.

"What I found most interesting was the part before the duel, the part where you referred to me as a 'tentacled mutant with weird powers and an eating disorder'. Yes, that was _very_ interesting."

Frank turned pale.

"Mr. DaPen…" he gasped. "I… I meant it as a compliment…"

"Regardless," said DaPen. "You miss the point. I don't know how you saw me for what I am, but I simply cannot trust a human with your questionable stability with such knowledge. If word of this got out to rank-and-file Awares and Shadowkind in my organization, it would be bad. I can't take that risk."

"You can't keep it a secret forever!" pleaded Frank. "The Shadowchasers know!"

"Do you actually believe that anyone in the DaPen Syndicate would believe a Shadowchaser?" asked DaPen. "Goodbye, Professor…"

Then Professor Frank clutched his head, and collapsed to the ground.

Shichiro ran up to him.

Frank's eyes were open, and his face was frozen in a grin. Shichiro snapped his fingers, but he was apparently comatose.

"Clearly, DaPen has the ability to take back whatever he gives," muttered Shichiro.

He saw the phone on the ground. He picked it up.

He raised an eyebrow. Whoever was on the other end hadn't hung up yet.

Did DaPen expect him to make a threat again?

Shichiro spoke into it.

"I know you're listening," he said. "These games… They're getting annoying…"

He hung up.

_**Yes, they were annoying. But Shichiro didn't know that DaPen had decided that today was the day he would stop playing. His next attack, which would take place before the day was out, would be a true show of his strength. It would be directed towards one of us, and his intent would be, quite simply, to kill the target. None of us knew the danger that we were in, and as the clock moved towards three o'clock, the time to the attempt cam closer.**_

_**But it was now only about twelve-thirty, and before it happened, I would finally get my chance to do the Limit Reverse test. I was as ready as I'd ever be, and as anxious as ever to do it, and pass it.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYMMETRY RORSCHACH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, confirm the top card of your opponent's deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**IMMORTAL HOMEOSTASIS (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Maha Vailo surrounded by a dark aura.

**Card Description: **The Equipped Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. During the Standby Phase of the Equipped Monster's controller, if the Equipped Monster's ATK is different than its base ATK, inflict 300 points of damage to the Life Points of the controller of the Equipped Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WAVE OF ILL-INTENT (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A hideous, bloated, demonic face.

**Card Description:** Each time a Monster on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle, inflict 300 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MENTAL CONTAMINATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man holding his head as an evil shadow looms behind him.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card during a turn in which a Monster you control is destroyed. Destroy one Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GESTALT TRAP (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A large, metal clamp.

**Card Description: **Upon activation, this card is treated as an Equip Spell that is Equipped to a Monster controlled by your opponent. Reduce the ATK of the Equipped Monster to zero, and negate its effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GUIDING LIGHT TO THE INNER DEPTHS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A man on a pathway in a void, looking towards a glowing portal.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your opponent Summons a LIGHT Monster. Your opponent sends the top five cards from his deck to the Graveyard. Your opponent then draws the next card and adds it to his/her hand. If he/she does not play that card this turn, he/she receives 2,000 points of damage.

_Note: The proceeding six cards were first used by Professor Frank in the multi-part "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Return to the Spirit World". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SUPEREGO, THE SUPER CELESTIAL LORD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fairy/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, during your next Standby Phase, Special Summon this card and destroy all Monsters you control except this card. While you control this face-up card, you cannot Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon. You can only control one "Superego the Super Celestial Lord".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EGO, THE CONCORDANT LORD (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 10  
**ATK:** 3,200  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned from your hand by removing from play one "Id, the Super Demonic Lord" and one "Superego, the Super Celestial Lord" in your Graveyard. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, you may destroy one card on the field. You must discard one card from your hand to attack with this card. While you control this face-up card, you cannot Normal Summon, Flip-Summon, or Special Summon. You can only control one "Ego the Concordant Lord".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_No justice system is perfect. Now and then, a criminal beats the system, and gets away with what he has done. It isn't right, but that is the downside of running a fair and just system. It is no different for the Shadowchasers._

_Next episode, Jinx and Ember encounter one criminal who beat the system, and he just can't help but gloat in Jinx's face. At least Ember now gets a chance to do her final official test. And it's time to go to the mystic lands of Arabian Nights, in a chapter I call "Desert Sunlight", coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Silent Walkers, the Power of Thought in Silence**

The Arcadia Movement is not the only psychic organization in the world, and is definitely not the oldest. That distinction goes to the Silent Walkers, a group that has been around in Japan since long before Tokyo was called by that name.

The Silent Walkers dates back to the early 1600's. On the surface, it seems like little more than a monastic group dedicated to the extremely difficult martial arts form called Shikuza Ni Ugoku ("Moving in Silence"). Students are taught a rigorous code of honor that was derived from the original samurai code of Bushido, and dissent is not tolerated.

The truth of the matter is, the Silent Walkers use their martial training, mental discipline, and philosophical beliefs to harness the hidden power of the mind. They believe that through the perfection of the mind, body, and spirit, one can be granted psionic powers. Some members of this organization actually achieve success. However, they also believe that anyone who obtains these powers via other means is an affront to the gods.

The Silent Walkers oppose three groups of people: natural-born psychics (Aki and Divine are both on their list), those who obtain psychic powers via artificial means, and rogue members of their own group. Collectively, they refer to all three groups as "oni", and attempt to hunt down and slay them. However, they have toned down this goal in recent years, only enforcing their desire to hunt down the first two groups within the borders of Japan. They now feel that psionics elsewhere in the world are none of their concern. However, turncoats are the most dangerous oni, and if such enemies travel to other nations, they are often pursued by psionic assassins. The Silent Walkers spare no expense to keep their secrets hidden.

One difficulty that has arisen among Shadowkind is the fact that the word "oni" can literally be translated to mean "demon" or "monster". This makes many Shadows believe that the Silent Walkers want to hunt them down for no good reason, and has made the Silent Walkers many enemies. The Silent Walkers are knowledgeable of Shadowkind, and they know that dueling is their preferred method of combat. They have taken up this form of battle in recent years much like most Shadows have.

For now, the Silent Walkers are an enigma, but remain a threat to anyone, Shadowkind or otherwise, who happens to be psychic.

Story Ideas: Any story involving the Silent Walkers is going to involve psychics in some way. Paranatural beings are not common, but they may be hiding in remote areas, and this secretive organization considers all of them a blasphemy. They might be considered benign if they targeted an illithid or another psionic ne'er-do-well, but it would be a mistake to trust them, as there are many honest psychics. This is one case where Shadowchasers would have to protect Shadowkind, rather than fight them. And should a Shadowkind himself be psychic, he too may be a target, even if he doesn't know it.

Deck Ideas: A Psychic Deck is certainly possible for a member of the Silent Walkers, but that is not the only possibility for a member of this order. Another possibility might be a Six Samurai Deck, or perhaps one that uses Master Monk as a weapon.

Whatever deck a member of the order uses, it is possible that some of the more powerful members are skilled in Psychic Dueling, the strange reality-warping effect that both Aki and Divine are able to manifest during a duel. In fact, some members may be even better at it than they are and better at controlling their powers. This can make can make confronting them in a duel incredibly dangerous, and a risk to life and limb.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_One final note:_

_The Shadowchasers Writers Guidelines are now available for anyone who wishes to write a Shadowchasers story. See my user profile for information on how to get them._


	36. Desert Sunlight

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Desert Sunlight**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**When you think of old stories, you can't get much older, than the Arabian Nights, a collection of stories that date back to the 14**__**th**__** Century, which supposedly originated in Persia but have Indian influences.**_

_**The stories are bound by a common thread, involving the Sultan **__**Shahryar. After his first wife is unfaithful to him, he has her executed, but the experience causes him to hate women, believing them all to be unfaithful. He thus goes on to marry a succession of versions, only to have them executed the night after.**_

_**Things change after the vizier's daughter, a beautiful (and clearly very smart) girl named Scheherazade volunteers to marry him. On their wedding night, she tells him a story, but does not finish it. Anxious to hear the ending, Shahryar postpones her execution. The next night, she finishes the story but begins a new one, again not finishing it. This goes on, night after night.**_

_**The stories vary widely. They depict genies, magic, and legendary places, and are often intermingled with real people and geography, not always rationally. Common protagonists include the caliph **__**Harun al-Rashid**__**, his vizier, **__**Ja'far al-Barmaki**__**, and his court poet **__**Abu Nuwas**__**, despite the fact that these figures lived about two centuries after the fall of the Persian Empire in which core story is set.**_

_**This goes on for a thousand and one nights. In the meantime, Shahryar has children with Scheherazade, and she remains faithful to him. He realizes he has fallen in love with her, and grants her a pardon.**_

_**What does this have to do with me? The game of Duel Monsters spans every nation, and the legends of all those nations. I'm up against a Shadowkind who might have appeared in one of Scheherazade's stories himself, and who uses cards that may have been inspired by them.**_

_**And now… The Limit Reverse test has begun…**_

Jinx drove slowly down the street with Ember jogging behind her. She heard Ember panting for breath.

She slowly stopped. She pulled up in front of a place called Taste of the Tropics Juice Bar.

"Want to take a break, Ember?" she asked.

Ember caught her breath, and nodded.

Jinx turned on the security device on her D-Wheel, and dismounted. They both walked into the juice bar, whose décor was made to resemble a tropical paradise.

As they did so, someone by a jukebox watched them enter. He grinned.

He reached into his pocket, and took out a one-hundred yen coin. He dropped it in the jukebox, and made a selection.

As Jinx and Ember walked up to the bar, the music started to play. It was an old song by They Might Be Giants called "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)".

Jinx noticeably cringed when it started.

"I take it you don't like this song?" asked Ember.

"I used to like it," muttered Jinx. "But it was the favorite song of a guy I really, really don't like…"

"You called?" said a voice behind them.

They turned, and saw a very tall, very muscular, intimidating man. He was bald, with a short goatee, and had slate blue eyes. He was dressed in a navy blue business suit.

"What are you doing in a place like this, Omar?" asked Jinx, with a scowl.

"I own it," said the man. "I had some money put away, so I invested it in this little place. And I'm doing good business too. Summer is a great time for kids buying fruit smoothies."

"How nice…" scowled Jinx. "Ember… Let's go somewhere else…"

"Please, please!" protested Omar. "How could I turn you away after all we've been through, Jinx?

"Now I insist… Order whatever you like… It's on me."

Jinx growled a little as he grinned and turned away, but she sat down at the bar.

"He's a Shadow, right?" asked Ember.

Jinx nodded.

"He's a djinn," replied Jinx. "A type of genie of elemental wind. His kind are known for their enormous egos."

"I take it there's some bad blood between you two?" asked Ember.

Jinx's voice sank to a whisper.

"This is all off the record, because it was never proven," she said. "He was going to be my biggest bust, just three months after I officially became a Shadowchaser.

"You see, he used to be the biggest fence in Neo Domino. He wasn't the type who'd deal stolen car stereos or watches. He dealt in fine art and jewelry… No matter how hot an item was, he'd find a buyer.

"I spent two weeks hunting him down, and then closed in to get him…"

"So what happened?" asked Ember.

"He surrendered!" exclaimed Jinx. "Gave up without a fight. But the thing is, he knew I was coming all along, and got rid of the most damning evidence. I couldn't arrest him for fencing the most valuable things that had gone through his hands… The only charge I could make stick was some lesser charge that he later plea bargained so that he'd be out of jail in two months.

"That guy more than likely made billions of yen by trafficking stolen goods, and he practically got away with it."

"Hmm," said Omar's voice behind them. "I can see that my customers aren't happy… What's wrong, Jinx? I offer you a free smoothie, and I still can't make you smile? Some things never change…"

Jinx turned around, and saw that Omar was wearing a Duel Disk now.

"So, you do duel," she said.

Omar chuckled.

"I know you were expecting a duel way back when," he replied. "I was so sorry I had to disappoint you… Why don't we make it up now? You and me, no strings attached?"

Jinx looked around.

The bar was crowded, and several of the customers were Shadowkind. They likely knew that she was a Shadowchaser.

She wasn't stupid. She saw through Omar's plan. He wanted to duel her and win, so that he could prove he was better than she was. Defeat her so he could laugh in her face again.

_Two can play at that game,_ Omar, she said.

"Sorry, Omar," she said, "I'm not one to duel for someone's amusement…

"But… I'm pretty sure that Ember might be willing to duel you?"

"Eh?" said Ember.

"Limit Reverse…"whispered Jinx.

Omar chuckled.

"Taking students now, Jinx?" he said. "You must have gotten somewhat better…"

Ember sighed. She stood up.

Jinx held her by the shoulders.

"Be careful now," she whispered. "Remember the conditions… "

Her voice sank to a whisper.

"And even if you can't, try to win anyway. The last thing we need to do is feed his ego even more."

Ember stood up to the large djinn. Her Disk activated.

"All right, buddy," she said. "I'm gonna blow you away!"

"Duel!" they both said.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Omar: 8,000)**

"The first move is yours," said Omar, narrowing his eyes.

Ember drew a card, and then looked at the six cards in her hand. Then she looked at Omar.

_So, what can I expect from this guy?_ he thought. _He is a wind spirit of some sort… But Harpies wouldn't exactly be a genie's style…_

She chose two cards from her hand.

"I set a card facedown, and then summon Tenkabito Shien," she said.

In a bonfire of flame, Shien appeared astride his fiery horse. (1,500 ATK) Then a facedown card appeared behind him.

"It's your move."

"Then I draw!" exclaimed Omar.

"I will summon…" he said.

He threw a card on his Disk.

"Arabian Camel!"

There was a gust of wind, and a large dromedary camel with a colorful, decorated saddle on its hump appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)

"Here's a useful bit of trivia if you ever want to travel in Saudi Arabia," he continued. "Camels are, like all herd animals, herbivores. However, they have nasty tempers. Make one angry, and it will attack with the ferocity of a wild wolf.

"But anyway… I now play the Spell Card, Creature Swap."

"Uh, you positive you want to do that?" asked Ember, as the Spell Card appeared. "You do realize that your Monster is stronger than mine, right?"

"Yes, I am positive," said Omar.

"Whatever you say," replied Ember, as Shien and the Camel switched places.

"Next," continued Omar, "I play another Spell Card, a Continuous one called Arabian Palace."

As he played the card, a large, golden palace of Persian architecture appeared behind him.

"I should point out at this point the useful effect that Arabian Camel has," he continued. "If an opposing player uses any card with the word 'Arabian' in its name, such as Arabian Palace, he takes control of it."

"You mean…" gasped Ember.

"That's right…" said Omar. "I'll take back my Camel now…"

Arabian Camel vanished, and reappeared back on Omar's side of the field.

"And as for what the Palace actually does, it gives all Monsters with the word "Arabian' in their names 300 more Attack Points, and moves all Monsters on the field to Attack Mode."

Arabian Camel glowed with golden light. (1,900 ATK)

"I'm not sure what your facedown card is, but I happen to know that Shien is immune to Trap Cards. So… Shien… Attack her directly!"

Shien galloped forward towards Ember, and she screamed in pain as he slashed at her with his flaming nodachi.

"Now my Beast attacks as well," continued Omar.

Arabian Camel snorted, and rushed at Ember.

"I'll bet your Camel isn't immune to Traps!" shouted Ember. "Activate Draining Shield!"

Her facedown card shot up, and the Camel slammed its hooves into an invisible shield.

Ember breathed a sigh of relief.

"In that case, young lady," said Omar, "I end my turn."

**(E: 8,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,000)**

_Well, at least he's polite, _thought Ember. _Maybe he comes from some royal house in some sultanate somewhere…_

She drew a card.

"I play… Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the cyclone blew across the field, blowing Arabian Palace to shards. The Camel fell down to its original Attack Score.

"Now, I'll summon a herd animal of my own…" she said. "Great Angus!"

She quickly played the card, and a large, muscular, flaming creature with the head of a tusked, hornless steer appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Angus steer are known for their steaks, but with this one, cook it before it cooks you!

"Attack his camel! Flaming rage!"

Great Angus roared, and blasted a cone of flame from its jaws. The Camel bellowed, and then shattered into pixels.

Omar frowned.

**(E: 8,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,800)**

"It's my move…" he said, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

"I'll set a Monster, and then move Tenkabito Shien to Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared, and Shien sheathed his sword. (1,000 DEF)

"It is your move."

_Okay, be careful,_ Ember, thought Ember, as she drew a card. _Don't forget, you have to reduce his Life Points to exactly zero. No more…_

"I summon Molten Zombie," she said.

She played another card, and the hunched over, decayed Pyro appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Sorry, Shien," she said, "but you're either with me, or you're against me."

Molten Zombie blew its cloud of flame, and Shien was vaporized.

"Great Angus, take out the other Monster!"

Angus blew its own breath weapon. Another camel, this one with _three_ humps, appeared on the card before it was blown to shards.

"Good grief," exclaimed Ember, "are all your Monsters beasts of burden?"

"That was a 3-Hump Lacooda," replied Omar. "Technically, camels with three humps do not exist, and ones with two, called Bactrian camels, are not found in Saudi Arabia. But, I have a weakness for certain cards.

"You'll see just what it can do later."

"It's still my turn," said Ember, "and I'm removing Tenkabito Shien from play in order to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and Inferno appeared, crouching in defense. (1,900 DEF)

"That's all for me."

Omar drew a card.

"I will summon Arabian Mercenary!" he exclaimed.

A gust of wind blew onto the field, and a tall man in black robes, turban, and a veil covering the lower half of his face appeared in front of Omar. He held a long, sharp scimitar. (2,000 ATK)

_Okay, there's gotta be a catch here…_ thought Ember.

"Destroy Molten Zombie!" commanded Omar. "Assassin's strike!"

The Mercenary made a slash with his blade, and Molten Zombie burst into a cloud of cinders.

"Now, I'll pay 500 Life Points for the attack," continued Omar.

_Oh,_ thought Ember.

"That's all for now…" said Omar.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,300)**

Ember slowly drew a card.

"I'll set a Monster, and then move Great Angus to Defense Mode," she said.

A set Monster appeared, and then Great Angus knelt and shielded itself. (600 DEF)

"That's all I can do."

"Then it's my move…" said Omar, with a chuckle.

He looked at the Trap Card.

"I sacrifice my Mercenary…"

Arabian Mercenary vanished in a whirlwind of dust and sand.

"To summon Arabian Vizier!"

Another man of noticeably Arabian origins appeared where the Mercenary had been. This one was older, and wore decorated, rich clothing and jewelry. Clearly, he was one of the nobility of the Persian Empire. He held a large kopesh sword. (2,000 ATK)

"Hold on, time out!" shouted Ember. "I've never even heard of these Arabian cards!"

"They're perfectly legit," said Omar. "When Pegasus was designing his game, his desire to create knew no boundaries.

"He traveled the world, exploring the legends of every culture and civilization he could find, searching for ideas for new and wonderful cards. And while doing research in a library in Saudi Arabia, an old version of _The Arabian Nights_ caught his eye, inspiring him to create this series of cards.

"For now… My Vizier attacks Inferno!"

The Vizier brought his sword down on the large, fiery creature, and it burst into an explosion of flames.

"It is your move…"

Ember sighed, and drew a card. She looked at it.

"I pass," she said. "There's not much I can do."

"Suit yourself," said Omar, as he reached for his deck.

He paused.

"Actually, I'm not going to draw," he said, taking his deck from the holder. "You see, with my Vizier on the field, I can forfeit my Draw Phase to instead search for any Monster with the word 'Arabian' in its name."

He looked through his deck until he found what he wanted. He looked at the Level 8 Monster and made a small smirk. Then he shuffled his deck.

"Continuing," he said, "I set two reversed cards…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Then I Equip my Vizier with Arabian Carpet."

He played another card, and a decorated, flying carpet appeared in mid-air. The Vizier climbed onto it.

"This Equip Spell lets my Monster attack directly, so long as I cut his Attack Points in half."

Arabian Vizier flew into the air on his carpet, right over Ember's Monsters. Then, he dive-bombed, his Attack Score fell to 1,000, and he slashed at her with his sword, knocking her over.

"It's your move," said Omar, with a grin.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,300)**

Ember made a draw.

Then she smiled.

"I sacrifice my facedown Monster…" she said.

Her reversed Monster vanished.

"…to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

In a bonfire of flames, Thestalos appeared with a roar. (2,400 ATK)

"Not him!" gasped Omar.

"Now," said Ember, "one card in your hand is destroyed, and if it's a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to its Level times 100.

"And since you only have one card in your hand…"

That one card appeared in front of Omar. It was a Level 8 Monster called Arabian Sultan. Omar groaned as it shattered.

"You'll pay for that…" he growled.

"We'll soon see," said Ember. "I move Great Angus back to Attack Mode."

Great Angus stood back up. (1,800 ATK)

"Thestalos, fricassee his Vizier!"

Thestalos shot a wave of super-hot flames from his hand, and Arabian Vizier groaned before exploding into pixels.

"And I'm not done with you yet! Great Angus, teach that crook a lesson! Attack him directly!"

Omar hollered as Great Angus blew a cone of flames at him, knocking him down.

**(E: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 4,300)**

Omar slowly got up.

"Calling me a crook, are we?" he asked, with a hint of anger in his voice. "You folks wouldn't want a slander lawsuit on your hands, would you?"

"Go ahead," said Jinx, speaking up. "Jalal has excellent lawyers."

"So, what are you gonna do now?" asked Ember, putting her hands on her hips. "Those two facedown cards of yours apparently can't stop an attack, and you have no cards in your hand."

"That will change soon," replied Omar. "It's my move!"

He drew a card.

_This will be useful,_ he thought, looking at it.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse," he said. "Now, I can bring back a Monster from my Graveyard, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than 1,000. So I'm bringing back 3-Hump Lacooda."

In a flash of light, the three-humped camel appeared. (500 ATK)

"Next," he said, as his second facedown card lifted, "I activate Inferno Reckless Summon. I can now summon my other two copies of 3-Hump Lacooda."

Two more Lacoodas appeared. Ember scowled. She didn't have another copy of either of her two Monsters to summon.

"Now I activate my Lacoodas' effect," continued Omar. One 3-Hump Lacooda can't do anything, but when I have three of them on the field, I can sacrifice two of them to draw three cards."

Two of the three Beasts vanished. (Omar was careful to sacrifice the one that was summoned with Limit Reverse along with another one.) He made three draws and looked at the three cards.

"I next play Monster Gate," he said, playing a Spell Card. "First, I sacrifice my last Lacooda."

The final Lacooda vanished.

"Then, I pick up cards from my deck until I reach a Monster, and then I summon it."

He picked up one card, and then another. The third one was a Monster.

"I summon Arabian Thief in Defense Mode," he said.

A seedy-looking highwayman, dressed in makeshift clothes and a turban, holding a long knife appeared. He crouched and shielded himself. (900 DEF)

"Next, I'm summoning this Warrior in Attack Mode," he said, taking a card from his hand. "Arabian Guide."

He played another card, and a weather-beaten man with leathery skin, dressed in travel clothing and a white turban, holding a walking staff appeared. (700 ATK)

"Arabian Guide knows the routes to secret places and mystic sites," continued Omar. "To wit, when he's summoned in Attack Mode, I get to take a specific Field Spell from my deck."

He took what he wanted from his deck, and then reshuffled.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Double Summon," he said, as another Spell Card appeared. "Now I get a second Normal Summon. And I think I'll use it to set a Monster."

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"And with that, I end my turn."

_He didn't use that Field Spell,_ thought Ember. _What's he up to?_

She drew a card.

"I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!" she explained.

She played the card, and Hiita appeared, spinning her flaming, ruby-tipped staff. Her fox leapt up in front of her. (1,850 ATK)

"Thestalos, destroy his Guide!"

The Firestorm Monarch shot his wave of fire, and Arabian Guide was burned to a cinder.

"ERGH!" grunted Omar.

"Ember, be careful!" urged Jinx.

She lowered her voice.

"Remember…" she said.

"I'm… working on it," said Ember.

_I just have to draw the right Monster,_ she thought. _In the meantime…_

"Hiita, take out Arabian Thief!"

Hiita blasted a bolt of flame from her staff, and the Thief was incinerated.

"Now, Great Angus, destroy his last Monster!"

Great Angus exhaled a cone of flame again. Crouching on the card was a portly, bearded man, wearing white robes and a turban. (2,000 DEF)

The flames simply bounced off.

"You activated the Flip-Effect of my Arabian Merchant," said Omar. "Now, I get to take a specific Equip Spell from my deck."

He got what he wanted from his deck, and then reshuffled.

Ember looked at her other three cards.

She placed one in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Mmm!" she said.

**(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,600)**

"I draw one card," said Omar.

He made a draw.

He quickly placed it in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"I end my turn."

Ember drew a card.

_He couldn't have been lucky enough to draw a Mirror Force at right that moment,_ she thought.

"Thestalos, attack his Merchant!" she shouted.

Thestalos blasted his fire again.

"Not so fast!" said Omar, as his facedown card flipped up. "I activate Shield Spear!"

A large shield with a spear blade in the center appeared in the Merchant's hand.

"This increases both his Attack and Defense Scores by 400, so it seems that the battle will be a draw."

The Merchant's Defense rose to 2,400, and the blast of fire simply glanced off of his shield.

Ember took another card from her hand.

"I'll set a Monster," she said, "and that will be all."

"My move, then," said Omar, making a draw.

"Hmm…" he said.

He took another card from his hand.

"First, I set this card," he said.

A reversed card appeared behind the Merchant.

"Then, I sacrifice my Merchant…"

Arabian Merchant vanished in another whirlwind of dust.

"…to summon Arabian Charmer."

A new Arabian Warrior appeared. This one was an old man, dressed only in a ragged pair of trousers and an old turban. He carried a very elaborate-looking instrument that looked like a flute made out of a gourd. (1,700 ATK)

_Okay…_ thought Ember, _a high-Level Monster that weak likely has a powerful effect._

"Next," said Omar, as the Field Slot on his Disk opened, "I play this… Cave of the Arabians!"

With the same dramatics that heralded any Field Spell, the backdrop of the whole room changed. They were transported to the interior of a large, cavernous grotto, filled with gold, jewels, and precious things, arranged in urns and caskets.

"I… know this place…" said Ember.

"Certainly you've read the tale of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves'," replied Omar. "The story of how a woodcutter named Ali Baba discovers this cave… The lair of a group of bandits who not only rob and steal, but also command dark magic.

"And as for what this Field Spell does, it grants every Monster with the word 'Arabian' in its name 200 more Attack Points."

Arabian Charmer glowed with golden energy. (1,900 ATK)

"Plus, neither player is allowed to make direct attacks… Under most conditions."

"Under most conditions?" asked Ember.

_Be careful, Ember…_ thought Jinx. _It's his card, and I'm sure he knows the exceptions to that rule…_

"For now," continued Omar. "My Charmer will attack your facedown Monster."

The Charmer played a shrilling note on his flute. The card shuddered, and then Morphing Jar appeared on it, and was blasted to dust.

"I thought so," continued Omar. "Now we must discard all the cards in our hands, and draw five more."

Omar had no cards to discard. Ember, on the other hand, discarded two, Spirit or Flames and Double Attack. Both of them made two draws.

"Very well," said Omar, looking at his five cards. "I will now play… Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and took all three 3-Hump Lacoodas, Arabian Mercenary, and Arabian Thief from his Graveyard. He reshuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

"I'll set one more card, and end my turn."

A second reversed card appeared next to the other one.

Ember quickly drew a sixth card.

_Martyr's Flame?_ she thought. _How would that work if he can't make direct attacks?_

_I'll figure it out later…_

"I summon Flame Ruler," she said.

She played the card, and the fiery Pyro in the decorated jacket appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Thestalos," she exclaimed, "attack his Charmer!"

Thestalos shot a blast of flame again.

"Not this time!" shouted Omar, as a facedown card shot up. "I activate Sakuretsu Armor!"

Thestalos groaned, and then shattered into shards.

"Ho boy…" said Ember. "I'll just move Angus and Hiita to Defense Mode, and that will end my turn."

Great Angus knelt and crossed its arms. (400 DEF) Hiita knelt, and held her staff in her lap. Her fox curled up by her feet. (1,500 DEF)

"I draw!" exclaimed Omar.

He whipped a card off of his deck.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, I get to retrieve a Warrior from my Graveyard."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Remember this guy?"

"He's Level 8," said Ember. "You need two sacrifices to summon him, and you only have one."

"That's where my Charmer comes in," replied Omar. "I can activate his effect, simply by tossing one card."

He discarded a card, Gozen Match, and the Charmer started to play a haunting melody. Then, two large cobras appeared next to him. (800 ATK x2)

"He can summon these two Snake Tokens," continued Omar. "Next, I sacrifice both of them…"

The two Snake Tokens vanished in other burst of wind.

"…to summon my Arabian Sultan!"

In another large whirlwind, a new Arabian Monster appeared. He resembled the Vizier at first glance, but his clothes were even finer, he had even more jewelry, and he wore a crown over his turban. While the Vizier was nobility, this Warrior was clearly royalty. (2,500 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"Uh, impressive…" said Ember.

"Wait until you see his effect," said Omar. "Sultans tend to be very rich, and since they have a lot of enemies, they spend their wealth to protect themselves. They always have a few bodyguards nearby. In game terms, I can now Special Summon two Arabian Monsters from my hand.

"So, I'll first summon my Mercenary again."

In a gust of wind, Mercenary appeared again. (2,000 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"And also… Arabian Girl."

In another gust of wind, a young woman dressed in a green harem girl outfit appeared next to the other three Warriors. (1,300/900) –) (1,500/900)

"Of special note is Arabian Girl's effect," continued Omar. "She gains 200 more Attack Points for each Arabian Monster in my Graveyard. And since I have three of them there right now…"

(2,100 ATK)

"Next, I play The A. Forces," he continued, as a Continuous Spell Card appeared. "This grants each of my Warriors 200 Attack Points for each Warrior present. So they each gain 800 Attack Points."

The Charmer rose to an Attack Score of 2,700, the Mercenary to 3,000, the Girl to 2,900, and the Sultan to 3,500.

"Now, my facedown card," he said, as his facedown card lifted. "The Equip Spell, Arabian Saber. This gives the user 500 more Attack Points. That bonus is going to Arabian Girl."

A scimitar appeared in the Girl's hand. (3,400 ATK)

_At least they can't attack directly…_ thought Ember.

_Can they?_

"I play one more Spell Card," said Omar, as another Spell appeared.

"Arabian Password! Open Simsim!"

With a rumble, the back wall of the cave opened, revealing a passage to the outside.

"I thought that the password to this cave was 'Open Sesame'," replied Ember.

"Heh, heh, heh," chuckled Omar. "That is a mistake that is often made when the story is translated into English. The true password is 'Open Simsim', simsim being the plant from which the sesame seed comes from.

"And what my Spell Card does is, for this round only, negate the prohibition on direct attacks."

"Ember!" gasped Jinx, getting up.

"Arabian Girl, the Flame Ruler is yours," said Omar.

Even though she was wearing a gossamer veil, it was easy to see that she was smiling. She leapt at Flame Ruler, and slashed at him with her saber. He fell backwards and shattered.

"Ergh…" groaned Ember.

Then the Charmer blasted the same shrill note on his pipe, blowing Hiita to shards. Arabian Mercenary drew his sword, and slashed at Great Angus, cutting it in two.

"I now have to pay 500 Life Points for the Mercenary's attack," continued Omar.

"Sultan… Direct attack!"

Arabian Sultan's eyes glowed with green energy. Then he fired bolts of lightning from his fingertips, hitting Ember squarely. She screamed, and fell down on her rump.

**(E: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,100)**

"Well…" said Omar. "I guess I have to end my turn…"

Ember held her chest as she got up. Her hand shook as she drew a card.

Then her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate my own Pot of Avarice, pal," she said.

She quickly took Inferno, Spirit of Flames, Great Angus, Thestalos, and Familiar-Possessed Hiita from her Graveyard, shuffled them into her deck, and drew two cards.

"I set a Monster, and then throw down four facedown cards," she said.

A set Monster appeared, and then four reversed cards flashed into existence.

"That's my turn."

"Four reversed cards?" laughed Omar. "Meh… Odds are they're all bluffs…

"I activate the other effect of Arabian Saber… If I sacrifice a Monster during my Main Phase, the Monster using it may disregard the effect of Cave of the Arabians and attack directly during the Battle Phase.

"So, I sacrifice Mercenary."

Arabian Mercenary vanished.

"And don't forget, with each Arabian in my Graveyard, my Girl gets stronger."

Arabian Girl fell to an Attack Score of 3,200, but increased to 3,400 again.

"All right!" said Omar. "Sultan… Obliterate her last Monster!"

The Sultan fired his bolts of lightning at the card. A monkey with fiery hair on its head and wrists appeared on the card before it was blown to pieces.

"That was my Flamvell Paun," said Ember, taking her deck from its holder. "And when it's destroyed in battle, I get to search my deck for any Monster with a Defense Score of exactly 200."

Omar gave her a look.

"Just how many Monsters fit the bill?" he asked.

Ember got what she wanted, and then reshuffled.

"Admittedly not many," she said, "but most of the Flamvell Monsters do, and that's what matters."

"It won't matter in a minute," said Omar. "When I heard about that effect, I thought you were searching for Kuriboh… But anyway…

"Arabian Girl, attack her directly!"

Arabian Girl lifted her sword, and leapt at Ember.

"Go, facedown cards!" shouted Ember, as two of her reversed cards shot up.

"First, Dust Tornado! I'll use it to wipe out The A. Forces!"

The Tornado shot across the field, and the Spell Card was blown to pieces. All three of Omar's Monsters lost 600 Attack Points.

"Now, Emergency Provisions!"

Her other facedown card glowed, and her Dust Tornado, Martyr's Flame, and Prepare to Strike Back all vanished into grains of light.

Then she cringed as the Girl's sword slammed into her.

"Close but no cigar, pal," she said, holding her chest and gasping for breath. "I gained 3,000 Life Points just before your Monster attacked."

"Ergh…" muttered Omar. "I end my turn!"

**(E: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 2,100)**

"Getting frustrated now, are we?" asked Ember, making a draw.

She looked at the card.

"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "Flame Ruler, return!"

Flame Ruler appeared in a fiery burst. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice him…"

Flame Ruler vanished.

"…to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In an inferno of flames, the king of Pyros appeared in front of Ember, and let out a mighty roar. (2,700 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect," continued Ember. "For each Fire Monster in my Graveyard that I remove from play, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

Flamvell Paun and Great Angus slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed them. The Saber in Arabian Girl's hand was blown to pieces, and Cave of the Arabians around them crumbled into a pile of shards. Both the Sultan and the Charmer fell to their original Attack Scores of 2,500 and 1,700, respectively, while Arabian Girl fell to 2,300.

"Omar, your Arabian Girl is clearly a bad girl," said Ember with a grin, "and I'm going to punish her.

Arabian Girl simply bowed her head…

Infernal Flame Emperor threw a ball of flames, and she was incinerated. Omar looked at Ember with a scowl.

**(E: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 1,700)**

"It's your move, Omar," said Ember. "Looks like we can wrap this up soon."

_I hope…_ she thought. _I need to draw the right card, or I won't pass the test!_

Omar made a draw.

"No choice!" he exclaimed. "I have to move both my Monsters to Defense Mode, and hope for the best!"

The Charmer sat in the lotus position and held his flute in his lap. (1,800 DEF) The Sultan knelt and crossed his arms over his chest. (1,400 DEF)

"My move," said Ember, drawing a card.

_Got it!_ she thought, looking at it.

"I play… Fire Back," she said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now, by sending one Fire Monster from my hand to the Graveyard…"

She discarded Flamvell Archer, the card she gotten with the Paun's effect.

"…I can Special Summon another Fire Monster from it. So I'm bringing back Molten Zombie."

Molten Zombie appeared in another burst of flames. (1,600 ATK)

"Now I get to draw one card," she said, making a draw.

"Next, I summon Blue Flame Swordsman!"

In another flaming burst, the blue-armored twin of Flame Swordsman appeared. (1,800 ATK)

Jinx got up. NOW she saw Ember's strategy.

"Now, I use Blue Flame Swordsman's effect," continued Ember. "I reduce his Attack Points by 100, and give them to Molten Zombie."

Blue Flame Swordsman's Attack Score fell to 1,700, while Molten Zombie rose to 1,700.

"Eh?" said Omar.

"Molten Zombie," ordered Ember, "take out his Sultan!"

Molten Zombie breathed its cloud of flames, and the Sultan groaned before going up in smoke.

"Emperor, you next."

Infernal Flame Emperor hurled a ball of fire, and Arabian Charmer was incinerated.

"Now, Blue Flame Swordsman, attack him directly and finish him off! Flaming sword of battle!"

The Swordsman charged, and struck Omar with his blade, knocking him backwards and over. He fell on his back.

**(E: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)**

Ember lifted her arms in triumph.

_Success!_ she thought.

As she thought this, Jinx caught her in a hug.

"You did it again, Ember!" she laughed. "I don't know how you keep doing it, but you keep doing it!"

"I don't know how either…" said Ember. "So… I guess now I'm ready to do the Rite of Passage?"

"We'll… talk about that later," said Jinx. "For now, Omar promised us some free smoothies, which I don't believe we've gotten yet…

"Aw, heck, forget smoothies… This calls for chocolate malteds!"

Omar groaned.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

After drinking two malteds apiece, Jinx and Ember walked outside the juice bar, feeling more satisfied than they were in a long time.

"So, once we digest it," said Jinx, "we can go back to the townhouse, and I can finally start teaching you with a real sword. You've earned it, Ember. I wouldn't be surprised if Jalal hasn't made plans to forge you one already…"

Then she noticed that Ember was looking up.

Three black balloons were floating down.

"Huh?" said Jinx.

Then they all burst. The two of them covered their heads.

Ember frowned, and picked up something that they had dropped.

It looked like a business card. On the front was a symbol: a golden letter D inlaid with diamonds.

"The symbol of the DaPen Syndicate…" muttered Jinx.

She turned the card around. On the back was the name of a business. Makira Fish Processing.

"A fish cannery?" asked Ember.

"The past returns," said Jinx. "In America, an old stereotype about the New York mob was that they controlled the fish business.

"It seems that DaPen might want to challenge us in a place where organized crime traditionally has power."

"So are you going?" asked Ember.

Jinx looked at Ember.

"Yes, and you're coming with me this time," she replied.

"HUH?" said Ember.

"I can't keep you sheltered forever," said Jinx. "I think it's time you got serious. You'll come to assist me."

"I thought you'd never ask!" exclaimed Ember.

The two of them mounted Jinx's bike, and they started it up, heading downtown towards the docks.

_**Jinx meant well, but we were about to enter a dangerous situation. Jinx was the target of two assassins who were waiting at that cannery, who had orders to kill her. DaPen had decided that it was time for a true show of his might, and he would resort to more lethal methods. Why wouldn't he? He had a lot of blood on his hands, and killing a Shadowchaser wouldn't change much.**_

_**Fortunately, Jinx wasn't going in clueless. But if I hadn't come along, there's no telling what might have happened…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN MERCENARY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** This card cannot attack your opponent directly. When this card attacks, pay 500 Life Points after the damage step.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN THIEF (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 900

**Card Description:** When this card attacks directly, look at your opponent's hand. Select one card from his/her hand and discard it to the Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN GUIDE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 700  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned in Attack Position, search your deck for one "Cave of the Arabians" and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN CHARMER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** When you control this card, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon 2 "Snake Tokens" (Reptile/Wind/Level 3/800 ATK/0 DEF) in Attack Position. You cannot have more than 2 "Snake Tokens" on the field at one time. "Snake Tokens" cannot be Tributed except to Tribute Summon an "Arabian" Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN VIZIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When you control this card, during your Draw Phase, you may add one "Arabian" Monster from your deck to your hand instead of drawing a card. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN GIRL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 900

**Card Description:** This card gains 200 Attack Points for each "Arabian" Monster in your Graveyard.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN MERCHANT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 600  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** Flip: Search your deck for one "Arabian Saber" and add it to your hand. You may not use the searched-for card in the same turn. Then, shuffle your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN CAMEL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** This card gains 300 Attack Points for each face-up "Arabian" Monster you control except this one. If the opponent of the controller of this card plays a card with the word "Arabian" in its name, control of this card shifts to the control of its controller's opponent. (If the opponent does not have a free space in his Monster Zone at the time, this card is destroyed.)

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN SULTAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** When this card is Tribute Summoned, you may Special Summon up to two "Arabian" Monsters from your hand, except for an "Arabian Sultan".

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CAVE OF THE ARABIANS (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** The interior of a cave, full of chests and pots overflowing with gold.

**Card Description:** "Arabian" Monsters gain 200 Attack Points. Neither player may make direct attacks.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN PASSWORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A man in a turban chanting outside a cliff wall.

**Card Description:** Activate only if a player controls a face-up "Cave of the Arabians". During the turn this card is activated, you may disregard the effect of "Cave of the Arabians" that prohibits direct attacks.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN PALACE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A beautiful Arabian-style palace made of gold.

**Card Description:** All "Arabian" Monsters gain 300 Attack Points. All face-up Defense Position Monsters are switched to Attack Position, and cannot be switched to Defense Position, except with a card effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN SABER (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Arabian Mercenary drawing a curved blade from his belt.

**Card Description:** Equip only to an "Arabian" Monster. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 500. If a player controls a face-up "Cave of the Arabians", the Equipped Monster may disregard the effect of "Cave of the Arabians" that prohibits direct attacks if the controller of the Equipped Monster Tributes a Monster during his/her Main Phase 1.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ARABIAN CARPET (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Arabian Merchant levitating on an ornate woven carpet.

**Card Description:** Equip only to an "Arabian" Monster. If your opponent controls at least one Monster, the Equipped Monster may attack directly with its ATK halved.

_Note: The Arabian cards were created by fellow fanfic writer jkBAKURA. Credit goes to him._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL PAUN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 200  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may select 1 Monster from your deck with a DEF of 200 and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Flamvell Paun" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" set. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FIRE BACK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A large, fiery, nuclear cloud.

**Card Description:** Discard 1 FIRE Monster from your hand to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 other FIRE Monster from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Fire Back" was first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Triple Play (Part 2)" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_You know those two big brutes that DaPen uses as bodyguards? Vincent and Albert, in case you didn't get their names._

_Well, as a wise man once said, everybody has a story, and the same is true for these two Shadows, who aren't nearly as dumb as they present themselves. Next chapter, Jinx and Ember are forced to team up against them in one of the most difficult of duel battles._

"_Delinquent Duo" is coming soon._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Donny Lewison, Disciple of St. Cuthbert**

Across the United States and Europe in the past five years, particularly in areas of intense poverty, overpopulation, and homelessness, new shelters, food banks, clinics, and other free services have opened, all under the name of St. Cuthbert's House. Anyone working at one of them will gladly tell you that they all started with a kid from the wrong side of the tracks named Donovan Lewison, known to most as simply Donny.

Donny was once a violent and troubled youth who ran with gangs in the inner city of New York. During a botched liquor store robbery, he was seriously wounded, and managed to stagger into a nearby alley before collapsing. But he lacked the strength to do anything else, even yell for help. Lying in a pool of blood and ready to die, Donny could do nothing as a strange man emerged from the darkness and shuffled towards him. The man healed his wounds simply by touching them. He then told Donny, "St. Cuthbert has found you worthy," before disappearing back into the darkness.

Shichiro believes that it is impossible for a Mundane to be made Aware by a conscious act, but apparently, this was a special case. No sooner did Donny walk out of that alley than he found that his eyes had opened to things he couldn't see before. He tried to find the man who had saved him, but could find no trace whatsoever. However, he did find some references to the name St. Cuthbert. A saint that the Vatican does not recognize (or has even heard of) St. Cuthbert is a deity worshiped by some benign Shadowkind as the god of retribution, exacting revenge and meting out punishment upon those who break the law or take undue advantage of the helpless. Donny's life would never be the same again.

Renouncing his criminal past, Donny became a crusader on the tough streets of the city, mixing the streetwise savvy he always had with the compassionate and generous side he had acquired. He brought hundreds of people together under the auspices of the charity organization that he dubbed St. Cuthbert's House. Acting as a combination of a homeless shelter, food bank, and neighborhood watch, Donny's recruits started to not only feed and house the needy, but protect them from criminals and the dark side of Shadow.

What makes the Shadowchasers wary of this otherwise-noble cause is that sometimes, Donny and his students take this a little further than the local police would like. All too often, St. Cuthbert's House has engaged in vigilante activities. If a drug dealer or mugger becomes too much of a problem, members of the house might decide to chase him away using bats, bricks, and sometimes even swords. Unfortunately, the people who live in these neighborhoods are so tight-lipped that it is often impossible to find a witness willing to corroborate the stories of the frightened and injured would-be predators. The Shadowchasers have even arrested Donny once after he and two members of his group assaulted a gang of orcs, but there was virtually no evidence except the word of the orcs, who continually insulted him in his first court appearance. After they were held in contempt twice, he was acquitted.

St. Cuthbert's house continues to expand, adding more and more locations. Donny will likely move his influence to Africa and Asia in some way in a few years. His plan is to make the organization worldwide. With a little faith, he might succeed.

**Story Ideas:** If there's one thing that Donny didn't lose after being saved by St. Cuthbert, it's his street cred. He still has a reputation in his hometown, the inner city of New York, and people there regard him as a local hero, much the same way Yusei is regarded as a local hero of Satellite. (Donny may or may not have a D-Wheel – that's up to the author.) Any story set in the Big Apple could involve him in some way. Having street cred means it's incredibly easy to get information through the grapevine, and Donny is an excellent source of such.

It's entirely possible that St. Cuthbert's House's darker side – its vigilante activities – could cause trouble for them. This is the one weakness of a group that otherwise seeks to do good. A possible part of a story could involve the Shadowchasers not seeing eye-to-eye with Donny for a few chapters, which could make things even more interesting.

**Deck Suggestions:** Donny's early life is a good example of what Jonouchi might have become if Yugi didn't set him on a better track. As a result, Donny's deck might be similar, only not as dependent on gamble cards. Other ideas would include Donny's knack for not being subtle, such as a deck that uses Goblins (as in Level 4 Monsters with very high Attack Scores) or Vanilla Beatdown (a deck that uses all Normal Monsters with 1,900 Attack Points, or more).


	37. Delinquent Duo

_Author's note: The following chapter features a team duel. Now, there have been several interpretations of how this kind of duel works in the anime, and I have used several in many of my stories. However, in this version, I will use the actual rules set forth by Konami. These rules were used with anime applications in the Judai/Asuka versus Kenzan/Rei duel in Season 4 of GX. _

_And I hope I didn't screw it up._

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

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**Delinquent Duo**

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_**There are many times when the myths and legends that we know of are contradicted by what I learn as a Shadowchaser. I'll give an example.**_

_**The legend of the Minotaur is a well-known part of Greek mythology. **__**Before he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos fought with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval by the gods for his reign. His side of the bargain would be to sacrifice the bull as an offering, and as a symbol of subservience. A beautiful white bull rose from the sea, but when Minos saw it, he coveted it for himself. He instead sacrificed an ordinary bull, hoping it would please Poseidon. Of course, it was a foolish act – you don't double-cross the gods.**_

_**Poseidon punished Minos by making his wife fall madly in love with the bull. Minos still would not kill the bull, and would not even halt this strange relationship, and he finally realized the extent of his folly when his wife gave birth to the savage Minotaur. Minos didn't dare kill the Minotaur, for fear of angering Poseidon further, but the monster was far too dangerous to let roam free. He commissioned the great architect Daedalus to build the Labyrinth, a maze-like prison where it could never escape from. But because this monster only ate human flesh, Minos was forced to wage wars and force other countries into horrid treaties just to supply it with victims. This went on until the hero Theseus slew the beast. **_

_**Now, why does this legend contradict what I know as a Shadowchaser? Well, you would think that the Minotaur was a unique creature, a one-of-a-kind. But it isn't. It seems that minotaurs are actually a whole race of Shadowkind. And this is not the only instance where this is the case. Quite possibly, the myths we know of were inspired by stories of exceptional members of these races.**_

_**In a way, our job will be harder than that of Theseus. He only had to deal with one minotaur. Fortunately, there's two of us too…**_

The Makira Fish Processing factory was one of many fish canneries on the docks, and it was more automated than most. Robots and machines did most of the work, which was good, as working with fish tended to be unpleasant for humans. Just being in a place like this for any length of time made the smell of fish stick to you.

Today, the owner had given the few human workers the day off. The robots still worked the conveyor belts as fish was brought in from boats unloading their catches…

And in the middle of the loading bay, DaPen's two bodyguards, Vincent and Albert, stood guard, watching the door, armed with two heavy duty firearms.

"Hey, Vince," said Albert, "being around all these fish kinda makes me hungry…"

"_Breathing _makes you hungry…" muttered Vincent.

"Say," said Albert, not noticing the remark, "what say we both go out for fish and chips when we're done here?"

"Albert, don't you ever think of anything besides your four stomachs?" asked Vincent.

"Well, sure," replied Albert. "Sometimes I think of the stuff I like to put in them."

Vincent sighed.

"Cheeseburgers…" continued Albert. "Chili dogs… Pancakes… Fried clams…Oh, and mozzarella sticks… Don't you just love mozzarella sticks dipped in marinara sauce, and…"

"Alright, enough already!" shouted Vincent. "Now you're making ME hungry!"

You may think that Albert should have spent his time thinking about things other than food, but he couldn't help it sometimes. After all, ten years ago, things like cheeseburgers and fried clams were luxuries that he could never have afforded.

Mundanes saw the two brothers, Vincent and Albert Schumer, as two hulking, muscular humans, but they were, in reality, minotaurs, reflections of the mythic beast slain by Theseus. They were both born on Earth, and as a result, were more acclimated to life here than any Shadowkind émigré. Their names were rough phonetic translations of their minotaur names, which were unpronounceable by humans.

The twins were born in Satellite, the sons of a minotaur and a human woman (which is always the case; there's no such thing as a female minotaur for some reason, and to reproduce, they have to mate with females of other races). They were abandoned by their parents at an early age, and soon experienced the usual problem that bestial creatures do fitting into society. As children they became notorious as bullies, and as children are usually Aware, most human children steered clear of them. At age thirteen, as minotaurs grow fast, they set out on their own, and made a living shaking down others for cash and valuables. They met with some success – most of their victims were quite willing to give the hulking muggers what they wanted to avoid trouble, but it was still difficult getting enough food to feed two young, growing minotaurs.

Their luck changed one day, when they tried shaking down a very well-dressed man who seemed quite out of place in Satellite. The man was actually Louis DaPen, newly arrived from beyond Shadow, who was trying to stake a claim for himself in this new world. Instead of turning the young minotaurs' brains into tapioca, he spared their lives, and offered them jobs. They'd been his personal bodyguards ever since, and were incredibly loyal to him.

"So…" said Albert, "what do we gotta do again?"

Vincent sighed again.

"Look, I'll explain it one more time," he said. "The boss says that the Shadowchaser dame is gonna come here. Once she does, we smoke her. Simple, right?"

"Uh, yeah, except for one thing…" replied Albert. "What if she smokes us first?"

"Don't worry," said Vincent. "In case something goes wrong, your brother has a plan-B…"

He motioned to some crates behind them.

They didn't know that Jinx and Ember weren't about to go in through the front door yet. Both of them had moved a big box under a window, and were looking in.

"Those are minotaurs, right?" asked Ember.

"Yeah," said Jinx. "And this could be trouble…"

She hopped off the box.

"Hold on, Jinx," said Ember. "You told me that when I was trained, I'd be able to take a minotaur on in a fistfight."

Jinx opened the compartment next to the seat on her D-Wheel.

"A fistfight, yes," she replied. "In case you didn't notice, those two are packing automatic assault rifles.

"And that's really strange… Most minotaurs have trouble using a weapon more advanced than a hunk of pipe. Clearly, these are exceptional ones."

She took something out of the compartment. It was an old, beaten leather jacket, with a flaming skull on the back, covered with spikes, studs, and chains.

"Jinx, that looks like something that the Hell's Angels would wear," said Ember.

"Remember what I said about Sorsha's owner?" replied Jinx. "The hellfire warlock? He gave us this. It's called a demonic biker's jacket."

"It's magic?" asked Ember.

"Yup," said Jinx. "Let's just say that if the Hell's Angels had jackets like this, their group's name would be much more literal. Help me get it on…"

Three minutes later, Jinx zipped the front of the jacket closed, and walked up to the front door. She handed Ember her Duel Disk.

"Hold this," she said. "And stand back… Don't get too close to me…"

Then she kicked the door open. The two brothers were somewhat surprised to see her simply charge in.

"Looking for me?" asked Jinx.

"Get her!" shouted Vincent.

Ember was horrified as both of them opened fire, and apparently hit their mark. Jinx didn't make a sound, but was knocked over as about seven rounds hit her in the chest.

"JINX!" screamed Ember.

And then she and both the brothers were shocked as Jinx simply stood up, with a wicked glint in her eye. There was no sign of any wound.

Jinx took a deep breath, and the skull symbol on the back of the jacket literally started to burn. She held up her hands, and they became shrouded in dark fire.

"Don't just stand there!" screamed Vincent, as she started to walk towards them.

They opened fire again, but this time, they didn't even halt her progress. Jinx lifted her hands, which had now grown into fiendish claws. The two brothers stopped shooting, and their hands quivered…

"_What's the matter, boys?"_ asked Jinx, in an inhuman voice. _"Scared?"_

She made a slash with her right claw, and tore through Vincent's suit. Albert turned, dropped his gun, and dove behind the stack of crates.

"Wait for me!" shouted Vincent, following him.

"_You can run but you can't hide, assassins,"_ said Jinx.

"Shadowchaser!" shouted Vincent's voice. "Truce!"

Jinx paused.

"Uh…" said Vincent. "The guns were uncalled for, I guess… But… We can handle this the way the way you normally do it if you want…"

"_You ditch the guns, I ditch the jacket,"_ said Jinx, _"and then we duel?"_

"Uh, yeah?" said Vincent.

"_Why not?"_ asked Jinx. _"Throw away the guns and come out."_

Vincent tossed his rifle away, and two automatic pistols followed. Then they walked out, holding Duel Disks.

Jinx unzipped the front of the jacket, and gasped for breath as she started to change back to normal. Ember walked up to her.

"You had them!" she whispered. "Why did you…"

"Shh!" said Jinx.

She pointed to a label inside the jacket.

It said, "Caution: Using for longer than five minutes can cause recklessness and abandonment of moral restraint."

Ember handed her back the Duel Disk, and she put it on her arm.

"So, boys," said Jinx. "I can't exactly duel both of you at once… Who's it gonna be?"

Albert looked at Vincent.

"Uh…" he said. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

The two thugs shook their fists, and then threw them down, both coming up rock.

"Darn…" said Vincent. "We'll… try again…"

They did it again, but both of them came up rock again.

"Oh, this always happens!" groaned Albert.

"You two are doing this on purpose!" shouted Jinx, starting to get annoyed.

"Hey, Jinx," said Ember. "Uhm… If I may make a suggestion… Does everyone here know how to team duel?"

Vincent and Albert looked at Ember.

"I'm kinda surprised that you do," replied Jinx.

"My cousin kinda taught me…" said Ember.

Vincent let out a soft chuckle.

"Okay, beautiful…" he said. "We'll duel you two-on-two! We're betting we learned from someone better than your cousin…"

"Fine!" said Jinx.

Simultaneously, four Duel Disks activated. Ember stepped forward to face Vincent (a formality, because Jinx would actually get the first move on their side).

"Be careful," said Jinx to Ember, from behind her. "I don't trust these two goons any farther than I can likely throw them."

"I'm being careful," said Ember.

"Duel!" they all said.

**(Jinx & Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Vincent & Albert: 8,000)**

"My draw…" said Vincent, drawing a card.

He added it to his hand, and then opened the Field Slot on his Disk.

"To start," he said, "I'll play the Field Spell, Mausoleum of the Emperor."

He placed a card in the slot, and the whole factory changed. The backdrop transformed into an ancient temple, with altars behind each set of duelists with a flaming brazier in each center and two guards armed with spears flanking them. A dark pit spanned by a bridge separated the two.

"Ember…" said Jinx. "We may be in trouble…"

"What?" said Ember. "I know what it does… It lets you Normal Summon high-Level Monsters by paying Life Points rather than making sacrifices…"

"Yeah, Ember, but the thing is," continued Jinx, "this Field Spell is a _very_ common card for team duel strategies. I have a feeling that these guys were prepared for this all along."

"Maybe, maybe not!" chuckled Vincent. "I don't think I'll actually use its effect yet… Instead, I'll set a Monster, and then a reversed card."

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him, one horizontal, and one vertical.

"I'm finished…"

Jinx and Ember quickly switched places.

"Then it's my draw!" said Jinx.

She made a draw.

"Come on out, X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a feral roar, the bestial, clawed X-Saber appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" she shouted.

Airbellum snarled, and leapt at the facedown Monster…

Then, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress appeared on the card. (2,200 DEF) Airbellum let out a shriek, and fell backwards.

"Crud…" said Jinx.

She took three other cards.

"I set two cards, and then Equip him with Soul Saber."

Two facedown cards appeared, and the large, steel sword appeared in Airbellum's hand.

"That's all for me."

**(J & E: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 8,000)**

Albert switched places with his brother, and drew a card.

"I think I'll use the effect of the Field Spell now," he said, with a chuckle. "I'll drop 2,000 of our Life Points to summon the mighty Sengenjin!"

With a low, guttural roar, a hulking, blue-skinned ogre with a single eye, dressed in furs, appeared on their side of the field. It carried a variety of weapons slung on its back – swords, axes, maces, and spears. (2,750 ATK)

_That guy's a regular Swiss army knife,_ thought Jinx.

"Crush X-Saber Airbellum!" shouted Albert.

Sengenjin roared, and leapt at the X-Saber.

"I activate the effect of Soul Saber!" shouted Jinx. "If my Monster gets rid of it, he isn't destroyed!"

Airbellum blocked Sengenjin's fist with the sword, and the sword shattered.

"I also get to draw one card," said Jinx, making a draw.

"Then it's your move," muttered Albert. "Or rather, it's your lackey's…"

"Lackey?" shouted Ember. "Hey…"

"Don't listen to him, Ember," said Jinx. "You take it from here… Use what I gave you, and show them what you're made of."

**(J & E: 6,250) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,000)**

Ember stepped up, and made a draw.

_Use what she gave me?_ she thought. _What…_

She looked at X-Saber Airbellum.

_Of course! Airbellum is a Tuner Monster. If I just have the right non-Tuner…_

She looked at her hand.

_Let's see… __Blue Flame Swordsman, Molten Zombie, Blazing Inpachi, and Little Chimera… Darn, I don't have any Level 3 Monsters here…_

She paused. She looked at the field.

_Wait… Jinx's facedown cards!_

"I summon Molten Zombie," she said.

In a burst of flame, the undead Pyro appeared. (1,600 ATK)

Then she waved her hand, and one of the facedown cards lifted.

"Next, I activate Miniaturize! This Trap causes one Monster to lose 1,000 Attack Points."

"Better check the math," chuckled Albert. "Sengenjin will still be stronger than that ugly thing."

"You got a lot of nerve calling our Monsters ugly," said Ember. "Look in the mirror lately? And I'm not using it on Sengenjin… I'm using it on Molten Zombie."

Molten Zombie shrank to half its size. (600 ATK)

"Then, I chain Emergency Provisions," she said, as the other facedown card lifted.

Miniaturize vanished into grains of light.

"You may wonder why I'm doing this… Well, it's because Miniaturize also reduces Molten Zombie's Level from 4 to 3."

"So what?" asked Albert.

"She's making a Synchro Summon, lead-head!" scolded Vincent.

"Oh…" said Albert.

Then X-Saber Airbellum and Molten Zombie flew into the air over the Mausoleum, and faded into six glowing stars. In a flaming burst of energy, Flamvell Urquizas descended. (2,100 ATK)

"Now I play… Salamandra!" continued Ember. "This makes Urquizas even hotter!"

Urquizas burned fiercely. (2,800 ATK)

"Attack Sengenjin!" she shouted. "Fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas roared, and flew forward, striking the ogre in the gut. Sengenjin groaned, and shattered into shards.

"And now Urquizas gains 300 more Attack Points."

(3,100 ATK)

"I end my turn."

"Not before I activate this," replied Albert with a sneer.

The facedown card his brother had set lifted up.

"The Continuous Trap Card, Life-Absorbing Machine.

"Okay, bro, she's all yours…"

**(J & E: 7,250) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 5,950)**

Vincent stepped up, and drew a card.

"Thanks to that Trap Card," he said, "we now gain back half of the Life Points we spent last turn…

"And I'm playing Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The card appeared, and the cyclone blew across the field, blowing Salamandra to pieces. Urquizas fell to an Attack Score of 2,400.

"Next, I think I'll sacrifice Gear Golem…"

The Moving Fortress vanished.

"…to summon Metal Shooter."

A new robot appeared, one that looked similar to Gears's Ally of Justice Light Gazer. It had the same inverted pear shape, same blasters for hands, and also levitated on an energy field. (800 ATK)

"Only 800 Attack Points?" asked Ember.

"Yes, but by Normal Summoning it, it gets two counters," replied Vincent, "and each one gives it 800 more Attack Points."

(2,400 ATK)

"And I'll give it even more, by playing the Equip Spell, Big Bang Shot!"

He played a card, and the Machine glowed with energy. (2,800 ATK)

"Trust me, this is really gonna make a big bang! Attack! Pulse cannon!"

Metal Shooter fired a bolt of pure energy from its blaster, and Ember shielded herself as Urquizas was blown to bits.

"Urquizas…" she said, sadly.

"I end my turn," said Vincent.

**(J & E: 6,850) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,950)**

"Take a breather, Ember," said Jinx, as she drew a card.

She stepped up, and looked at her hand.

She set a card, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's my turn, fellahs," she said.

Albert stepped up with a sinister chuckle. He made a draw.

"I summon Enraged Battle Ox!" he said with a laugh.

The armored, horned Beast-Warrior holding an axe materialized. (1,700 ATK)

"He kind of looks like you two," said Jinx, "only he's a lot handsomer."

"Oh, you are asking for it…" growled Albert. "Battle Ox, attack!"

"Albert, wait!" shouted Vincent.

Enraged Battle Ox charged at the facedown card…

Then it was thrown backwards, as Roulette Barrel appeared on the card. (2,000 DEF)

"Nice one, bro," said Vincent, in disgust. "How many times has the boss told us, attack with the stronger Monster first!"

"Eh, I wanted to attack _her_ with the stronger Monster…" muttered Albert. "Aw, spit… Metal Shooter, destroy it!"

Jinx cringed as Metal Shooter blew the Machine to metal scrap.

**(J & E: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,650)**

"Ember…" said Jinx. "Take them out…"

Ember stepped up, and made a draw.

_Not bad,_ she thought, looking at it.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" she exclaimed.

The holy ankh appeared, and Molten Zombie appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I get to draw one card," she continued, making a draw.

"Next, I summon Blue Flame Swordsman!"

In another bonfire, the fiery Warrior appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Slay his Enraged Battle Ox!" she shouted.

Blue Flame Swordsman made a slash with his trusty blade. The Beast-Warrior groaned, and then shattered.

"I throw down a facedown," said Ember, as a facedown card appeared, "and I end my turn…"

**(J & E: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,550)**

"My move!" snarled Vincent, making a draw.

"Metal Shooter… Destroy Molten Zombie!"

Metal Shooter aimed its blaster…

"I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up.

"Nice try!" laughed Vincent. "But whenever Metal Shooter would be destroyed by a card effect, it can survive by ditching one of its counters!"

"Uh, Vince?" said Albert. "If Metal Shooter ditches one of its counters, won't it lose 800 Attack Points?"

Apparently, Albert was correct. Metal Shooter fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.

"It's still strong enough to blast that Zombie!" shouted Vincent.

Metal Shooter fired…

"I activate Blue Flame Swordsman's effect!" shouted Ember. "I'll cut 500 points off his score, and give them to Molten Zombie!"

"Hey, not bad!" said Jinx, with a grin.

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to an Attack Score of 1,300, while Molten Zombie shot up to 2,100. As Metal Shooter fired its blast, Molten Zombie swatted it aside. The robot fell backwards sparking, and then exploded.

"Ergh…" grunted Vincent.

He took one of the two cards in his hand.

"I'll set this, and then you go."

A reversed card appeared.

**(J & E: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,450)**

"My move!" shouted Jinx, walking up and drawing.

She looked at the card.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the toad-like Warrior in bronze armor appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Molten Zombie, attack Vincent directly!" she shouted.

Molten Zombie grunted, and blew a blast of flame at the minotaur…

Vincent snarled, and his facedown card flipped up, revealing a Negate Attack card. The blast was halted by a dome of energy.

"Darn," said Jinx. "I'll set a facedown card, and then move Blue Flame Swordsman to Defense Mode."

A reversed card appeared, and then the Swordsman knelt and held his sword down. (1,600 DEF)

"My move!" chuckled Albert, making a draw.

"I summon the Pitch-Black Warwolf," he said with another chuckle.

In a shadowy aura, a fierce-looking werewolf appeared, dressed in a loincloth and fur cape, holding a sword. As its name suggested, its fur was pitch-black. (1,600 ATK)

_This is seriously odd,_ thought Jinx. _At first, these two seemed to be prepared for team duels… Using Mausoleum and Life-Absorbing Machine… _

_But Vincent seems to be using Machines, while Albert is using Beast-Warriors. What's the common thread?_

"I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn," said Albert, as two reversed cards appeared.

"Be careful, Ember…" said Jinx, as Ember stepped up to face him. "The fish smell better than this…"

Ember looked at Jinx's facedown card, and then made a draw. She added it to her hand.

"I summon Blazing Inpachi!" she shouted.

In another burst of flame, the huge wicker man made of burning logs appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Attack his Warwolf!" she shouted.

Blazing Inpachi lunged at the lycanthrope with a burning first.

"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" laughed Albert, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "This gives my Monster 700 more points!"

The Warwolf rose to an Attack Score of 2,300.

"Oh yeah?" said Ember. "Well, I have a facedown card too, that my partner set… Skull Dice!"

Her Trap Card shot up, and the little imp appeared, it tossed its die.

The die skipped and bounced, and then came up a four. Pitch-Black Warwolf fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

"It's still stronger than your Inpachi!" laughed Albert.

Pitch-Black Warwolf slashed with its sword, and the Inpachi burst into an explosion of flaming logs.

"But not stronger than Molten Zombie!" replied Ember.

Molten Zombie blasted its breath weapon, and the werewolf howled before it was incinerated.

"Now, X-Saber Galahad attacks you directly!"

Albert had nothing left to protect him. He hollered as the X-Saber slashed at him across the chest with his sword.

"Grr…" he grunted.

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 4,450)**

"I end my turn," said Ember.

"You take over, bro," said Albert.

Vincent stepped up, and made a draw.

"Time to use the effect of the Field Spell again," he said. "I'll pay 2,000 Life Points, to summon the all-powerful Emes the Infinity!"

An eruption of light burst on the two thugs' side of the field, and an impressive-looking robot appeared in front of them. It was made of gold and silver, designed to look like royalty. It had a metal, serpentine trunk instead of legs, and four arms, which held four different weapons, a sword, shield, scepter, and spear. (2,500 ATK)

"Now, I'm going to make sure you don't use that guy's effect again," he said, pointing to Blue Flame Swordsman. "Emes, take him out!"

Emes the Infinity loomed over the Swordsman, and its sword crashed down with force so strong, the whole room shook, smashing Blue Flame Swordsman to pieces.

"Ergh…" said Ember. "I activate his other effect… And summon the regular Flame Swordsman to the field."

"In a burst of flame, the true Flame Swordsman appeared in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"And Emes's effect activates," replied Vincent. "He gains 700 more Attack Points."

(3,200 ATK)

He took his last card, and fit it into his Disk. A reversed card appeared.

"There… That should do it…"

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 2,450)**

Jinx stepped up, and drew a card. She looked at the three cards she had, and then chose one.

"I play… Gift of the Martyr!" she exclaimed. "Now, I'll send Flame Swordsman to the Graveyard, to give his Attack Points to X-Saber Galahad."

Flame Swordsman vanished, and Galahad rose to an Attack Score of 3,600.

"And guess what?" asked Jinx. "When Galahad attacks a Monster, he gains 300 more Attack Points!

"You two are through! Galahad, destroy Emes the Infinity!"

Galahad's Attack Score rose to 3,900 as he charged. He made a savage slash with his blade, and the huge Machine groaned. It sparked, and then exploded into pieces of hot metal.

"Ergh…" groaned Vincent.

"Molten Zombie, end this duel!" shouted Jinx.

Molten Zombie started to breathe its flames at Vincent.

"We aren't done yet!" shouted Vincent, as his facedown card shot up. "Activate… Scapegoat!"

Four fluffy, multicolored sheep appeared in front of the two minotaurs. (0 DEF x4) Molten Zombie's flames incinerated one of them.

Jinx sighed.

"I have to end my turn…" she said.

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 1,750)**

Albert made a draw.

"First, we gain 1,000 Life Points due to Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.

"Then I'll set a Monster, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster appeared.

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 2,750)**

Ember stepped up, and drew a card.

_Ooh! I drew Infernal Flame Emperor!_ she thought.

Now, let's see… I could use the Field Spell to summon it…

_No, wait, I can't do that… If I do, it wouldn't count as Tribute Summoned… And I have to Tribute Summon it in order to use its effect._

_Oh well…_

"I sacrifice X-Saber Galahad and Molten Zombie," she said.

Both the Monsters in front of her vanished into plumes of fire.

"…to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

In a great bonfire, the giant, centaurian, winged Pyro appeared, and let out a loud bellow. (2,700 ATK)

"Now I use his effect," she continued. "I'm removing three Fire Monsters in my Graveyard from play to destroy your Spell and Trap Cards."

Molten Zombie, Blazing Inpachi, and Blue Flame Swordsman slipped out of her discard slot.

"Well, before it's too late…" said Albert.

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate Gift of the Mystical Elf! Now, my partner and I gain 300 Life Points for each Monster on the field. There are five right now, so that's… uh… that's…"

"1,500 Life Points…" sighed Vincent.

"Oh, yeah…" said Albert. "I was never too good at math…"

Life-Absorbing Machine shattered into pixels, and the whole Mausoleum crumbled into rubble, returning them to the fish cannery.

"Yeah?" said Ember. "Well here's some subtraction! Attack his facedown Monster!"

Infernal Flame Emperor hurled a ball of fire at the reversed Monster. Soul Tiger appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.

"That's all I can do…" she said.

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 4,250)**

"It's my draw," said Vincent.

He stepped up, and made one draw.

"Okay, Shadowchasers," he said, playing a Spell Card. "I play Card of Variation.

"Here's what it does. I get to draw two cards now…"

He made two draws.

"Now I'll use one of them… Swords of Revealing Light!"

He played the card, and the shower of swords fell down around Ember.

"Crud," she said.

"Don't worry, Ember," said Jinx. "With two of us, those Swords will expire faster than normal."

"All right, I end my turn," said Vincent. "And since I played Card of Variation, I have to toss a card now, or we lose 3,000 Life Points. So I guess I'll get rid of this one…"

He discarded the other card he had drawn, Battle Footballer.

"My move," said Jinx, as she switched places with Ember.

She made a draw, and looked at her three cards again.

"I summon Alligator's Sword," she said.

With a flourish, the reptilian Beast wielding its sword appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"And I end my turn."

Albert stepped up, and drew a card.

"First I play Monster Reborn," he said, playing the card.

The glowing ankh appeared, and Pitch-Black Warwolf appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

_Huh?_ thought Jinx. _He chose to bring that back and not Emes the Infinity?_

"Now, I sacrifice it," continued Albert.

The Warwolf vanished.

"…for Minoan Centaur!"

A new Beast-Warrior appeared where the Warwolf had been. The best way to describe it was to say that it was a combination of a minotaur and a centaur. It had the lower body of a horse, with goat-like legs, and the upper body of a muscular, bestial human, dressed in a deerskin, with bull-like horns and a black beard, holding a battle-axe. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Token Thanksgiving," he continued, as a new Spell Card appeared. "This destroys our Sheep Tokens…"

The three Tokens burst.

"…but we gain 800 Life Points for each.

"I end my turn."

**(J & E: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,650)**

_Huh?_ thought Jinx. _Why didn't he attack Alligator's Sword?_

_And what effect does this Minoan Centaur have? A Level 6 Monster with an Attack Score that weak has to have a pretty powerful one…_

"Be careful, Ember!" she warned.

Ember made her draw carefully. She considered the three cards in her hand.

"I summon Tenkabito Shien," she said.

In a burst of flame, Shien appeared astride his coal-black horse. (1,500 ATK)

"It's… your move…" she said, slowly.

"I draw one card," said Vincent, as he stood forward.

He made a draw.

"And I'll summon it… Meet Machine Lord Ür."

In a beam of light, a weird Machine materialized. It looked like a robotic chess bishop, made of crimson metal, with long, clawed arms, hovering in mid-air. (1,600 ATK)

"I end my turn," he said.

Jinx paused and made a draw.

_Something is seriously wrong,_ she thought. _Machine Lord Ür and Minoan Centaur are both stronger than two of our Monsters, but for some reason, these two don't want to attack. What are they waiting for? These Swords are only going to last until the end of this round._

She looked at the card she had just drawn, which was Maximum Six.

_Think I'll wait before bringing this guy out…_

She chose another card.

"I'll set a Monster," she said as she set the card on her Disk, "and then move Alligator's Sword and Shien to Defense Mode."

Shien shielded himself with his blade. (1,000 DEF) Alligator's Sword knelt and held its sword down. (1,200 DEF)

"I end my turn, which means your Swords go away."

The Swords of Revealing Light faded and disappeared.

"Then it's my move!" laughed Albert, standing forward.

He quickly drew a card.

"First, I activate Minoan Centaur's effect. First, I sacrifice it…"

Minoan Centaur vanished into grains of light.

"…and in return, I can Special Summon two Beast-Warriors from my deck, so long as both of them are Level 4 Normal Monsters.

"So… Here comes Vorse Raider and Gene-Warped Warwolf!"

Two savage creatures appeared. One was the armored, axe-wielding brute that Seto Kaiba often used. (1,900 ATK) The other was a four-armed, tattooed wolfman with snow-white fur. (2,000 ATK)

"Now…" continued Albert. "I sacrifice all three of our Monsters…"

Vorse Raider, Gene-Warped Warwolf, and Machine Lord Ür vanished into grains of light…

"_Three_ sacrifices??" shouted Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Albert. "All to summon Beast King Barbaros!"

With a savage, primal roar, the most ferocious Beast-Warrior yet leapt onto the field. It was also centaurian in shape, but its lower body was that of a great lion, and its upper body was a savage, muscular human. It carried a long lance in one hand, and a shield in the other. (3,000 ATK)

"I knew you two were up to something!" shouted Jinx.

"That's right, beautiful," said Albert. "And since I used three sacrifices to summon this guy, he wipes out every card on your side of the field."

Jinx covered her head as an explosion ripped through her side of the field, blowing Infernal Flame Emperor, Tenkabito Shien, Alligator's Sword, and X-Saber Anabelera to shards.

"Get her!" shouted Albert.

"JINX!" screamed Ember.

Ember could only watch as the Beast King stabbed Jinx in the middle of the torso with his lance, trying to run her through. He was a duel-created hologram, so he didn't succeed, but Jinx was still knocked over onto her behind.

**(J & E: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,650)**

"Heh, heh…" said Albert. "That ought to do it…"

Ember helped Jinx get up.

"Ember, we gotta try to work together here," said Jinx. "It's your move… I might have something that can take that thing out, but I can't do it alone…"

Jinx looked at Albert.

"Right…" she said.

She drew a card.

"I throw down a facedown," she said, as a reversed card appeared, "then I remove Shien from play to Special Summon Inferno in Defense Mode."

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and Inferno appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,900 DEF)

"It's your move…"

Vincent chuckled, and made a draw.

"Beast King…" he ordered, "put out that fire!"

Barbaros charged at Inferno…

"I activate… Martyr's Flame!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up. "This Trap turns your attack into a direct attack, and cuts the damage in half!"

Then she shrieked as the lance stabbed into her, knocking her over.

"Heh, heh," chuckled Vincent. "Suit yourself…"

He set the card he had drawn on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Your move, beautiful," he said.

**(J & E: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,650)**

"Ember…" said Jinx, as Ember got up.

"I protected Inferno as best I could…" sighed Ember. "Now… Take it from here, Jinx…"

Jinx looked at the two cards in her hand, Maximum Six and a Trap Card.

_Okay…_ she thought. _Now I really need some luck…_

She made a draw.

_Yes!_

"I sacrifice Inferno…" she said.

Inferno vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon Maximum Six!"

With a roar, the muscular, six-armed brute appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Maximum Six?" laughed Vincent. "You think he scares us? You'd have to roll exactly six to make him stronger than Barbaros, and no-one's luck is _that_ good!"

Jinx ignored him, as a die appeared, it rolled, skipped and bounced.

It came up a five. Maximum Six rose to an Attack Score of 2,900.

"OOH!" gloated Albert. "So close… So close, but sadly, not close enough…"

Then he stopped as Jinx played the card she had just drawn.

It was Graceful Dice.

The teddy bear appeared, and tossed its die. It bounced, and it landed on the four. Maximum Six rose to an Attack Score of 3,300.

"You were saying?" asked Jinx. "Maximum Six, clobber their Beast King!"

Maximum Six roared, and threw a punch at the Beast King. Barbaros bellowed, and then shattered into pixels.

The two brothers glared at Jinx and her apprentice in anger as Jinx looked at the last card in her hand.

_This would be incredibly risky…_ she thought, _but I might as well set it._

She placed it in her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"It's your move…"

Maximum Six returned to an Attack Score of 2,900.

**(J & E: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,350)**

"Draw!" said Albert, drawing a card.

He grunted, and then threw a card into his Disk. A reversed card appeared in front of him. He snarled at Ember.

"I take it that means it's my move…" said Ember.

She made a draw.

"Maximum Six, attack their mystery Monster!" she shouted.

Maximum Six lunged at the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was smashed flat.

"I'm sure you know the drill," said Albert.

He discarded one card, and Ember discarded two. Both of them made five draws.

Ember looked at the five new cards.

"Uh… I set one Monster, and end my turn…" she said.

A reversed Monster appeared next to Maximum Six.

Vincent stepped forward and made his draw. He was more than a little upset… He had been hoping to use that Morphing Jar's effect himself.

He set the card, and a facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

"That's all," he said.

Jinx drew a card.

_D'oh!_ she thought. _My Polymerization card? Just the card I DIDN'T want!_

_Oh well…_

She looked at the defensive Monster that Ember had set.

_Better leave that in Defense Mode for now,_ she thought.

She pointed, and Maximum Six charged at the facedown card. A second Gear Golem the Moving Fortress appeared on the card and was blown to pieces.

"That's all for me," she said.

Albert stepped forward and drew.

"Hey, bro!" he said. "I drew… it."

"It?" said Jinx. "What's 'it'?"

"I have a feeling I'm not gonna like 'it'," said Ember.

"You want to know what 'it' is?" chuckled Albert. "Well, 'it' is our most powerful and rarest Monster…

"To summon 'it', I have to remove from play one Machine and one Beast-Warrior from either my field, hand, or Graveyard. And since in the rules of a team duel, partners share each, I can remove one Beast-Warrior from my Graveyard, and one Machine from my brother's…"

Vorse Raider and Machine Lord Ür appeared behind him, and then vanished into ripples of light.

_This is it…_ thought Jinx. _This is the common thread…_

"I summon…" exclaimed Albert. "The mighty _Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür_!"

In a blast of digital ones and zeroes, a new Beast-Warrior appeared. It looked like the original Barbaros, albeit with blue skin and affixed with cybernetic implants. Its weaponry was now far more modern – instead of a lance and shield, it now held a laser cannon in each hand. (3,800 ATK)

"Dear lord!" shouted Ember.

"This is what happens when Beast-Warriors go bionic," chuckled Albert. "Okay, big guy… Wipe out Maximum Six! Flashing destructive bullets!"

Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür fired his weapons, sending several rounds of hot, destructive death at Maximum Six. The Warrior roared before he was obliterated.

Strangely, though, Jinx didn't feel a thing…

**(J & E: 1,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 6,350)**

"Our Life Points didn't go down?" asked Jinx. "Not that I'm complaining, but…"

"Of course they didn't," replied Albert. "This Monster has a drawback… Its attacks don't inflict any battle damage."

Jinx and Ember looked at the two brothers.

"Of all the stupid…" said Jinx. "How are you supposed to win that way?"

"Because, he still has 3,800 Attack Points, meaning he's practically unbeatable," replied Albert. "Most duelists who have this card use it in Skill Drain Decks, but in this case, he's here to keep you occupied while we finish you with _this_!"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate the Trap Card, Final Countdown!"

"What are you talking about?" said Ember. "Everyone knows that Final Countdown is a _Spell_ Card!"

"This is a different Final Countdown," explained Albert. "While it's on the field, we can't use any Spells or Traps… But we can set one each turn. When we finally decide to drop the bomb, so to speak, we send all the cards in our Spell/Trap Zone to the Graveyard.

"Then you get blasted for damage depending on how many there are; 500 points for two, 1,500 for three, 3,000 for four, and 5,000 for five!"

"So…"

He set a card in his Disk, and a reversed card appeared. A detonator appeared next to him, and it went up to 500.

"On my brother's turn, he'll be able to finish you two off but good… Make your move…"

The two minotaurs chuckled.

Ember's hand shook as she drew a card. She looked at it.

She waved her hand, and the Trap Card that Jinx had set lifted up.

"I activate The Paths of Destiny!" she shouted.

"Ember!" shouted Jinx. "If you miss the toss, we lose!"

"Yeah, but if I don't make it, we lose anyway!" replied Ember.

A coin appeared in her hand.

"Start hoping some of your luck ran off on me…" she said.

She tossed the coin, and her heart stopped. It fell to the ground.

She breathed a sigh of relief as it came up heads, and their Life Points went up.

"Oh, terrific!" grunted Vincent. "Now we need five cards to finish them off with that Trap!"

"Hold your horses!" replied Albert. "I get to toss too, remember?"

He tossed the coin.

Then he laughed, as it also came up heads.

"Looks like we're still far ahead of you two!" he laughed.

"Don't count your chickens yet," said Ember. "I set a new Monster, and then three facedown cards."

A concealed Monster appeared, and then three reversed cards flashed into existence.

"Your move, bud," she said.

**(J & E: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 8,350)**

Vincent made a draw. He chuckled a little.

"Do you actually expect me to attack while we're so close to victory while you have three facedown cards on the field?" he asked. "I'm not as dumb as I look, ladies…

"I'll just increase the power of our Trap Card…"

He set another reversed card, and the detonator went up to 1,500.

"It's your move, beautiful," he said.

Jinx stepped up, and made one draw. It was Baby Dragon.

She looked at the three facedown cards Ember had set, and the two Monsters she had set.

Slowly, she came to understand Ember's strategy… Would it work? It would take perfect timing…

She set Baby Dragon on her Disk, and it appeared facedown with the other two defensive Monsters.

"Your move…" she said.

Albert chuckled, and made a draw.

"I'm not going to attack either," he said. "I'll simply juice up my Trap Card even further…"

He set a third card, and the detonator rose to 3,000.

"On my brother's next turn, it will be able to inflict 5,000 points of damage… Then… Boom. Game over. Make your last move."

_Here goes nothing…_ thought Ember.

She deftly drew a card.

She looked at the two minotaurs.

One of her three facedown cards lifted.

"First, I activate DNA Transplant," she said. "Now, I can change the Attributes of all Monsters on the field to Fire."

"Knock yourself out," laughed Albert. "Making Barbaros a Fire Monster won't help you destroy it."

"Destroy it?" asked Ember. "I'm taking it!

"I flip Hiita the Fire Charmer into Attack Mode!"

One of her reversed Monsters flipped into Attack Position. It was Hiita, in her youngest form, dressed in her green jacket, and holding her staff, with her fox at her feet. (500 ATK)

"By doing so, I get to take control of one Fire Monster. Barbaros… Get over here!"

Hiita started to chant, and Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür was pulled over to Ember's side of the field.

Then the two brothers burst out laughing.

"So take Barbaros, you fool!" laughed Vincent. "What are you going to do, attack with it? It can't deal any damage, remember?"

"Yes it can, once I help it," replied Ember.

Another of her facedown cards lifted, a very fancy Trap showing the image of Hiita sitting in a magical circle.

"It's Hiita's favorite Trap Card… Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. Now, I can sacrifice a Fire Monster, and then you get walloped for damage equal to its base Attack Score."

A look of shock crossed Albert's face.

"Say what?" he said.

Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür turned into a blazing ball of fire. It shot right towards the minotaur assassin, and exploded around him in a blazing conflagration.

**(J & E: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 4,550)**

Albert was still standing, but he was stunned, and staring into space.

"Bro?" said Vincent. "Uhm… Are you all right?"

"Pain…" muttered Albert. "Terrible… Agonizing… Pain…"

"I'm not done!" continued Ember. "I Flip-Summon Baby Dragon and Little Chimera!"

Both facedown Monsters flipped up. Baby Dragon leapt into Attack Position (1,200 ATK), and then a small, white cat with bat-like wings did the same. (600 ATK)

"Little Chimera increases the Attack Scores of all Fire Monsters by 500 points!"

Hiita's Attack Score increased to 1,000, Baby Dragon's increased to 1,700, and Little Chimera's increased to 1,100.

"Finally…" continued Ember.

She opened her field slot and fit a card into it.

"…I play Molten Destruction!"

There was an explosion of flames, and a flow of lava covered the whole factory floor. The Attack Scores of all three Monsters increased further, Hiita rising to 1,500, Baby Dragon to 2,200, and Little Chimera to 1,600.

"Wait…" said Albert. "Wait… WAIT!"

"Everyone…" said Ember. "Attack directly!"

The three Monsters charged, spewing flames from their mouths (in the cases of Little Chimera and Baby Dragon) or her magic staff (in the case of Hiita). Albert screamed, and fell on his stomach.

**(J & E: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (V & A: 0)**

Jinx looked at the two brothers.

"It's all over you two," she said. "You're under arrest. Put your hands in the air."

Albert slowly got up. He reached into his jacket, and pulled out a switchblade, which he snapped open.

"Oh, please," said Jinx. "Do you really think you can take me down with that?"

"Vince…" said Albert, "your plan-B bombed… You got a plan-C?"

"Uh…" said Vincent.

He quickly reached into his coat, and took out a small object. It looked like a small, metal cube, a different color on each face.

Edmund had given him this, and called it a Cubic Gate. He had told him to use it only in an emergency. This was an emergency if he had ever seen one.

"You like Chinese food, Albert?" he asked.

"Oh yeah!" said Albert. "I like Mandarin chicken, lo mein, moo-goo-gai-pan…"

"Enough fooling, you two!" said Jinx, holding up her gemstone. "Time to take you in…"

Vincent pressed his thumb down on one side of the cube. Then both he and Albert started to fade away.

"HEY!" shouted Jinx.

"You gotta admit…" said Vincent, as they disappeared, "the fringe benefits for being one of Mr. DaPen's top enforcers is great!"

And then they were gone.

Jinx sighed.

"Just perfect…" she said. "They give us all that trouble, and then they get away."

"Well, at least we won," said Ember.

Jinx smiled at Ember.

"And I couldn't have won without you," she said.

"Ember… You've been my apprentice for a while now… But you're more than that now…"

She held out her hand.

"Now I can call you a partner."

They clasped hands.

"Now let's get home and take showers so we can get this fish smell off of us, eh?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

DaPen was sitting in his office, his brow furrowed with anger, as Edmund watched.

"Where did your Cubic Gate send them?" he asked.

"From what I can garner, Hong Kong," replied Edmund.

DaPen scowled, and picked up the phone.

"All right…" he muttered. "I'll wire them the money so that they can fly home via Hong Kong International Airport… And _then_ I'll discipline them."

"Don't be so hard on them, my friend," replied Edmund. "We were sidetracked by that plan anyway…

"We'd best put more attention towards our primary goal… Getting our hands on the Silver Hemisphere…

"For once we have it, our true plan can be put into place… And our reach will extend farther than it ever has before…"

_**As you might expect, I was very anxious at this point to do the Rite of Passage, and become a full-fledged Shadowchaser. And little did I know, an opportunity would come the next day. The next day would be a little hectic for all four of us, actually, as a plan was being made that would give us a world of trouble. It was time for us to relax and rest, and we needed to… four criminals who desired our deaths would be heading our way in the morning…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BEAST MACHINE KING BARBAROS UR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast-Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 3,800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Remove from play from your hand, your side of the field, or your Graveyard one Beast-Warrior-Type and one Machine-Type Monster to Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card battles, battle damage to your opponent is reduced to zero.

_Note: "__Beast Machine King Barbaros Ür__" is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**CARD OF VARIATION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A Duel Monsters card floating in clear water.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. At the End Phase of the turn, discard one card from your hand. If you do not, take 3,000 points of damage.

_Note: "Card of Variation" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FINAL COUNTDOWN (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A time bomb with its counter at 007.

**Card Description:** While this card is face-up on the field, you cannot activate any Spell or Trap Cards, or set and Spell or Trap Cards except via the effect of this card. Once per turn, you may set one Spell or Trap Card. During your Main Phase, by sending this card and all cards set by this effect to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the following amount corresponding to the number of cards sent to the Graveyard: 2 cards: 500 Points; 3 cards: 1,500 Points; 4 cards: 3,000 Points; 5 cards: 5,000 Points.

Note: "Final Countdown" was first used by Ushio in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "The Take Back (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Note that, in Japan, the name of this card is different than the Spell Card "Final Countdown", which spells "Final" using kanji and furigana. This anime-only card spells it using katakana.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**METAL SHOOTER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description: **When this card is Normal Summoned, place two counters on it. This card gains 800 Attack Points for each counter on it. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, remove one counter to prevent it from being destroyed.

_Note: "Metal Shooter" will be released in the United States in November in the "Dark Legends" set._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_The Shadowchasers are going to have their hands full tomorrow. An old enemy with a bad-on for one of them hacks into the security system of the prison at Shadowchaser Headquarters, and four dangerous criminals escape! Where do they go? Guess. Fortunately, there's four Shadowchasers too, but it's going to be a long day finding them all. Next chapter, Shichiro is forced into a confrontation with one of them, who tends to play dirty._

"_Blast Asmodian" is coming soon._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Sons of Tyranny, Warriors of Hextor**

Not all the deities from beyond Shadow are as benevolent as St. Cuthbert. For example, Hextor is purported to be the god of war, conflict, and destruction; not exactly the type of god for whom a local church would start holding bake sales, but the kind whom a disaffected youth might turn to. Such is the case with the Sons of Tyranny, a "one-percenter" motorcycle gang (outlaw gang) that now threatens to replace the Hell's Angels as the most notorious one-percenter gang in the United States.

The group started as a small motorcycle gang of no more than eight members, who drove up and down the west coast of the United States, terrorizing every small town they passed. One day, as gang legend has it, they drove into a town that was prepared for them. The local sheriff had called in the State Police, and they cornered the bikers in an abandoned gas station. For the eight punks, it seemed hopeless.

Just then, a six-armed, ten-foot-tall giant of a man appeared in front of them. He wore a leather jacket and pants, had a flaming tire chain strapped to his hip, and spoke with a voice like thunder. The being said that if the gang swore allegiance to Hextor, he would not only get them out of the situation, he would make them the most feared gang in the country.

They agreed, and the six-armed man touched each of them on the heart. They felt strength flowing through their bodies, and a surge of power that begged to be used for violence.

Newspaper reports nation wide reported the next day of the massacre in which nearly one-hundred police officers were killed by a murderous gang of outlaws on motorcycles. The Sons of Tyranny were born.

The group grew, as every ne'er-do-well with a motorcycle begged to join. The group became too large, so it split into two, and then into four. At this point, there's no telling how widespread the gang has become, and how many of them are wearing Hextor's symbol on their jackets or tattooed on their skin: a black gauntlet clutching four red arrows.

One joins the Sons of Tyranny for the same reason one joins similar groups. Abuse, neglect, pure selfishness, or a sour outlook on the establishment has made one angry, and made one want to lash out at society. The difference between them and similar groups is, they have a deity as a patron, and they are aided by divine magic. A member's leather jacket might be enchanted to protect him as well as a flack jacket. He may carry brass knuckles that make him as strong as ten men, or a studded chain that can shroud itself with flames upon command. And a few might even wear one of those demonic biker jackets that Jinx used against the Schumer brothers.

Some Shadows may join the Sons of Tyranny, as Hextor is not picky about who worships him. Gnolls sometimes join, as do a few bugbears. Orcs might join, but an orc would have to be _incredibly_ angry and direct most of his anger towards other orcs to consider worshipping any god other than the one that orcs usually worship. Indeed, the Shadowchasers have come across whole clans of orcs that were slaughtered by these bikers, likely under the direction of a previous member of the clan who was abused by them.

Regular law enforcement are scared to death of the Sons of Tyranny, and any who are allied with the Shadowchasers know enough to call them right away when they drive into town. Some Sons of Tyranny own Duel Disks, and some own D-Wheels, but they care little about the Treaty and typically only use Duel Monsters when they think doing so would be fun. The Shadowchasers know this, and meet the Sons of Tyranny heavily armed, ready to show know quarter. The Shadowchasers have managed to take out a few individual gangs this way, but the Sons of Tyranny continue to spread, and continue to grow…

Story Ideas: The Sons of Tyranny could make an ideal group for the primary villains of a story, for the most part, at least. Their existence begs one question: does Hextor put all his chips on such crude and uncouth worshippers? After all, Hextor is a god of war, and crime is not the same thing as war, no matter how brutal it is. If Hextor has smarter and more powerful minions, the Sons may be unknowing pawns of a greater scheme.

For ideas on using the Sons of Tyranny, one can look into the history of real "one-percenter" motorcycle gangs, which more-or-less means the Hell's Angels in a real life setting. This can be hard, though, because members of that group keep their origins and most of their traditions secret. Keep one thing in mind, however: the Sons of Tyranny are actually more lax in whom they allow to join them than some real groups. Female members are welcome to join, and members of any ethnic group are welcome, things that are unheard of in a real one-percenter. Also keep in mind that this is one group that The Rolling Stones would never hire as bodyguards. (But some Shadowkind might, especially those who don't mind what happens to anyone who tries to mess with them.)

Deck Ideas: The Dark Attribute is common among worshippers of Hextor, and so are Warriors, and for this faction, Machines. One possible deck idea would be the Scrap Motor Deck used by Keith in "Yu-Gi-Oh R" (find an alternative for The Wicked Eraser). Other ideas would be decks full of Dark, sinister Machines, like Bowganian, Drillago, Brave Scizzar, and possibly Gatling Dragon. Another possibility is a RFG deck that uses Chaosrider Gustaph and Diskblade Rider as the main offensive forces.


	38. Blast Asmodian

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT**

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**Blast Asmodian**

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"_**Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage." So says Richard Lovelace. Of course, these days, prisons use concrete and titanium, but you get the idea. No matter how secure a prison or jail may be, it is never truly escape-proof.**_

_**Alcatraz Island was supposed to be the escape-proof prison, and in its twenty-nine years of operation, it claimed that there were indeed no successful escapes. Some inmates tried, however. Thirty-six prisoners were involved in fourteen attempts, two men trying twice; twenty-three were caught, six were shot and killed, and two drowned…**_

_**And the remaining three? These three were involved in one of the most intricate escape attempts in corrections history. Although the official report said that they drowned, their bodies were never recovered. Some items that they used in their escape, however, including plywood paddles and the remains of a raft constructed from raincoats, were recovered on nearby Angel Island. As they were presumed dead, no effort was ever made to locate them. Whether they truly drowned or whether they succeeded… Well, the world may never know.**_

_**You would think that the prison at Shadowchaser Headquarters is even more secure than such modern high-security prisons as Colorado State Penitentiary and the military penitentiary at Leavenworth. After all, in this facility, magic is woven into the steel and concrete, and golems patrol the halls. But you have to remember one thing: The prisoners that are kept in this facility are not normal. In other words, when a convict is super-strong or has magical powers, it can be hard to keep him behind bars.**_

_**Especially when something unexpected happens…**_

"More French toast, people?" asked Boris.

"I tell you, Boris," sighed Jinx, "if we didn't burn off the calories while working, your cooking would make us too fat to do it."

It was eight o'clock the next morning, and an overcast cloud cover had blanketed Neo Domino. Something was up, but the Shadowchasers were focused on the here and now.

"So what's the plan?" asked Shichiro. "Edmund is still out there, and he's still a major threat…"

"Edmund will have to wait, people," said Jalal's voice from the other room. "An emergency has just come up."

Everyone turned.

"The lounge, people," said Shichiro, putting down his napkin.

The four Shadowchasers ran to the lounge with the ever-burning fireplace, where Jalal's holographic projection was waiting.

"An emergency, boss?" asked Gears.

"A crisis has occurred at Headquarters," said Jalal. "It happened just an hour ago, and I just managed to get the specifications."

"What time is it in Britain now?" asked Ember.

Shichiro looked at his watch.

"Midnight," he said.

"Yes," replied Jalal. "Usually, prisoners wait until lights out before enacting an escape."

"There's been an escape?" asked Shichiro, surprised.

"Four dangerous criminals who were recently brought in, three of them by your team," replied Jalal. "Fogg, who apparently orchestrated the escape with outside help, Hebi-Na, Zweig, and Dmitri."

"The vampyre that Sofia caught?!" gasped Jinx. "For the love of… You would think that an ophidia and a vampyre who were both awaiting trial for multiple murders would be under tightest security!"

"They were!" replied Jalal. "Fogg was the only one who actually had to leave his cell. He got to the portal room, and opened a portal with four entrances, three of the entrances opening in the others' cells. From what I understand, Hebi-Na, Zweig, and Dmitri didn't even know what was going on, but thought that the opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Anyway, we traced the portal, and it apparently led to Satellite. The four of them might still be together, or they might have gone their separate ways."

"They had outside help, you say?" asked Gears. "From who?"

"We're trying to figure that out," replied Jalal. "For now, it's up to you to find and recapture them."

"No problem…" said Shichiro. "I have a feeling that the reason Fogg wanted to come here might have been to find us…"

"Be careful…" said Jalal, as he slowly vanished.

Gears reached for his jacket, and took his sword off of its hook.

"Well, I got an idea where one of our fugitives might be…" he said.

Then Shichiro's mobile rang.

"Yeah?" he said, answering.

His brow furrowed.

"No, no I didn't…" he said. "Yes, yes I can… Okay…"

He hung up.

"Who was that?" asked Jinx. "What did that guy say?"

Shichiro reached for his own jacket.

"Nothing," he said. "It was a wrong number."

"What did the wrong number say?" asked Ember, in a suspicious tone.

"Look, I have to go somewhere…" he said.

And then he ran out the door.

Jinx got up.

"Well, while he's doing that, I have leads of my own to check," she said.

Ember watched Gears and Jinx leave.

She looked at the computer.

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Half an hour later, Shichiro drove his D-Wheel into a large parking lot. He quickly dismounted and took off his helmet.

"Y?" he called out. "Y, are you here?"

Then he heard a soft laughter.

"Are you always this gullible, pal?" asked a voice. "Little wonder we'll always be one step ahead of you…"

Shichiro's eyes narrowed.

He turned around, and gave a quick kick, just as Dmitri lunged at him.

"Rule number one about making a sneak attack, fellah," said Shichiro. "Don't gloat before doing it!"

He looked at the vampyre, who hadn't bothered to change out of his prison uniform. He got the idea now. Vampyres were masters of voice mimicry.

"No, I'm not always that gullible," he said. "Are you always this ugly?"

"Stuff it, Shichiro!" shouted Dmitri, "I'm in a _really_ bad mood!

"I stood to make a lot of money from that assassination. But all because of that bimbo and her Wind Monsters, I lost the money, my D-Wheel, and almost my neck!"

"Looks like someone here didn't get what he wanted last Christmas…" muttered Shichiro.

"I don't observe Christmas!" replied Dmitri. "I'm not too crazy about Easter either…

"I am rather fond of Thanksgiving, though, seeing as all you really have to do then is eat and watch football…"

"Then why did you come here?" asked Shichiro. "We don't celebrate Thanksgiving."

"Believe me, I didn't want to come here," replied Shichiro. "I wanted to go back to the States and find that harlot. But I had to take the portal that Fogg gave me. Letting him lead us out was a mistake, but what are you gonna do?

"Well, I'll get back and kill her soon, you can bet on that. But right now, I gotta take out my anger on someone, and you'll have to do!"

He held up a Duel Disk, and it activated.

"So, you gonna duel me, or do you want me to find someone else to take my anger out on?"

"Fine," said Shichiro, as his own Disk activated, "and I'm sending you right back to the cooler…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember sighed as she went through the fourth search engine.

"Nothing…" she muttered. "Isn't there any place where a Shadowchaser can do research on the net?"

Sorsha hopped up on the desk.

"Go to Google," she said.

"Say WHAT?" said Ember.

"Serious," said Sorsha. "You can find the Shadowchaser library through Google if you're an actual Shadowchaser. Trust me."

It sounded ridiculous, but nonetheless, Ember clicked on Google. Then she input the word "Shadowchasers".

Then a small window came up.

It read:

"**Please enter your Royal Bank of Scotland pin number."**

"Royal Bank of Scotland?" said Ember.

She took the check card out of her wallet. The one that let her access Jalal's account.

"So… My pin for this account is also a password for the Shadowchaser website?"

"You're learning, smarty," said Sorsha.

Ember quickly typed in the number.

She was shocked as a website she had never seen came up.

"Welcome, Eiko Michiko," said the header.

Ember looked over the website carefully. It was a database with several categories that could be cross-referenced for specific hits.

She clicked on regions, and chose Asia, then Japan, and then Neo Domino.

Then she clicked on Shadowkind races.

It was a long list, but she quickly found the one she was looking for.

She paused for a minute.

Then she clicked on it: Ophidia.

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"So, just how do you intend to get back to the States anyway?" asked Shichiro. "Even if you beat me, even if you somehow get on a plane, which you can't do without a passport… Once you somehow get there, you can be sure that there'll be a whole squad of Shadowchasers waiting for you when you get off."

"I'll cross those bridges when I come to them," said Dmitri. "For now, I'll deal with you."

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Dmitri: 8,000)**

"Duel!" they both shouted.

Shichiro drew a card.

_Not a bad start…_ he thought, choosing one.

He set two cards in his Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That all?" asked Dmitri, making a draw.

"I'll also set a Monster and a facedown card, and end my turn."

The same arrangement appeared on his own side of the field.

Shichiro made another draw.

_Not much happening yet,_ he said.

"I flip Skelengel into Attack Mode," he said.

His facedown card flipped up, and the winged cherubim with its bow and arrow appeared. (900 ATK)

"Now I get to draw one card," he said, making a draw.

"Next, I summon Queen's Knight."

He played another card, and the lovely, female Warrior appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" he shouted.

Queen's Knight brought her sword down on the reversed card, and a diabolic-looking treasure chest appeared on it. She sliced it in half like it was made of foam rubber.

"That was Dark Mimic LV1," said Dmitri. "And it has the same effect as your Skelengel."

He made a draw, and looked at it.

"Well, I'm not done with you," said Shichiro. "Skelengel, get him!"

The Fairy fired its bow, and Dmitri flinched a little.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)**

"My move now…" said Dmitri.

He drew a card.

He smirked a little when he saw the Equip Spell. He added it to his hand, and chose another.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," he said, quickly playing the card. "But I'm not going to destroy your card… I'm destroying mine…"

The cyclone encircled his side of the field, and the reversed Spell Card was blown to pieces.

"That was Ojamagic!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"That's right," said Dmitri, "which allows me to take Ojamas Yellow, Green, and Black from my deck."

Three cards appeared in his hand.

"Next, I set one card…"

A facedown card appeared.

"Then, I summon Ojama Red in Attack Mode."

In a small burst of energy, a weird-looking imp appeared. It was – obviously – red, with a head shaped like an inverted tulip bulb, and wearing a yellow scarf. Otherwise, it looked similar to the other Ojamas. (0 ATK)

"Ojama RED?" exclaimed Shichiro. "I never heard of that one…"

"This is one of two previously unknown Ojamas," replied Dmitri. "He and Ojama Blue are the odd men out, because they, unlike the more familiar Ojamas, are Effect Monsters.

"What's his effect you might ask? By Normal Summoning him, I can Special Summon as many Ojamas as I'm able to in Attack Mode."

In bursts of yellow, green, and black, the three more familiar Ojamas appeared. (0 ATK x3)

"I end my turn."

_Four Monsters with zero Attack Points, and a facedown card…_ thought Shichiro.

He made a draw.

_An open cage planted near a gorilla herd baited with bananas would be less obvious…_

_But I have a surprise for him…_

"I play Bait Doll!" he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card. "If that facedown card is a Trap, it forces you to activate it now!"

"As you wish…" said Dmitri.

The Trap Card lifted, and a loud bellow echoed over the field.

_Threatening Roar? _thought Shichiro. _Smarter than I thought…_

"It's still my turn! As per the second effect of Bait Doll, I get to shuffle it back into my deck instead of sending it to the Graveyard…"

He quickly shuffled his deck.

"Next, I play Reinforcement of the Army. Now I can search for King's Knight."

He played the Spell Card, and took the card from his deck.

"Then, I summon him."

King's Knight appeared in a flash of light. (1,600 ATK)

Then Jack's Knight appeared in another flash of light. (1,900 ATK)

Shichiro looked at his own facedown card.

_He's obviously planning to use Hurricane…_ he thought. _Well, I got another surprise for him…_

"I end my turn…" he said.

"My draw…" said Dmitri, drawing a card.

"I sacrifice two Ojamas…"

Ojama Red and Ojama Yellow vanished.

_Huh?_ thought Shichiro.

"I summon Barrel Dragon!" shouted Dmitri.

In an explosion of flames, the huge Machine made of black metal with three cannon barrels appeared in front of Dmitri. (2,600 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Shichiro.

"Now…" continued Dmitri, "I activate its effect…"

Three gold coins appeared in front of it.

"If two of these tosses come up heads, I get to destroy one of your Monsters!"

The coins all flipped. They fell, and spun…

They were heads, tails, and tails.

"Ah, well…" said Dmitri. "At least I still have its normal attack…"

Barrel Dragon fired its three guns, blowing Skelengel to particles.

"ERGH!" groaned Shichiro.

**(S: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)**

"Now that I'm done with that," continued Dmitri, "Green, Black, take a load off your feet."

Ojama Green and Ojama Black knelt and crossed their arms. (1,000 DEF x2)

"My… move…" muttered Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"I throw down a facedown, and move my Monsters to Defense Mode," he said.

A new reversed card appeared. Queen's Knight knelt and held her shield up (1,600 DEF), King's Knight followed suit (1,600 DEF), and Jack's Knight did last. (1,000 DEF)

"My move?" chuckled Dmitri, making a draw.

He laughed as he looked at the card.

"I play Polymerization!" he exclaimed. "I'll fuse together my Barrel Dragon with Blowback Dragon…"

The smaller artillery Machine appeared on the field, and both Machines were drawn into a portal.

"I summon… the mighty Gatling Dragon!"

A huge, ugly Machine rolled onto the field. It was a giant mechanism on large wheels, with three gatling guns on flexible tendrils. (2,600 ATK)

"Next, I play an Equip Spell," he said, as he fit a card into his Disk. "It's called Sniper Scope."

"What does that do?" asked Shichiro, not really wanting to know.

"Sniper Scope can be Equipped to Barrel Dragon, Blowback Dragon, or this Monster," explained Dmitri. "It works like this… When I activate the effect, I make the tosses twice. Then, out of the two, I choose whatever result I want."

"You got to be kidding!" exclaimed Shichiro.

"Oh, I'm not…" said Dmitri.

The coins appeared again, and flipped.

They were heads, heads, and tails.

Then they flipped again.

This time, they were all heads.

"Think I'll choose the second one," said Dmitri. "And that means I can destroy three Monsters!"

Gatling Dragon blasted its guns, and all three of Shichiro's Knights were atomized.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Dmitri.

Gatling Dragon aimed its guns again…

"I activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Shichiro, as the machine guns fired at him.

His Trap Card shot up, and the blast was halted.

"Now, the damage is reduced to zero, and I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

"Fine…" said Dmitri. "I end my turn."

Shichiro drew a card slowly.

He set a card, and a set Monster appeared.

"I end my turn…" he muttered.

Dmitri chuckled as he drew a card.

"You know, I could use my Monster's effect," he said, "but why bother? I summon Snipe Hunter."

He played the card, and the nasty, winged imp holding the toy pistol appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I'll use _his_ effect!"

He discarded the last card in his hand, Tribute Doll, and Snipe Hunter cackled. It spun the roulette wheel on its pistol…

The number that came up was a six.

"HA!" laughed Shichiro. "Your Snipe Hunter missed!"

Dmitri was fuming with anger.

"Gatling Dragon…" he shouted, "annihilate his Monster!"

Gatling Dragon blasted its guns. Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and the blast bounced off. (2,600 DEF)

Then Gardna stood up into Attack Mode. (100 ATK)

Dmitri growled again. He pointed, and Snipe Hunter fired its weapon, obliterating the Warrior.

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)**

"Make your move…" growled the vampyre.

Shichiro quickly drew a card.

"I play… _two_ Spell Cards!" he exclaimed. "First, The Warrior Returning Alive, which lets me recover King's Knight from my Graveyard.

"Then, Dark Factory of Mass Production, which lets me recover two Normal Monsters. So I'll get back Queen's Knight and Jack's Knight."

The two Spell Cards appeared, and three cards slipped out of his discard slot.

"Lovely," said Dmitri, sarcastically. "You have the Three Stooges again."

"Don't underestimate them," said Shichiro. "I play my own Polymerization!"

The Spell Card appeared, and the three Knights appeared on the field.

"I'll fuse my three Knights together…"

The three Warriors dissolved into grains of light.

"…to summon the ultimate Warrior!"

With a roar, Arcana Knight Joker leapt onto the field. (3,800 ATK)

"Thirty-eight hundred Attack Points??" gasped Dmitri.

"And I'm not done," continued Shichiro. "I'll also Normal Summon Axe Raider."

He played another card, and the axe-wielding barbarian appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Then, I play Monster Reborn!"

The golden ankh appeared, and Jack's Knight appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Jack's Knight, destroy Snipe Hunter!" he shouted.

The Fiend squealed as the Warrior struck it with his sword. It burst into globs of darkness.

"Axe Raider, destroy Ojama Green!"

Axe Raider made a chop with his blade, and the Ojama was blown to pixels.

"Now, Joker, destroy Gatling Dragon with celestial blade!"

Arcana Knight Joker brought its sword down on the huge Machine, slicing it in half. The remains exploded, and Dmitri screamed.

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)**

"Huh?" said Shichiro. "You shouldn't have lost _that_ many Life Points…"

"Sniper Scope has a little side effect…" muttered Dmitri, as he stared at Shichiro. "If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, the controller takes damage equal to its Attack Score."

Shichiro chuckled.

"So it has a catch after all," he said. "Well… I end my turn…"

Dmitri growled as he drew a card. He quickly played it.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

He quickly took Ojama Red, Yellow, and Green, Snipe Hunter, and Gatling Dragon from his Graveyard, and shuffled them into his deck.

He drew two cards. Then he quickly set both of them, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

"I guess it's my move," said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher!" he exclaimed.

In a burst of energy, Grepher appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy the last Ojama!" he ordered.

Grepher made a slash with his steel sword, and Ojama Black was no more.

"Axe Raider, take out his last Monster!"

Axe Raider charged at the card. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was slashed to ribbons.

Shichiro chuckled. He discarded the one card in his hand, and made five draws, while Dmitri made five draws.

"Joker, finish him off!" shouted Shichiro.

Joker charged at Dmitri.

"Not so fast!" shouted Dmitri. "I activate… Fires of Doomsday!"

His Quickplay Spell lifted up.

"This summons two Doomsday Tokens to defend me."

Two wispy imps made of black flames appeared in front of Dmitri. (0 DEF x2)

Shichiro pointed, and Joker and Jack's Knight cut them both down.

Shichiro looked over the five cards in his hand, and then at the facedown card he had on the field, which had gone unused all this time. He sighed.

"I end my turn…" he said.

Dmitri chuckled again, and made a draw.

"I play Overload Fusion!" he exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "Now, by eliminating Barrel Dragon and Blowback Dragon from the game, I can summon Gatling Dragon again!"

He quickly pocketed the two cards, and Gatling Dragon rolled forward again. (2,600 ATK)

_Go ahead and try, _thought Shichiro. _You don't know about Joker's effect. Since Gatling Dragon's effect is a targeting effect, if you try to use it on him, I just have to discard one Monster from my hand to blow that thing to scrap._

"Attack Warrior Dai Grepher!" shouted Dmitri.

Gatling Dragon fired, blowing Grepher to bits.

_Okay, so maybe you do know…_ thought Shichiro.

"I set two reversed cards," said Dmitri, as two facedown cards appeared, "then I play Fairy of the Spring."

The glowing fairy holding two swords appeared behind him.

"Now I get Sniper Scope back from my Graveyard," he said, taking the card from his discard slot. "But, I have to wait until next round to user it. So, I'll end my turn there."

**(S: 4,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)**

Shichiro nervously drew a card.

_What am I worried about?_ he thought, looking at his hand. I have Birthright right here. _If either of those facedown cards is a Trap that can destroy Joker, I can discard this to negate it._

"I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight!" he exclaimed.

In another wave of energy, Gearfried appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Joker, destroy Gatling Dragon!"

Joker charged at the huge artillery again.

"I activate Rising Energy!" shouted Dmitri, as his facedown card shot up.

"WHAT?" shouted Shichiro.

"So I toss one card," said Dmitri, as he discarded a card, "and my Monster gains 1,500 Attack Points!"

Gatling Dragon's Attack Score shot up to 4,100. It blasted its guns, and Joker screamed as he was blown to shards.

_Rats…_ thought Shichiro.

"I set a facedown," he said, "and then move Axe Raider and Jack's Knight to Defense Mode."

A reversed card appeared, and then Axe Raider knelt and held his weapon in his lap. (1,150 DEF) Jack's Knight did the same. (1,000 DEF)

**(S: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)**

"My move!" laughed Dmitri, drawing a card.

"I think I'll Equip my Dragon with Sniper Scope again!"

He played the card.

Then the three coins appeared and tossed. There was one head this time.

"Again!" laughed Dmitri.

The coins tossed again, and this time, there were three heads.

"Think I'll choose the second again," he laughed.

Gatling Dragon fired its guns, and all three of Shichiro's Monsters were blown to pieces.

"Oh, and Shichiro?" he said. "In case you're thinking of that facedown card you just set helping you this time…"

His own facedown card shot up, revealing Dust Tornado.

"Forget it."

The tornado ripped across the field, blowing Shichiro's Birthright card to pieces.

"Now…"

Shichiro looked at the huge Machine…

"Attack him directly!"

Shichiro was thrown backwards as the Monster's gunfire plowed into him. He skidded on the pavement, scraping the skin on his back.

"Ow…" he said.

**(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,900)**

"I set one more card facedown, and end my turn," said Dmitri, as a reversed card appeared.

Shichiro got up.

_It's now or never…_ he thought. _If he uses that thing's effect again, I'm finished…_

He drew a card.

"Time to end this," he said. "I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer!"

A beam of light struck from the heavens, and the heroic form of the young General Freed appeared, clad in his glowing armor. (1,700 ATK)

"So sorry to disappoint you, Shichiro…"said Dmitri, with a sinister grin.

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate Bottomless Trap Hole!"

He started to laugh hysterically…

…and then he stopped short, as the Trap Card was blown to bits.

"What?" he said.

Then he noticed that Shichiro had activated his own facedown card, one that had remained unused since the start of the duel.

"A Counter Trap??" gasped Dmitri.

Shichiro breathed a sigh of relief.

"Destruction Jammer," he said. "In exchange for one card from my hand, it negates an attempt to destroy a Monster."

"WAIT!" shouted Dmitri. "You mean to tell me that you could have negated my Monsters' effects at any time??"

"No," said Shichiro. "I'm not _that_ stupid.

"Destruction Jammer, along with its Spell counterpart, My Body as a Shield, have some specific rules. One of them being, they can only counter effects that will definitely destroy something. Your Machines and Snipe Hunter all have a chance of failure, regardless of how slight, so Destruction Jammer can't counter them.

"Bottomless Trap Hole, on the other hand… It has no chance of failure, so long as it isn't countered. So I could use this.

"And by the way… Freed the Brave Wanderer is another card whose effect can destroy a certain type of Monster with no chance of failure…"

"Oh no…" gulped Dmitri.

"I remove two Light Monsters in my Graveyard from play…" said Shichiro.

King's Knight and Queen's Knight appeared behind him, and then faded into ripples of light.

"…and Freed can destroy any Monster that's stronger than he is."

Freed made a slash with his longsword, and the great Machine shuddered. Then it exploded into fiery debris.

"And thanks to Sniper Scope, you lose 2,600 Life Points again."

Dmitri screamed again.

"Freed, finish him off! Brave sword attack!"

Dmitri hollered again as the Brave Wanderer slammed his longsword into him. The vampyre collapsed in a heap.

**(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)**

Shichiro walked up to the criminal.

"I'm afraid you won't get that rematch with Sofia after all," he said, as he lifted the gemstone. "But tell you what… Next time I see her, I'll tell her you sent your love."

Dmitri looked up at him.

"I hate you…" he snarled.

"I can live with that," replied Shichiro.

Then the gemstone glowed, and the escaped fugitive vanished.

Shichiro sighed.

_One down, three to go, _he thought. _I wonder how Jinx and Gears are faring?_

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Regardless of how they were, Ember was hard at work studying on the website. She was copying careful notes as Sorsha watched her.

"Uh, Ember, listen…" said Sorsha. "If anyone asks, you aren't gonna say I put you up to this, right?"

"No, Sorsha, I'm not," replied Ember. "Just keep your mouth shut until I actually go to do it."

"It seems kinda dangerous, babe," said the cat.

"I'm going to have to do something like this sooner or later," replied Ember. "And I want this to be done with a bang, not a whimper.

"Besides… This time, I have a plan…"

_**We were off to a good start. One fugitive was in custody, and Gears and Jinx were following leads on two others.**_

_**As for me, I was working on my own project. I hadn't gotten permission, like was the case when I went after Max, but I really didn't need permission this time. I wanted to take the final step, to officially leave my apprenticeship behind and become a Shadowchaser in more than name. And I wanted to leave my mark in a spectacular way.**_

_**It seemed I had developed a great deal of guts in the relatively short time I had been in this group. We would soon see it if they paid off.**_

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**SNIPER SCOPE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A Snipe Hunter at the controls of a Barrel Dragon, looking at a crosshairs.

**Card Description:** This card may be Equipped to a "Barrel Dragon", "Blowback Dragon", or "Gatling Dragon". When coin tosses are made to determine the result of the Equipped Monster's effect, make the coin tosses twice, and choose either set of tosses to determine the result. If the Equipped Monster is destroyed, its controller loses Life Points equal to the Equipped Monster's base ATK.

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_Coming up next:_

_Gears corners Dr. Zweig, only to find that the criminal junk dealer has been waiting for him. Zweig demands a rematch, and has learned from his past mistakes, creating a deck that almost no-one is able to master! But Zweig seems more than willing to make the attempt to obtain the power that this difficult archetype can grant to those who successfully master it. _

"_Big Core" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Painter; Faded Memories in Oil on Canvas**

The elves are a race that values their freedom. Their history is one that can recall days when they were as wild as the woodlands and as unspoiled as the skies. One might imagine that they value their ability to express themselves.

Case in point, The Painter, as she is called by everyone who knows of her. Up to one year ago, she was just a young elf who was working her way through school in Great Britain. Then she realized that she wanted to paint. No, she really, _really_ wanted to paint. And paint she did. She painted scenes that showed warriors, strange creatures, and beautiful princesses. At first, her work seemed like typical fantasy artwork (although critics noted that the female characters in her work tended not to show as much skin as was common in that genre).

But when Shadowkind observed her work, they saw strange things. Oddly enough, they saw familiar places and scenes in the landscapes, and familiar faces in the characters she had painted. Her paintings seemed to bring back memories that the viewers had lost long ago, fleeting thoughts that had faded back when they were thrust into this world. As incredible as it seemed, some came to the conclusion that her paintings were depicting places, people, and events from the homeworld of Shadow!

The Painter could not explain her talent. The images in her paintings had come from her sketchbooks, like any artist, and those had come from her creative process, which had come from her imagination. She hadn't used any supernatural help to see the images – they had come to her like any creative process had. But still, she soon attracted a small entourage of artistic Shadowkind who hoped to do the same as she did. Most of them were fellow elves, with a few gnomes and halflings.

The Painter continues to paint, and her works are in high demand, mostly from Shadowkind buyers. She rarely displays her works in galleries any more, doing original paintings for collectors and special commissions. Her first calendar will be available this coming September, and is sure to be a hit among fantasy art lovers.

**Story Ideas:** Many Shadowkind desire to find a way back to the home realm of Shadow. Some have noble reasons for doing so, others have selfish ones. They thus pursue every lead and research every clue towards that goal. The Painter, knowingly or not, can see the world of Shadow through her art, and that makes her of interest to anyone who seeks this goal.

This opens a lot of possibilities in a story. A group who seeks such a goal might want to recruit her, and might have very little luck with simple persuasion. She just wants to paint. If the group is one that won't take no for an answer, the Shadowchasers might have to step in to stop a kidnap attempt, or perhaps undertake a rescue attempt. As the saying goes, such power is dangerous only in the wrong hands.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Painter is an artist, and as such, she only uses Monsters that are beautiful and that have a mystical quality. She might use a Silent Deck, one which focuses on using both Silent Swordsman and Silent Magician.


	39. Big Core

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**CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE**

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**Big Core**

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_**Answer quickly: What are the two most powerful Attributes in the game of Duel Monsters?**_

_**If it took you longer than three seconds to answer Light and Dark, you don't play the game. Those two Attributes spawn the most powerful Monsters, and the most support. Some of the highest-tier players are so egotistical, and so proud of their mega-powerful Light and Dark cards, they go so far as to assume that all other Attributes are worthless. Of course, I saw most of the Fortune Cup, either live or on tape. Although I know that Atlas's strongest Monster is indeed Dark, I know that Yusei's strongest is Wind, and the key Monster of the other finalist was Fire. **_

_**Anyway, it was for this reason that some "anti-meta" cards were created to keep them in check. Trap Cards like Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror and Royal Oppression are two examples.**_

_**As Shichiro was dealing with Dmitri, Gears was about to go up against someone who had built the ultimate anti-meta deck. And in case you hadn't realized it by now… Gears uses Dark Monsters…**_

Smoke obscured the sky, as Gears drove his D-Wheel down the dirty street in Satellite.

He pulled up and dismounted in front of a familiar building. The very same building where he had apprehended Zweig the first time.

He knew that only the stupidest of fugitives would actually go back to the same place, but Gears figured that Zweig wasn't willing to abandon this place just yet. He had a feeling that the self-titled "Wizard of Walnut Town" was working on something here.

Just what, he didn't know. Maybe a D-Wheel with a weapons system? Whatever it was, Gears figured that this place had something in it that was too valuable to abandon.

Gears entered slowly, looking from side to side. No-way Zweig was going to catch him by surprise this time. He slowly passed by the stacks of junk and the old D-Wheel frames.

"You're late," said Zweig's voice.

Gears spun around, and saw the old junk dealer standing there.

"Get caught in traffic?" asked Zweig. "I expected you fifteen minutes ago."

"So you did have a secret weapon here," replied Gears, "and you were going to test it on me."

"Oh, you bet, Gears…" said Zweig, in a sinister voice.

Then he lifted up something in front of his face…

Gears was surprised. It was a deck of cards.

"That's it??" said Gears, with a look of shock. "You were working on a deck??"

"Not just a deck," replied Zweig. "The perfect deck, one that can defeat anyone!

"You see, you were wrong about me. All my copycat decks were actually temporary. All this time, I was working on getting the right cards for my true deck. These cards are very hard to use, and require just the right combination of quantity and support.

"Before you arrested me, it was almost done. I only needed one more card. After I escaped and got back here, it was waiting with a messenger genie."

He slipped a Duel Disk onto his arm, and then shuffled the deck.

"I just completed the final dry run, and it works like a charm! Now Gears… I can debut this deck for real, and you will be the first duelist I crush with it!"

"We'll soon see about that, old man," said Gears. "I'm a lot harder than any simulation.

"So, what is it? Tele-DAD? Lightsworn?"

Zweig laughed out loud.

"Both of those decks wouldn't stand a chance against this one!" he laughed.

Both Disks activated.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zweig: 8,000)**

"All right, Zweig," said Gears, "I'm drawing!"

He made a draw.

"First, I set a Monster."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"Then, I'll set this, for later. And I'll end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

_Better than Tele-DAD and Lightsworn?_ he thought. _What am I up against?_

Zweig chuckled as he made his first draw.

"I summon Sangan in Attack Mode," he said.

With a chittering noise, the three-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"And I'll also set a card facedown."

A reversed card appeared behind Sangan.

_Not many surprises yet,_ thought Gears, making a draw.

"I flip Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive into Attack Mode," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and Dekoichi appeared, blowing smoke out of its stack. (1,400 ATK)

"That means I get to draw one card."

He made a draw, and added it to his hand.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Take Over 5. Now, I send five cards from my deck to the Graveyard."

The Spell Card appeared, and he discarded five cards.

"Next, I summon Dark Resonator."

He played another card, and the Fiend dressed in a foolscap holding a tuning fork appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"But I'm not done," he said, as another Spell Card appeared. "I play Double Summon. This lets me summon my Quillbolt Hedgehog."

The furry rodent with bolts in its back appeared next to the Fiend. (800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together!"

Dark Resonator struck its fork with its hammer, and a low pitch echoed over the room. It and Quillbolt Hedgehog dissolved into five shimmering stars…

Then Ally of Justice Catastor descended. (2,200 ATK)

"Oh dear, a Synchro Monster," said Zweig, sarcastically. "Whatever will I do?"

"Catastor… Attack Sangan!" shouted Gears.

"I activate a Trap Card!" exclaimed Zweig, as his facedown card shot up. "Magical Hats!"

A big, purple top hat with a question mark on it appeared, and covered Sangan. Then, two more identical top hats materialized next to it.

Gears paused.

_Crud…_ he thought. _The cards he used to create the decoy hats are obviously Dark Coffins… That's the only reason anyone ever plays Magical Hats._

_But… I know how this works. If I attack and hit the empty "Hats", they'll be flipped face-up, and the effect of Dark Coffin will be rendered invalid._

"Catastor, attack the Hat on the left!"

Catastor fired its platinum prism blast at the Hat. A Spell Card, yes, Spell Card, appeared where the Hat had been, and shattered into pieces.

_That wasn't Dark Coffin!_ thought Gears.

He paused again.

"Dekoichi, attack another Hat!"

Dekoichi sped forward towards a second Hat. This time, Sangan appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. It was run down.

"I use Sangan's effect," said Zweig, taking a card from his deck.

Gears sighed.

"I set this, and end my turn," he said, fitting a card into his Disk.

A facedown card appeared, and then the final Hat burst. But nothing happened.

"Neither of them were Dark Coffin?" he asked.

"Nope," said Zweig, drawing a card. "Not Dark Coffin."

"Then what was the point?" asked Gears.

"Both of them were special Spell Cards called Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru," explained Zweig. "And I wanted them in my Graveyard. Now that I've buried them, I can more easily use them."

_Koa'ki Meiru?_ thought Gears. _Wait… Jinx mentioned those words once… A friend of her father used Monsters with that name…_

"I summon Koa'ki Meiru Ice!" exclaimed Zweig.

In a blast of arctic air, a giant Monster appeared in front of Zweig. It was a huge statue chiseled out of ice, holding a large, sharp icicle in one hand like a spear, and a shield shaped like a snowflake in the other. (1,900 ATK)

"My Trap Card activates!" said Gears, as one of his facedown cards flipped up. "DNA Transplant. Now, all Monsters on the field are Light, meaning your oversized ice cube can't defeat Catastor."

Zweig chuckled.

"Light or not, Gears," he laughed, "my Koa'ki Meiru Ice is going to crush your creature! You see, I only need to toss one card…"

He discarded a card, Good Goblin Housekeeping.

"…and it can destroy any Monster that was Special Summoned."

_Oh no!_ thought Gears. _Synchro Monsters are Special Summons!_

A blast of snow blew at Catastor, and it iced over, and then shattered.

"Now, my Monster attacks your Locomotive," said Zweig. "Chilling blast!"

Again, the arctic blast blew, this time at Dekoichi, and it froze and shattered to pieces.

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 8,000)**

"You see, Gears…" he continued. "Koa'ki Meiru Monsters are incredibly powerful… But the downside is, they all have a weakness in common, due to their unstable cores. During my End Phase, they are destroyed unless I pay one of two costs.

"The first cost is the same for all of them. I have to discard an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru from my hand.

"But the second cost is different for each one. In Ice's case, I have to reveal a Continuous Spell Card in my hand.

"So… I end my turn, and I'll reveal this card to keep Koa'ki Meiru Ice."

He flipped a card in his hand around, which was Banner of Courage.

_Okay, Gears,_ thought Gears. _You can beat it… Sure it's powerful… But you've dealt with worse…_

He drew a card.

"I activate the second effect of Take Over 5," he said. "I remove it from play, to draw one more card."

He quickly pocketed the card, and made another draw. He looked at his hand.

Then his other facedown card lifted up, and was revealed to be Soul Resurrection. Robotic Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Now, I sacrifice it for Ally of Justice Rudra!"

Robotic Knight vanished, and the large, robotic wolf appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Time to break the ice!" he shouted. "Attack that Koa'ki Meiru!"

Rudra pounced at Koa'ki Meiru Ice, and its Attack Score shot up to 2,600. It slashed with its claw, and the statue smashed into shards of ice. Zweig frowned.

**(G: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,300)**

"I end my turn," said Gears.

Zweig made a draw.

"Humph…" he said, looking at the five cards in his hand.

He set four of them on his Disk, and three reversed cards and a reversed Monster appeared.

"That's all," he said.

_Got to be careful,_ thought Gears as he made a draw. _I'm still not clear on how these Koa'ki Meiru cards work._

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg," he said.

He played the card, and the bronze fox with a glowing mane appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack!" he shouted.

Garadholg pounced at the card. The creature that appeared on the card looked like a small dollop of whipped cream, with eyes and an upside-down smile on the top of its face. (500 DEF)

"Marshmallon??" shouted Gears.

"That's right!" laughed Zweig. "It can't be destroyed by battle, and since you attacked it, you lose 1,000 Life Points."

"Ergh…" grunted Gears, as a red aura surrounded him. Marshmallon grinned at him with its funny face.

"I have to end my turn…" he said.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,300)**

"Then I draw," said Zweig, drawing a card.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

"And, during my Draw Phase, I can ditch a Koa'ki Meiru Monster from my hand to recover an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru from my Graveyard."

He discarded one of his two cards, Koa'ki Meiru Crusader, and took one of his two Iron Cores from his discard slot.

He took the other card that had been in his hand.

"I set a new Monster, and then end my turn."

A new set Monster appeared next to Marshmallon.

"My draw…" said Gears, drawing a card.

He smirked as he looked at it.

"Time to take out that cream puff!" he exclaimed. "I summon Nanobreaker!"

He played the card, and in a flourish, the beautiful, sword-wielding, female android appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Sorry…" said Zweig, "but she's the one that will be leaving…"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"A Trap?" gasped Gears.

"Automatic Laser!" laughed Zweig.

A large laser gun that seemed to have come from an episode of _Dr. Who_ appeared in front of Zweig. It aimed at Nanobreaker.

"I merely have to reveal one Iron Core in my hand," said Zweig, flipping the one card in his hand around, "and…"

The laser fired, and Nanobreaker screamed as she was hit and vaporized.

Gears growled.

"Rudra, attack his facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Rudra pounced on the hidden Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before it was crushed.

Gears frowned. He discarded the two cards in his hand, and Zweig discarded one. They both drew five.

Gears looked at the five cards in his hand, and sighed.

"I end my turn," he said.

"My move…" chuckled Zweig, drawing a card.

"And I summon Koa'ki Meiru Doom!"

In a gust of foul wind, a new Monster appeared on the field, which was almost as big as Koa'ki Meiru Ice. It looked like the atypical Fiend, with horns, wings, and a tail, with iron scales all over its body. (1,700 ATK)

"Doom here has a powerful effect," continued Zweig. "It negates the effects of all Light and Dark Monsters that activate during the Main Phase."

"I have news for you," replied Gears. "Rudra and Garadholg's effects both activate during the Battle Phase."

"Then I'm getting rid of Rudra, at least," said Gears, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "I'm activating the Continuous Spell Card, Banner of Courage. Now, for my Battle Phase only, my Monsters gain 200 Attack Points."

"Not gonna do it," replied Gears.

Zweig's other facedown card lifted.

"I also activate Shrink," he said.

Rudra was reduced to half its size, and an Attack Score of 950.

"Koa'ki Meiru Doom, attack!" shouted Zweig. "Atomic hurricane!"

Koa'ki Meiru Doom lifted its arms, and a hurricane of strange wind blew about the field. Rudra rose to an Attack Score of 1,650, but Doom rose to 1,900, and Rudra was eroded into silvery dust.

**(G: 6,250) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,300)**

"I end my turn," said Zweig. "And to keep Doom, I either have to discard an Iron Core, or reveal a Fiend-Type Monster in my hand. So, I'll reveal this one."

He flipped a card around.

Gears was a little shocked at the sight of the card.

_That's a Level 8 Monster!_ he thought. _If low-Level Koa'ki Meiru Monsters are powerful, high-Level ones must be…_

He paused.

_Calm down… He needs two sacrifices to summon it… At least I think he does… I just have to make sure he doesn't have them…_

He drew a card.

"I summon Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher!" he shouted.

He threw the card on his Disk, and the robotic pachyderm with the glowing node on its trunk appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Attack Marshmallon!" he shouted. "Particle beam!"

"Hasn't it sunk in yet?" asked Zweig. "Marshmallon can't be destroyed."

"My Monster isn't destroying it," replied Gears, "it's removing it from play."

Unknown Crusher fired a blast of energy from its trunk, and Marshmallon vanished into nothing. Zweig's eyes opened wide.

"Garadholg, destroy Koa'ki Meiru Doom!" shouted Gears.

Garadholg leapt at the Fiend, and its Attack Score rose to 1,800. Koa'ki Meiru Doom howled as the Machine raked its claws against its hide, and it exploded into raw slag.

**(G: 6,250) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,200)**

"Okay, Gears," said Zweig, as he drew a card. "I'm done playing nice!

"I summon Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand!"

With a whir, and a burst of digital symbols, a ten-foot-tall robot appeared, one that was covered from head to toe in heavy-duty armor, which seemed to have metal drills for hands, shoulders, and a cranium. (2,100 ATK)

"A Level 4 Monster with 2,100 Attack Points??" gasped Gears.

"You got it!" laughed Zweig. "And now it's time to drill the point home! Attack!"

The drill on Powerhand's right arm started spinning, its Attack Score rose to 2,300, and it plunged it directly into the center of Unknown Crusher's face. Gears braced himself as his Monster exploded into scrap.

"Eh, I hope it was worth it…" said Gears, gasping for breath. "My Trap Card makes your Monster a Light Monster, and all Light Monsters that battle Unknown Crusher are removed from play."

Zweig laughed.

"Notice that Powerhand isn't disappearing, Gears," he said.

Gears looked up. To his shock, Powerhand was still there.

"Powerhand negates the effects of all Light and Dark Monsters that it battles which apply during the Battle Phase," said Zweig. "Your Unknown Crusher's effect was worthless."

**(G: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,200)**

"I end my turn," said Zweig. "And to keep Powerhand, I must discard an Iron Core, or reveal a Normal Trap Card in my hand. So… I'll reveal my Good Goblin Housekeeping."

He flipped the card around.

_I'm beginning to see what he meant when he said this deck could beat Tele-DAD and Lightsworn,_ thought Gears. _All of these Monsters are 'anti-meta'. They can beat some of the most powerful cards in the game._

_Still… This power comes with a price… A very stiff maintenance cost for each Monster. If I can just take these things down one at a time, he might not be able to pay the costs, and I might be able to beat them._

He drew a card.

_That's it…_

"I play… Monster Reborn!" he shouted.

The golden ankh appeared, and Rudra appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter!"

He threw the card on his Disk, and the small, mosquito-like drone appeared. (600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it," he said, as Unlimiter vanished, "and Rudra's Attack Score is doubled!"

Rudra glowed with shadowy energy… (3,800 ATK)

"Sure, Powerhand will negate its effect," he continued, "but it really doesn't need it.

"Rudra, crush his Powerhand!"

Rudra pounced, and took a swipe at the huge drilling Machine. It sparked, and exploded as its core ruptured.

"Ergh…" muttered Zweig.

"Garadholg…" said Gears.

"Uh… oh…" said Zweig, as he saw Garadholg leap at him.

He cringed as the Machine slashed at him with its claws. He fell on his seat.

**(G: 5,250) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,900)**

Gears took a deep breath.

"I end my turn…" he said, as Rudra returned to an Attack Score of 1,900.

Zweig scowled, and made a draw.

Then he chuckled evilly.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted, playing it.

The cyclone ripped across the field, and Gears's DNA Transplant was blown to pieces.

"Now that I've gotten that out of my system," he continued, "I summon a new Koa'ki Meiru… The Koa'ki Meiru Drago."

A very strange Dragon appeared, hovering in the air on Zweig's side of the field. It seemed to be sculpted completely out of blue energy, with four wings, and shimmering, smooth skin. (1,900 ATK)

"And Drago here has a very potent effect," continued Zweig. "While he's around, neither of us can Special Summon Light or Dark Monsters.

"Now… Attack his Rudra!"

Koa'ki Meiru Drago roared, and its Attack Score rose to 2,100. It breathed a blast of pure energy from its jaws, and Rudra was blown to bits.

"I throw down a facedown, and end my turn," said Zweig, as a reversed card appeared. "And to keep Drago, I'll reveal a Dragon-Type Monster in my hand…"

He flipped a card around.

"…like a second Koa'ki Meiru Drago."

**(G: 5,050) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 3,900)**

Gears started to sweat a little. He made a draw.

_Hmm…_ he thought, looking at the card. _Bone Temple Block… This might have possibilities…_

He fit it in his Disk and it appeared as a reversed card. Then he turned the card already on his Disk, and Garadholg shielded itself in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"Your move…"

Zweig made a draw. He looked at the card.

Then his facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Good Goblin Housekeeping," he said. "Now, I get to draw one card, plus an additional one for each Good Goblin Housekeeping in my Graveyard.

"Since I discarded one to use Ice's effect, I get to draw two."

He made two draws, and looked at them.

"Then I must send one card from my hand to the bottom of my deck."

He chose one of his six cards, and slid it under his deck.

"Now, Drago… Attack!"

Drago breathed its energy breath, eradicating Garadholg.

"I end my turn, and I'll reveal this card again."

He turned his second Drago around again.

Gears quickly made a draw.

_Okay…_ he thought, looking at it. _Now I've got a plan…_

He added it to his hand, and then played another.

"I play Silent Doom," he said. "Now I get to Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode."

"Forget my Drago's effect?" asked Zweig. "You can't summon Dark Monsters with that card."

"I know," said Gears. "Fortunately, I have one Monster in my Graveyard that I can summon."

Robotic Knight appeared, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Oh…" said Zweig. "I forgot about him…"

Then Gears's facedown card lifted up.

"Next, I activate the Trap Card, Bone Temple Block," he said.

"Bone Temple Block?" asked Zweig. "What the sam-hill is that?"

"First, I gotta toss one card from my hand," said Gears, as he discarded Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer.

"Then, I first get to Special Summon a Level 4 or less Monster from _your_ Graveyard. And I think I'll summon Koa'ki Meiru Doom."

In another burst of stale wind, the tall, muscular Fiend appeared on Gears's side of the field. (1,700 ATK)

"Then, to even the playing field, you get to summon a low-Level Monster from _my_ Graveyard.

"Of course, thanks to your own Monster on the field, you have only two options: Nanobreaker and Quillbolt Hedgehog."

"Then I choose Nanobreaker," said Zweig. "Defense Mode."

Nanobreaker appeared on Zweig's side of the field. She knelt and crossed her arms. (1,800 DEF)

"I really don't know what good Koa'ki Meiru Doom is going to do you," he said. "He can't beat Koa'ki Meiru Drago, and don't forget, he'll be destroyed when you end your turn unless you discard an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru or reveal a Fiend-Type Monster in your hand.

"You can't do the first… And even if you can do the second, Nanobreaker can defeat him when my turn comes around, because I know that Nanobreaker can defeat any Level 3 or lower Monster!"

"You think too small, Zweig," said Gears, taking another card from his hand. "I don't intend to keep Doom much longer. I'm going to sacrifice him and my Robotic Knight…"

Both of Gears's Monsters dissolved into grains of light.

"…to summon Perfect Machine King!"

In an explosion of flames, the enormous King of Machines loomed over the field. (2,700 ATK)

"ERK!" gasped Zweig.

"And he gains 500 Attack Points for each additional Machine on the field," continued Gears. "That includes Nanobreaker."

(3,200 ATK)

"Wipe out Koa'ki Meiru Drago!" shouted Gears. "Mega missile assault!"

Twin hatches on Perfect Machine King's shoulders opened, and a volley of missiles shot at the Dragon. It shrieked before exploding into a burst of pure energy.

Gears sighed.

"That's all I can do," he said.

**(G: 5,050) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,600)**

Zweig snarled again, and made a draw.

"I set one Monster, and one facedown card!" he growled, as a reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared. "And I end my turn!"

"That means the side effect of Bone Temple Block kicks in," said Gears. "The Monster you summoned with it is destroyed."

Zweig gasped as Nanobreaker shattered into pixels.

"My move," said Gears, drawing a card.

He looked at the Trap Card.

_Darn, I was hoping for a Monster,_ he thought. _Well, I'll have to make do…_

"I set this card facedown," he said, as a reversed card appeared, "then I attack!"

Perfect Machine King fired its missiles again. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Thank you," said Zweig, drawing a card.

"Make your move," said Gears.

"Oh, I will," said Zweig. "I draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"And, during my Draw Phase, I discard this to recover an Iron Core."

He discarded Koa'ki Meiru Drago, and an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru slipped out of his discard slot.

"So, tell me, Gears… Last time you avoided losing with your Overwhelm Trap Card… Tell me… Is that the same card you have facedown right now?"

"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," said Gears.

He was very nervous. He knew that it wasn't.

"Well, let's find out…" said Zweig. "I play a Spell Card. It's called Urgent Synthesis."

He played the card, and the second Iron Core slipped out of his discard slot.

"By sending this other Iron Core back to my deck, I am able to Special Summon a low-Level Koa'ki Meiru Monster from my Graveyard. So… I think that just for the hell of it, I'll bring back Powerhand."

Powerhand appeared once again, striking a pose. (2,100 ATK)

"Just for the hell of it?" asked Gears. "That thing's a Machine! Don't you realize that you just made my Monster stronger?"

"That's exactly why I'm going to sacrifice it!" laughed Zweig. "This Monster you are about to see is the mightiest of the Koa'ki Meiru… And although it's a Level 8 Monster, I can summon it with one sacrifice, so long as said sacrifice is another Koa'ki Meiru.

"So, I sacrifice Powerhand…"

Powerhand vanished in a plume of flame.

"…to summon… _Koa'ki Meiru Valafar!_"

A pit of lava erupted in the center of the floor, and a tall, muscular creature, the size of an ogre, rose out of it. It was a Fiend with a hide that seemed to be made of cooling magma, with flaming wings on its back.

It let out a roar of bloodlust… (3,000 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Gears.

"And in response to summoning it," said Zweig, as his facedown card lifted up, "I activate Torrential Tribute."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears.

He was interrupted as a tidal wave of water swamped the field. Perfect Machine King sparked, and then exploded into pieces of sputtering machine parts that dissolved into pixels.

"Heh…" chuckled Zweig. "Guess it isn't Overwhelm after all."

"That was the stupidest…" started Gears.

Then Gears looked up and realized something horrible…

Zweig's Trap Card had not harmed his own Monster at all. Valafar was still there, looking, at Gears with an evil smile.

"Speechless, huh?" asked Zweig. "Valafar here cannot be destroyed by Trap Cards. He laughs at Mirror Force, Sakuretsu Armor, Bottomless Trap Hole, and any other Trap Card that would be lethal to a Monster.

"Too bad your Perfect Machine King couldn't do the same…

"Valafar… Attack him directly!"

Koa'ki Meiru Valafar lifted his arms, and formed a huge ball of flame. The Banner of Courage glowed, and his Attack Score rose to 3,200.

"Activate… Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as his facedown card flipped up.

"Huh?" said Zweig.

"Now you gotta…" started Gears.

"Yes, yes, I know what it does," chuckled Zweig. "But this time, I choose not to stop!"

Valafar's Attack Score fell to 1,600, and it hurled its ball of flame at Gears. He cringed, and braced himself.

"I set one card, and end my turn," said Zweig, setting one of the three remaining cards in his hand. "Now, unlike the other Koa'ki Meiru, Valafar only has one option when I end my turn. I must discard an Iron Core. So I'll do so."

He discarded the card.

**(G: 3,450) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,600)**

Gears started to sweat again. He made a draw.

_Okay, this might help…_ he thought.

"I activate a Trap," chuckled Zweig, as his facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Grave of the Super Ancient Organism. With this Trap Card on the field, Level 6 Monsters that are Special Summoned can't attack or use their effects."

_Which means that almost all Synchros are out of commission,_ thought Gears. _Good one, Zweig…_

He looked at the card he had drawn again.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

He played the card, and then took Garadholg, Nanobreaker, Quillbolt Hedgehog, Rudra, and Catastor from his Graveyard. He shuffled them back into his deck, and made two draws.

He set two cards in his deck, and a reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

"That's all," he said.

"Then it's my move," said Zweig.

He reached for his deck.

Then he paused. He looked at the last card in his hand.

"Tell you what…" he said. "Here's something you might not have expected… I'm not going to draw. See, if an Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru is in my Graveyard, I can not only discard a Monster during my Draw Phase to recover it, I can skip drawing altogether to do so."

The Iron Core slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Next, I summon Koa'ki Meiru Crusader."

With a hoarse roar, a knight in shining armor appeared next to Valafar. But while most such knights were sleek and streamlined, this one was rather hulking, and carried an oversized sword. Its face was gaunt and fiendish. (1,900 ATK)

"Not _another_ member of the Nineteen-Hundred Club," groaned Gears.

"Oh, yes," said Zweig. "Most Koa'ki Meiru are members.

"Attack his Monster!"

The Crusader let out another hoarse roar, and slammed its sword towards the facedown card. Sangan briefly appeared before it was smashed to pieces.

"I activate Sangan's effect…" said Gears.

He took Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator from his deck, and looked at it.

"And I activate Crusader's effect," replied Zweig. "Whenever it slays a Monster, I get to recover any card with the words 'Koa'ki Meiru' in its name from my Graveyard.

"And I think I'll recover the other Crusader that I tossed earlier."

The card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Valafar… Attack him directly!"

Valafar roared again, and he formed another ball of flame. His Attack Score rose to 3,200, and it hurled the ball at Gears. Gears screamed as the almost-real fires exploded around him.

He struggled to keep standing. He took deep gasps of breath.

**(G: 250) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 2,600)**

"Good grief, what are you made of?" asked Zweig.

Gears didn't reply.

"Humph," muttered Zweig. "I end my turn. To keep Valafar, I'll discard my Iron Core…"

He discarded the card.

"…and to keep Crusader, I have to reveal one Beast-Warrior in my hand. Good thing I used its effect to search for one, right?"

He turned the card in his hand, the second Crusader, around.

_This is it…_ thought Gears.

He drew a card.

He smiled.

"Why are you grinning?" asked Zweig.

"Because I'm going to beat you, Zweig," said Gears, "and a mistake you made is going to make it possible.

"Your Trap Card, Grave of the Super Ancient Organism, may have seemed like a good idea at time, but now I can actually benefit from it."

"If you can benefit from this Trap Card, I'll eat my hat!" laughed Zweig.

"I send Grave of the Super Ancient Organism to the Graveyard to Special Summon Trap Eater!" exclaimed Gears.

Zweig gasped as his Trap Card vanished, and the Tuner Fiend that was almost all mouth appeared. It let out a throaty chuckle. (1,900 ATK)

"So, should I get you some ketchup?" asked Gears, as his facedown card lifted. "Next, I activate Birthright, to Special Summon Robotic Knight again."

Robotic Knight appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"Next, I summon Mechanicalchaser."

He played another card, and the hunter droid appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Now… I Tune Robotic Knight and Trap Eater together…"

The two Monsters flew towards the ceiling, and melted into eight glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Jalal the Dragonborn!"

The radiant form of Jalal's avatar landed, a powerful, noble knight, in stark contrast to the bestial one on Zweig's side of the field. He drew his glowing sword. (2,600 ATK)

"Next, I activate his effect," said Gears. "I pay half my Life Points, to remove Bone Temple Block in my Graveyard from play."

The Trap Card slipped out of Gears's discard slot, and the Rune Counter appeared on Jalal's sword.

"Now, I'll use the effect of Bone Temple Block. I'll discard this to do so…"

He discarded Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator.

"And summon Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand from your Graveyard."

Powerhand appeared on Gears's side of the field. (2,100 ATK)

"And I use that effect to summon Dark Resonator from yours!" shouted Zweig.

Dark Resonator appeared on his side of the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"So just what are you going to do, Gears?" he asked. "None of your Monsters are powerful enough to defeat Valafar, and you have only 125 Life Points left! One attack on my turn, and its over!"

Gears closed his eyes.

"There won't be a next turn for you, Zweig," he said, taking the last card in his hand. "Know why I chose Powerhand this time?"

He played the card.

"I may not know much about these Koa'ki Meiru… But I know a Machine when I see one.

"I play Limiter Removal!"

Zweig gasped in fear as Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand rose to an Attack Score of 4,200, and Mechanicalchaser rose to 3,700.

"Mechanicalchaser!" ordered Gears, "destroy that sorry excuse for a knight! Attack!"

Mechanicalchaser's blade's spun wildly, and it slashed into Koa'ki Meiru Crusader. The bestial knight howled, and shattered into shards of grey slate.

"Now, Koa'ki Meiru Powerhand… Attack Koa'ki Meiru Valafar!"

The drill on Powerhand's right arm spun, and it charged at the lava Fiend. It stabbed the beast right in the chest, drilling a hole clear through the center of its torso.

The look on Valafar's face was one frozen in utter shock. Then, cracks started to appear all over its hide…

Then an explosion obliterated the creature as its core ruptured, and Zweig was thrown to the ground, his cards scattering.

**(G: 125) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)**

Zweig looked up, and saw Gears standing above him, holding the gemstone.

"Why… Why can't I beat you…" gasped Zweig.

"Zweig…" said Gears. "The problem with you is, you go to extremes.

"A good duelist isn't a copycat like you were before. Neither does he build a deck that tries to defeat every established deck, like the one you just used.

"A truly good duelist takes the middle road. It may be harder than either of the other two paths, but only by mastering the middle road and building a deck that reflects who he truly is, one that is a reflection of his very soul, can a person become a truly great duelist.

"I wonder if you'll ever learn that…"

The gem glowed, and Zweig vanished.

Gears let out a sigh, and looked around…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember had just switched off the computer.

She put her notebook into her purse, then shuffled her deck, then checked all the cards in her side deck, and then strapped her Duel Disk onto her left arm.

"Ember, look," said Sorsha. "Are you _absolutely_ sure this is a good idea? My master had to deal with these things numerous times… He knows better than anyone, they don't play fair!"

"I'm sure," said Ember.

"Any chance I can get you to tell me exactly where you're going this time?" asked Sorsha.

"I'm going to look around, and ask a few people for information," said Ember.

"In other words, hit the street, question the local stool pigeons, check with tipsters," sighed Sorsha.

"Well, it won't be so random," said Ember. "The website helped. I found information on a place where such a person might go after just getting out of jail.

"You see, the food in prisons isn't too good, and inmates aren't allowed to drink alcohol. So once they get out, they either get drunk or go to some restaurant and order steak."

"So are you gonna check every bar and steakhouse in town?" asked Sorsha.

"It's ten AM, Sorsha," replied Ember. "It's too early for dinner.

"But I think I know where she might go to buy liquor… And I might get information there."

_**In case you're so dense as to not realize it yet, my goal was to complete my Rite of Passage by finding Hebi-Na and bringing her in. It would be my greatest challenge to date, and would be incredibly dangerous, if even half the things I had heard so far about ophidia were true. But I was willing to take a dare and confront this snake who had tried to kill me, as I wanted to prove to my co-workers, prove to Jalal, and above all, prove to myself that I had what it took to become a Shadowchaser worthy of the name.**_

_**I also might have wanted to thank her for helping me open my eyes. I wasn't sure whether I would get a chance, however.**_

_Coming up next:_

_Before Ember finds Hebi-Na, Jinx finds, or rather is found, by her old enemy, the insidious Dr. Fogg. And this time, he's managed to get a D-Wheel and a revamped deck. Were you wondering about the mysterious Monster that he wasn't able to summon in their first duel? In the Turbo Duel that ensues, he may get a second chance. "Thunder Crash" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Cirque de Moiti****é, a Carnival of Shadows**

One of the most difficult problems facing intelligent Shadowkind who suddenly find themselves living in our world is how to support themselves. Many of the skills and abilities that were highly prized in their former lives have no applications (no _legal_ applications, that is) in the Mundane world. Some, however, find that their natural talents have unexpected outlets.

Such is the case with Cirque de Moitié, a collection of halflings who have formed a troupe of acrobats, jugglers, and clowns that Mundane audiences have dubbed "The Greatest Little Show on Earth". It was started in 1860, by a halfling named Waldo Stubble, who had originally worked under the great P.T. Barnum. Most of Barnum's customers, and Barnum himself, assumed that Stubble was only a midget performer, like Barnum's more popular attraction, Charles Sherwood Stratton (aka General Tom Thumb). However, Stubble soon became disgusted with Barnum, as most of Barnum's attractions were fakes, nothing more than mockeries to fool the gullible. He resigned, and invested his money to create his own traveling troupe, hoping to create a show that did not have to con audiences with fake acts to be entertaining.

Cirque de Moitié grew slowly, starting as a sideshow, but then expanding. Today, under the direction of Stubble's great-great-grandson, it has become famous worldwide for its precision acrobatics, sets, and music, which are often described as "otherworldly", and routines so fantastic that spectators often swear that they must be magical.

The truth is, of course, that they _are_ magical. The troupe built their shows using not only the halflings' natural agility, but also their knowledge of the arcane. They also employ a good number of gnomes to build sets and a few dwarves to do strength and stamina-based acts (like smashing through brick walls or mock swordfights while covered with flames). A few taller Shadowkind are occasionally hired by Cirque, but in general, most of its members are Shadows who are short in stature.

Among Shadowkind, Cirque de Moitié is considered one of the greatest success stories of adapting to the Mundane world. Other Shadows like elves do not find the acts awesome in the same way that Mundanes do, but they still flock to the performances in droves to applaud the halflings' success.

And they are indeed successful. Children under ten and college students get a discount on admission, after all.

**Story Ideas:** It seems that all science fiction and fantasy TV series have an episode that takes place in a carnival or circus. Cirque de Moitié might fulfill that role if one is needed for a Shadowchasers story. Trouble can pop up at the most unexpected of places, and a traveling circus is clearly an unexpected place.

Remember, one of the purposes of the Shadowchasers is to protect Shadowkind. If Cirque de Moitié is having trouble from someone who dislikes them for some reason, a team of Shadowchasers might have to work overtime as security at the circus. It's even possible that a villain could operate out of the circus itself; halflings make unlikely villains, but that might just be part of this one's cover. It's always the one you least expect.

**Deck Suggestions:** The halflings of Cirque de Moitié pride themselves on their small stature, so when it comes to dueling, big, bad Monsters are not their style. Smaller ones are more likely, so a Human Wave strategy might fit one or more of them nicely.


	40. Thunder Crash

_**Author's note:**_

_**There are a few changes to announce in the names of some of Jinx's cards, as some of them are being released in the United States. I will use the American names when I can.**_

_**First off, X-Saber Anabelera is now known as X-Saber Anu Piranha.**_

_**While Allsword Commander Gatmuz has not been released in the States yet, the Trap Card with his picture, Gatmuz's Urgent Orders, has been released with the name "Gottoms' Emergency Call". Thus, the Monster will be called Gottoms from now on.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Thunder Crash**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Now, I'm guessing that most of you reading my story are from the States. I know that in your corner of the world, the legal drinking age is twenty-one. In Japan, where I'm from, it's twenty. Not much of a difference, really. I've heard that in some countries, it's only eighteen, and in a few it's as low as sixteen. In a few countries, the age is different depending on whether you're getting the stuff in a bar or in a store (you have to be older to get it in a bar), and in others you can drink beer at a younger age than you have to be to drink stronger stuff. Ireland, where they just love their liquor, has the lowest drinking age; children as young as twelve can drink in public, and there is no minimum age for drinking in private.**_

_**Anyway, the legal age in Japan is twenty for everything, and I was still too young to drink, so I wasn't one who'd usually be hanging around a liquor store. But now was a special case. My search for information led me to downtown, to a place that seemed to be a typical liquor store. It sold wine, spirits… The usual stuff that you get in such a place.**_

_**However, the online site I had been using for research told me that this store was owned by a Shadowkind, and that it often catered to certain Shadowkind… Shadowkind of a certain taxonomic class. I was pretty sure that I would find the information I needed here, or at least a lead on where to find it…**_

The liquor store in front of Ember looked rather ordinary. The sign on the front simply said, "Gloria's Wine and Spirits".

Ember took a deep breath. She walked in, and a little bell rung to announce her entrance.

"Hello!" said a cheery female voice from behind the counter. "What can I do for you?"

Now, a Mundane who looked at the woman would have seen nothing sinister. He would have seen an attractive woman with a shapely figure, with a golden tan, and blonde hair arranged in long, thick braids. She wore a green dress, and thick, dark sunglasses.

However, Ember, who was Aware, saw through the veil. The woman's perfect tan was actually skin covered with dun brown scales, and her braids were actually live snakes, that slithered around on her scalp.

Ember paused in fear.

"Yes?" said the woman.

"Uh, hi," said Ember. "Are you Gloria?"

"That's me," said the creature. "So, what can I get you? Uh, I think I'm gonna need to see an ID…"

"Uhm…" squeaked Ember. "I, uh… You're a medusa, aren't you?"

"Uh, no, I'm a gorgon," replied Gloria.

"I see…" said Ember.

"Medusa was a _specific_ gorgon," continued Gloria, "the one that Perseus killed."

"I see…" repeated Ember.

"But don't feel too bad," said Gloria, "a lot of people confuse the two names."

Ember slowly felt her courage returning. Since this gorgon hadn't tried to turn her to stone yet, she figured she'd go on with what she came here for.

"I'm not going to buy anything," she said. "No drinks, anyway. I was hoping you could help me. I hear that you deal with the ophidia… from time to time."

Gloria frowned.

"Well, reluctantly," she replied. "You see, I'm the only liquor store in town that's licensed to sell viperwine."

"Viperwine?" asked Ember.

Gloria bent down behind the counter, and then lifted up a whisky bottle. Its label had a picture of a hooded snake on it, and the liquor inside it was green.

"This stuff," she said. "It's a whiskey made from the venom of the Indian viper. Reptilian Shadowkind, like me, adore it.

"I've heard that demons like it too, but none of them have ever come in here. Heh, heh.

"The problem is, it's a lethal poison to mammals, like you. So you need a license from the Shadowchasers to legally sell it. And boy, that license is hard to get!"

"But you do have a license," said Ember.

"That's right!" laughed Gloria. "And since I do, I can charge far less for this stuff than the black market does. So any reptilian Shadowkind who want it usually come to me. Unfortunately, that includes the ophidia."

"Uhm, well, I'm looking for a specific ophidia," replied Ember. "Her name is Hebi-Na. She's a dangerous fugitive…"

"Can you describe her?" asked Gloria. "I don't bother with names all that much…"

Ember took a deep breath. This would be easy. She would never forget what Hebi-Na looked like.

"She has the upper body of a woman," she said, "and the lower body of a serpent, and stands about six feet tall. She has reptilian eyes and fangs. She has long, black hair tied in a long ponytail. She wears a halter top, dark sunglasses… kind of like yours, and when she poses among humans, she wears a very long skirt to cover her inhuman half."

She took another deep breath.

"Oh yeah!" said Gloria. "She came in here two hours ago… Kind of stood out…

"First she went to the ATM…"

She pointed to the machine in the corner.

"…then she bought a flask of this stuff, and then drank it all right on the spot. That certainly got my attention.

"At that point, she was a little tipsy. She started talking about how she was going to challenge someone to a battle of Duel Monsters, and how she was going to get a new deck, one that was far more terrifying than her last one."

Ember looked at the gorgon.

_Far more terrifying…_ she thought. _I wonder…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the meantime, Jinx was driving her D-Wheel down the streets of the Daimon Area.

She had checked Fogg's office, but he wasn't there, of course. He was likely a lot smarter than Zweig ever was. So she was exploring all of her leads.

She had just shaken down an underworld tipster named "Peanuts" Musaka, and learned that someone matching Dr. Martin Fogg's description was indeed in the area. Exactly where, however, he didn't know.

Jinx figured that if she simply combed the streets, he'd turn up eventually. The tracker on her D-Wheel was set to detect any ophidia presence, and snakeblooded humans could be detected by anything that could detect an ophidia. From a biological and magical point of view, snakeblooded humans _were_ ophidia. They could use any artifacts or spells that normally only ophidia could use, and anything that worked on ophidia also worked on them.

_Come on, Fogg,_ said Jinx, keeping one eye on the tracker. _Come out, come out, wherever you…_

She stopped short.

…_are?_

The tracker had picked up something, and it was heading towards her from behind, much faster than anyone traveling on foot could come.

Jinx swerved to avoid the D-Wheel as is rushed past her. But she couldn't avoid a kick from the driver as he passed.

The driver of the very high-tech D-Wheel stopped in front of her, and lowered the visor on his helmet.

"Fogg??" shouted Jinx. "Where did you get a D-Wheel? You've only been out of jail for four hours!"

"It's something I've been keeping in cold storage," replied Fogg. "Now I can truly face you on equal terms… If you're willing to accept my challenge."

"Fine!" shouted Jinx. "I beat you before, and I'll do it again!"

The two Speed World cards appeared on the dashboards of each D-Wheel.

"_Duel Mode engaged,"_ said Jinx's D-Wheel.

"This time, Jinx," said Fogg, "you won't be so lucky…."

They sped down the streets of Daimon.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fogg: 8,000)**

"Age before beauty, Shadowchaser," said Fogg.

He drew a card.

"I'm going first."

He threw two cards on his console.

"I set two cards…"

Two facedown cards appeared in a flash in front of his D-Wheel, and then faded from view.

"Then, I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior."

A blue portal opened, and one of Yugi Mouto's famous Magnet Warriors emerged. This one was the grey robot with a head shaped a magnet pointing backwards, holding a sword and a shield. (1,400 ATK)

"Going for the classics this time, huh Fogg?" asked Jinx.

"It's your move," replied Fogg.

Jinx made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to one.

"Come on out, Alligator's Sword!" she shouted.

The portal opened behind her bike, and Alligator's Sword flew out. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!" she shouted. "Scimitar slash!"

Alligator's Sword flew towards the Magnet Warrior with his blade held high…

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Fogg, as one of his facedown cards spun around. "It's called Zero Guard! This reduces Alpha's Attack Score to zero for this round… But prevents him from being destroyed in battle."

Alpha's Attack Score plummeted down to nothing as the Beast's scimitar slammed into it. Fogg grit his teeth, as his D-Wheel teetered.

"Now I activate my other Trap!" he shouted.

His second facedown card spun around.

"Death Accel! Now, I don't lose any Speed Counters from your assault. Rather, I _gain_ one for every 500 Life Points I lost from it.

"I assume you can do a simple division problem…"

Fogg's Speed Counters shot up to a total of four. He shifted gears, and sped ahead of Jinx.

"Very clever," said Jinx. "I end my turn."

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,500)**

Fogg made a draw. His own Speed Counters rose to five, while Jinx's rose to two.

"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior!" he said.

He played another card, and another of the Magnet Warriors appeared. This one was the cute, yellow one, with two horns resembling a magnet on its head and magnets for hands. (1,700 ATK)

_Okay, we're in trouble now,_ thought Jinx.

"Beta, wipe out Alligator's Sword!" ordered Fogg.

Beta blasted a bolt of electromagnetism from its two hands, and Alligator's Sword was blown to particles.

"Alpha, direct attack!"

Alpha flew to the front of Jinx's D-Wheel, and slammed its sword into the front. Jinx cringed as her Speed Counters fell down to only one.

"I set a new card facedown, and end my turn," said Fogg, as a new facedown card appeared.

**(J: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,500)**

Jinx drew, and her Speed Counters rose to two again. Fogg's rose to six.

_I can see where his strategy is going,_ she thought. _And I have to stop it, quick…_

"I summon X-Saber Ana Piranha!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Ana Piranha leapt onto the field, lashing her bladed whip. (1,800 ATK)

"Take out Beta!" she shouted.

Ana Piranha cracked her whip at the droid, and it burst into particles.

"I set one card," she said, as a facedown card appeared next to her bike, "and that will be all."

**(J: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 6,400)**

Fogg made a draw, and his Speed Counters rose up to seven.

"I play Speed Spell – Shift Down," he said, as the Spell Card appeared in front of him. "Now, I'll cut my Counters all the way down to one…"

His Speed Counters plummeted, and his D-Wheel slowed down. He started to lose ground.

"Then I draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

Then he smiled.

His facedown card spun around.

"I activate Birthright," he said.

Beta the Magnet Warrior reappeared in front of him. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I'll bring out Gamma the Magnet Warrior."

The portal opened again, and the blocky, pink robot with a magnet for a collar, wings on its back, and the letter S on its torso appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"But three's a crowd, as they say. I sacrifice all three of my Monsters…"

All three of the Magnet Warriors split apart into little pieces.

"Come on out, Valkyrion, the Magna Warrior!"

The pieces melded together, forming a giant fifteen feet tall, that was composed of all the pieces put together. It held a large sword, and radiated an aura of electric energy. (3,500 ATK)

_Okay…_ thought Jinx. _This had better work…_

"Execute her X-Saber!" shouted Fogg. "Attack!"

Valkyrion flew at Anu Piranha, preparing to lop her head off…

"Go, Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

Her own Trap Card spun around, and the loony music started playing.

A golden flash shot out of the back of her D-Wheel.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin spun on the street in front of her.

Then she cheered as it came up heads.

Valkyrion's Attack Score plummeted to zero, and Anu gave it a swift kick, blowing it to little pieces. Fogg grunted, as his D-Wheel wobbled again, and his Counters fell to zero.

**(J: 6,400) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 4,600)**

"So much preparation for a big waste," said Jinx, with a grin.

"Not quite," said Fogg, with a hint of bile in his voice. "You might recall, Jinx, that in our last duel, you defeated me before I got a chance to summon my ultimate beast…

"Well, now is the time! To summon it, I simply have to remove from play two Monsters in my Graveyard with the word 'Magnet' in their names…"

Alpha and Gamma appeared behind him, and then faded into ripples of light.

"And here it is! Come on out… _Magnet Warrior Polaris_!"

Lightning flashed, the sky darkened, and a large, armored figure appeared above Fogg's bike. It was clad head to toe in black, robotic armor, with two horns on its head resembling the curves of a magnet. It held a long staff, one end of which was tipped with a magnet marked with an N, the other end tipped with a similar magnet tipped with an S. It let out a roar. (2,400 ATK)

"North is up," said Fogg, "south is down, the perfect storm blew into town!"

"Oh, just lovely," said Jinx. "You've turned from annoying, know-it-all intellectual to annoying poet. I think the time in the joint affected your mind."

Fogg looked at the last card in his hand. He slowly set it on his console and it appeared face-down.

_She's right,_ he thought. _I can't act like some maniacal villain here. I can't lose sight of the goal._

_After all, Jinx might think that Dmitri, Zweig, and myself only had revenge on our minds when we broke out, but we have to concentrate on the true plan…_

_We just have to keep these do-gooders from finding Hebi-Na, so that she can do what the boss wants._

_I may not like her or the other ophidia too much… But for the amount of money I was offered, I'd even do freelance work for the All-Seeing Orbs._

"I end my turn," he said.

Jinx made a draw. Her own Speed Counters rose to four, while Fogg's rose to one.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

She looked at the four cards in her hand.

_Lovely…_ she thought. _I don't have anything that even comes close to beating his Magnet Warrior._

"Anu, switch to Defense Mode," she said.

Anu shielded herself with her arms.

"I don't think so," said Fogg, as his facedown card spun around. "I activate the Trap Card, Final Attack Orders."

Anu quickly stood back up into Attack Mode.

"Well, in that case," said Jinx, "let's go for the gusto!

"I summon Abare Ushioni! Remember him?"

With a loud snort, the three-eyed, tattooed bull stampeded onto the field. (1,200 ATK)

The glowing flash shot out of Jinx's D-Wheel again.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin spun around and around…

It came up heads. Fogg groaned as the blast of energy shot and hit him.

"I end my turn," said Jinx.

**(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,600)**

"My move," said Fogg, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to one.

"And during my Standby Phase, I can activate Magnet Warrior Polaris's special effect. I can change its Attribute to whatever one I desire.

"So… I choose to change it from Light, to Wind."

"What's the point?" asked Jinx.

"You'll see," replied Fogg. "I'm not stupid enough to try attacking your Monsters with that Fairy Box there, so I'll set this, and end my turn."

The facedown card appeared, and then faded from view.

"My move!" shouted Jinx.

She drew a card, and her Counters rose to six.

"I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box…

"I activate the effect of Abare Ushioni again! Heads again!"

The coin shot out of her D-Wheel, and spun again.

It was heads again.

"Not again!" shouted Fogg, as the blast hit him.

**(J: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,600)**

"Seems my luck hasn't run out, Fogg," said Jinx.

"But it runs out now," replied Fogg. "Take a look at your Monsters."

"Huh?" said Jinx.

To her shock, both Anu Piranha and Abare Ushioni were rushing towards Magnet Warrior Polaris. Jinx glanced at her monitor, and saw that she was in her Battle Phase, even though she hadn't wanted to enter it.

"HEY!" shouted Jinx. "STOP! I didn't tell you too…"

"They can't help themselves, Jinx…" said Fogg, with an evil smile.

The two Monsters lunged at the armored creature, but it made a mighty blast with its staff, blowing them both to atoms. Jinx cringed, and her Speed Counters fell one point, to five.

"HOW?" she shouted. "How did you make them attack?"

"Remember what I said in our last meeting?" asked Fogg. "How some things were defined by their opposites?

"In the game of Duel Monsters, Attributes have opposites. Dark opposes Light, Fire opposes Water, and as far as you're concerned, Wind opposes Earth. My Monster can compel any Monster of its opposing Attribute to attack it.

"Now do you see why I changed it to Wind?"

Jinx grunted, and reached for a card.

"I set a Monster and a facedown card, and end my turn," she said.

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared, and faded from view.

**(J: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,600)**

"My move!" shouted Fogg, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to two again.

He set the card on his console, and it appeared facedown.

_Two facedown cards,_ thought Jinx. _One of them is likely Light of Intervention…_

_But what's the other one?_

"I draw!" she shouted.

She drew a card, and her Speed Counters clicked up a notch, to seven.

Then one of Fogg's facedown cards spun around. It was, as Jinx had presumed, Light of Intervention.

"I sacrifice my facedown Monster…" she exclaimed.

The reversed Monster vanished.

"…to summon Allsword Commander Gottoms!"

The portal opened, and the hulking Beast-Warrior in plate armor holding his greatsword appeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Now, I activate my Trap," she said, as her facedown card flipped up. "Skull Dice!"

The little winged imp flew out onto the field, holding its die.

"I need at least a three to take out that oversized tin can of yours," she said. "What do you think my chances are?"

"Zero percent," replied Fogg. "I activate Dice Try!"

His other facedown card spun around.

"This Counter Trap negates the activation of any card that requires a die roll," said Fogg. "I put it in my deck especially for you."

The little imp shattered into pixels.

"Aw crap…" muttered Jinx.

"And because your Allsword Commander is an Earth Monster…" continued Fogg.

Gottoms charged at Polaris, but it twirled its staff again, and blew him to particles.

Jinx sighed.

_Well, that plan was a bust…_ she thought.

"I set a facedown card, and end my turn," she muttered.

A reversed card appeared in front of her.

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,600)**

"I draw!" said Fogg, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters rose to four, while Jinx's rose to eight. He looked at the card. It was his second Valkyrion the Magnet Warrior.

_Ah, this is no good, _he thought.

"Attack her directly!" he shouted. "Electromagnetic bolt blast!"

Polaris flew at Jinx, with its staff glowing…

"Go, Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx.

The coin shot up again.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin spun around again.

To her horror, it was tails.

Jinx screamed as the electromagnetic blast ripped through her and her bike. Her Life Points plummeted, and her Counters fell to six.

**(J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,600)**

"I end my turn," said Fogg. "Need I remind you that you no longer have enough Life Points to pay for Fairy Box."

Jinx drew. She looked hard at the card.

_This may be my last chance…_ she thought.

"I may not have enough Life Points to pay for Fairy Box," she said.

Fairy Box burst into shards.

"…but I have what I need to beat you right here. I summon X-Saber Airbellum."

With a snarl, the savage Beast leapt in front of her bike, bearing its claws. (1,600 ATK)

"Next," she said, as her facedown card spun around, "I activate Gottoms' Emergency Call. With one X-Saber on the field, I can Special Summon two from my Graveyard. So say hello to X-Sabers Anu Piranha and Palomlo."

With two flashes of energy, Anu Piranha appeared again (1,800 ATK), and the small lizard man carrying an axe appeared as well. (200 ATK)

"More of your barbarians?" asked Fogg. "They'll just be more fun to destroy."

"I don't think so…" said Jinx. "you see, now that I control at least two X-Sabers, I can Special Summon one of their elite members…"

She took the last card in her hand.

"I summon one of the double-X's! XX-Saber Faultroll!"

The portal opened, and a very intimidating Warrior flew out. He looked far more modern than his more primitive comrades, wearing cybernetic armor, a high-tech visor, and a large sword that seemed to have been made for use with two hands. Nonetheless, he held it in one hand. (2,400 ATK)

"ERK!" shouted Fogg. "If that guy attacks Polaris, they'll kill each other!"

"Sorry, Fogg, but you don't get off that easily," said Jinx. "First, it's time for a Synchro Summon. I Tune Passiul and Anu Piranha together…"

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and faded into five glowing stars. The galloping of hooves was heard again…

X-Saber Wayne appeared, flying beside Jinx's bike, and holding his bladed six-shooter. He tipped his hat to Faultroll. (2,100 ATK)

"Next," continued Jinx, "I activate Faultroll's effect. I get to bring back an X-Saber from my Graveyard."

The portal opened again, and Anu Piranha appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Finally, since you worked so hard to summon your ultimate beast, I'm going to summon mine! I Tune together X-Saber Airbellum and XX-Saber Faultroll…"

Thunder flashed from the dark sky, and both Airbellum and Faultroll flew towards the clouds. They dissolved into _nine_ glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon…" shouted Jinx. "_XX-Saber Gottoms_!"

With a bellowing roar, the biggest X-Saber of all landed on the field of Speed World. He looked like Allsword Commander Gottoms, but even more hulking, with even more elaborate plate armor. He held a huge sword that he swung like it were light as a feather in his hands. (3,100 ATK)

"HOLY…" shouted Fogg.

The word he said after that is not printable.

Jinx simply pointed, and XX-Saber Gottoms made a savage cut with his mighty sword. Sparks flew from Magnet Warrior Polaris, and it burst in an explosion that lit up all of Speed World.

"Now, both of you," ordered Jinx, "finish him off!"

Fogg screamed as Wayne fired his six-shooter and Anu slashed with her whip. His D-Wheel went into a tailspin, and skidded to a stop.

**(J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)**

Jinx walked up to Fogg's D-Wheel, where Fogg was slumped over the controls, snoring like a baby. She sighed.

"Unbelievable," she said, as she lifted the gemstone.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Jinx started up her D-Wheel again, the monitor flashed, and both Shichiro and Gears appeared on it.

"Guys?" said Jinx. "I got Fogg. He didn't go quietly, though."

"Same with me and Dmitri," replied Shichiro. "But I took care of him."

"Zweig was pretty tough too," said Gears. "He was playing a Koa'ki Meiru Deck."

"Koa'ki Meiru?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah," said Gears. "Don't you know someone who uses those cards, Jinx?"

"I might," she replied. "I'll see if I can look him up on the way back…

"Maybe we can get some answers…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Far removed from the Daimon Area was the part of town where people on the other end of the social ladder lived. It was known as "uptown".

And in the heart of uptown, there was the Black Hat Club, one of the most upscale clubs in town. You couldn't get into this place unless you were a member, and they were very picky about who they let in.

Several celebrities were members of the Black Hat Club, including Godwin himself, although he didn't come by all too often. Misty Lola was seen here from time to time, but she had been seen less frequently lately.

Jinx's father was a member, and that made her a member by association. She was able to get in, but she rarely came here unless her dad was holding a party that she really had to go to. She really didn't like this place, as everyone who was a regular were snobs, and the place had washroom attendants (something she _really_ hated).

As she walked in, she saw that she hadn't come here for nothing. The person she wanted to see was here. Sitting at a table sipping a scotch on the rocks was a tall man in a formal military uniform; he was completely bald (he had shaved his head for the past fifteen years) and had eyes the color of slate.

Jinx made her way to his table.

"Well… Kaede," he said, when he saw her. "This is a surprise… I haven't seen you since you turned twenty."

"General Ross," said Jinx, "I believe we agreed never to speak of that again."

"Oh… Right…" he said. "Well, how's life been treating you, Kaede? Still with that… special club you joined?"

"More or less, Ross," she said. "Something odd came up. We came across a guy who uses the same cards that you do… The Koa'ki Meiru cards?"

"Oh?" asked Ross. "A pro?"

"A criminal," replied Jinx.

Ross shrugged.

"If you want to know how he could have gotten the cards, all I can tell you is, I certainly didn't supply them."

"How does one get cards as rare as yours?" asked Jinx.

"Depends," said Ross. "I personally ordered them online through legitimate channels. They were expensive, but I had the money.

"But sometimes the cards that unsavory characters use aren't what they seem.

"Yugi Mouto dueled some spook who used Exodia cards in the first round of Battle City… They were bootleg cards. Fakes.

"Card ghouls use tricks like that to make money, not particularly caring what happens ultimately. The black market is expensive, but anyone who'd buy from there is probably not going to use what he gets for simple recreation.

"And then there's the matter of custom cards. Some of the nuts that opposed the great duelists over the years use some method to make their own cards, which no I2 designer ever thought up. Exactly how they do it, I don't know…"

"So what you're saying is," said Jinx, "any ne'er-do-well with the right resources can get any card he wants?"

Ross shrugged.

"It's not only criminals with resources," replied Ross. "I'm pretty sure that Yusei Fudo's finances or contacts weren't the best when he lived in Satellite. Having said that, I have absolutely no idea where Stardust Dragon came from."

At this point, Jinx's cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" she said, answering it.

"Jinx, it's me," said Shichiro.

"Come back to base… And hurry…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Twenty minutes later, Jinx rushed into the townhouse. Shichiro and Gears were standing in front of Sorsha in the room with the fireplace, who was nervously looking around, as if looking for an opportunity to escape.

"What's the problem?" asked Jinx. "What happened?"

"Sorsha…" said Gears. "You want to tell Jinx what you told us?"

"I keep telling you guys, it wasn't my fault!" protested Sorsha.

"What wasn't your fault?" demanded Jinx.

Sorsha sighed.

"Ember went after Hebi-Na on her own," she said. "Something about doing her Rite of Passage."

Jinx looked at the cat.

"Someone take my sword away from me…" she said in a low voice.

"Mercy please!" screamed Sorsha. "How was I supposed to stop her?"

Jinx sighed.

"I guess you have a point," she said. "But the three of us had better stop her before she gets herself killed."

"At the risk of sounding contradictory, Kaede…" said a voice.

Jalal's holographic form slowly materialized.

"…the three of you will do no such thing."

"Jalal?" said Jinx, in shock. "But…"

"The rules of the Rite of Passage are clear," said Jalal. "An apprentice has the right to choose whatever task she desires. No-one may choose it for her, and no-one may revoke her decision."

"Jalal, not to question your decisions," said Shichiro, "but Hebi-Na is an ophidia! And she was awaiting trial for five murders that we know about! Plus, she tried to kill the apprentice that just went after her!"

"All valid concerns," replied Jalal. "But I must support young Michiko's choice."

He sighed.

"Kaede, you may find her if you desire… If she succeeds in defeating Hebi-Na, you will have to make the arrest. But the rules of the Rite of Passage are very strict."

"I know, I know," said Jinx. "No help from me…

"Sorsha, do you have any idea where she went?"

"Eh, she talked about going somewhere where Hebi-Na might go to buy booze," replied Sorsha.

Gears sat at the computer.

"Figures," said Shichiro. "A fugitive who just gets out of jail usually wants to drink."

"Gears, are there any places in town that are run by Shadows and licensed to sell viperwine?" asked Jinx.

"I'm way ahead of you," said Gears, as he typed up a few things on the computer.

"Seems there's only one place that can legally sell the stuff in Neo Domino. This place downtown owned by a gorgon named Gloria Swift."

"Then that's where I'm going," said Jinx.

_**While all this was going on, I was learning more from the tipsters on the street. You probably know that cities have certain bars and clubs that cater specifically to certain kinds of clientele. There are lesbian bars, New Age cafes, and places that are even more exclusive.**_

_**Shadowkind had those clubs too. In Neo Domino, there was, for example, Rivendell, a nightclub frequented by elves. Then there was Stonehome, a bar and grill where most of the patrons were dwarves. And somewhere in the Daimon Area was the Meat Locker, a nightclub for orcs, bugbears, goblins, and a few ogres. If you aren't a member of those races, you are discouraged from going there, but reports said that the place offers the strongest ale in the city, as well as boxing and wrestling matches between patrons, often with bets being placed.**_

_**The ophidia had a place like this, and I had it on good information that Hebi-Na was going to be there. I was nervous about going into a nest of snakes… But I had to get the job done…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DEATH ACCEL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A Duel Runner driver with an orange helmet and a stern look on his face.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when you take battle damage. For each 500 points of damage taken, increase your number of Speed Counters by 1. When this card is activated, the effect of "Speed World" to remove Speed Counters is not applied.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ZERO GUARD (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** The image on this card is unclear.

Card Description: Activate when your opponent declares an attack against a Monster in Attack Position. Reduce the attack target's ATK to zero until the End Phase of the turn. It cannot be destroyed in battle this round.

_Note: "Death Accel" and "Zero Guard" were both used by Mukuro Enjo" in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's episode "Surprise, Surprise". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MAGNETIC WARRIOR POLARIS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play 2 "Magnet" Monsters in your Graveyard. During your Standby Phase, you can change the Attribute of this card. This card cannot be targeted for an attack by a Monster with the same Attribute as this card. This card gains 1 of the following effects, depending on its Attribute:

● LIGHT: Opposing DARK Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.

● DARK: Opposing LIGHT Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.  
● EARTH: Opposing WIND Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.  
● WIND: Opposing EARTH Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.  
● FIRE: Opposing WATER Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.  
● WATER: Opposing FIRE Monsters in Attack Position must attack this card if possible.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

("XX-Saber Faultroll" and "XX-Saber Gottoms" will be released in the "Ancient Prophecy" set.)

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_Coming up next:_

_Can Ember finally cross the threshold from apprentice to true Shadowchaser? Next episode, she makes the attempt, as she challenges the Shadow who set her on the path in the first place. But Hebi-Na won't go quietly, and she strikes back like an angry viper, with a far more powerful deck. All Shadowchasers know one axiom of the world of Shadows… Never turn your back on a snake._

"_Poison Fangs" is coming soon…_

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Madelyn Trainer, Skeptic of Shadows**

Most people are Mundane, and a select few are Aware. But still others fall into an in-between area called Sensitive, which a tough place to be. You see a little, but not enough to get the whole picture. You can learn about Shadow, but since you don't see it all, you can become a skeptic.

Madelyn Trainer was the daughter of two Los Angeles police officers. As such, she learned at an early age to respect the law, and believed that no-one was above it. She didn't choose to become a police officer herself, but pursued a law degree. Once she had it, she rose up the ranks until she was elected the county district attorney of Los Angeles.

The problem was, Madelyn was Sensitive, and always had a funny feeling when Shadows were around. It was her Sensitive nature that led her to even realize that the Shadowchasers were anything more than a dueling club.

At first, she believed they were simply a deluded group, much like a gang of Trekkies. But then, someone suggested to her that these "Trekkies" were "monster hunters" who had the authority to make arrests under certain conditions. Madelyn thought otherwise. To her, only the police had that authority.

She started an investigation into this group, a difficult and grueling one that lasted five months. Finding any witnesses to any Shadowchaser activities was hard, as most people who were interviewed were Mundane, and the few Awares and Shadows who were questioned knew enough to keep shut when questioned by anyone who couldn't see who they were. But slowly, she began to build her case. A few Shadows were willing to say a few things about the methods of the Shadowchasers, which led her to believe that they were engaged in vigilante activities and unlawful arrests.

Finally, Madelyn believed she had enough evidence to make the charges stick, and obtained a warrant to make the arrest. She wasn't naïve, of course. Some folks had told her that the Shadowchasers had powerful allies, but she was certain that her authority in the matter would be enough.

Unfortunately for Madelyn, only half an hour after they had made their one phone call, she got an angry phone call herself from her boss, the _state_ district attorney. He told her in very unkind words that he was overriding her authority and dropping the charges, and that her department would be reprimanded if she pursued the case further. He refused to listen to anything Madelyn said; she was forced to throw away five months of work.

Madelyn wouldn't give up so easily. She knew that the average vigilante group couldn't have bought someone in such a high level of government, so she knew something bigger was afoot. But calls to government agencies were referred to other agencies, and the ones who seemed to know anything told her to keep quiet about it.

Madelyn now realizes that the Shadowchasers are much bigger than she once thought. She refuses to fall into the conspiracy theory trap, knowing that there must be a logical purpose behind them. However, she remains a skeptic, and thinks that they are up to no good. She keeps a close eye on them, but they keep careful watch on her as well.

Madelyn's problem is, she fails to understand the true power of magic, or the capabilities of Shadowkind. She believes that all that is truly needed to apprehend a criminal is handcuffs, pepper spray, and a police-issue revolver. She doesn't realize that many denizens of Shadow would simply laugh at all three of them. Still, Madelyn is a concern for the Shadowchasers in her area. They'd prefer to have the police as allies, not enemies, but as long as Madelyn is suspicious of them and remains a skeptic, that will not happen.

In her mid-thirties, Madelyn would likely be attractive if she wasn't so formal. Her strawberry-blonde hair is tied up, and she wears glasses (which actually have a weak prescription – she likely wouldn't need them, but they make her look distinguished). Her clothing is stylish and expensive, but very formal, and usually black. She has a deep, husky voice, which can be intimidating when she is doing her job in a courtroom setting.

**Story Ideas:** Having to oppose the police is a tough job for any hero who wants to do the right thing. A character like Madelyn can turn up anywhere to give the heroes of a fic a hard time, and even if she eventually realizes the truth, she'd likely be too proud to admit it.

Madelyn isn't one to let one defeat stop her. She might run for state district attorney herself, or even for governor, threatening the Shadowchasers with an enemy in an even higher position. A foe on the wrong side of the law is easy to deal with, one on the _right_ side is much harder.

A lot of politics are involved in the position and title of DA, and Madelyn will likely show up at any political rally or fundraiser involving a candidate for her party. This may prove interesting if the candidate is someone whom Shadowkind have an interest in (for good or bad), or if the candidate is a Shadow himself…

**Deck Suggestions:** Madelyn likely doesn't duel in any serious sense, as she does not consider it a proper way to solve a problem. That is not to say she doesn't have a deck, and couldn't duel if she was forced to, but if that happened, she may have problems using a Disk at first. One idea for a deck would be the low-Level Fusion Deck used by Johnson against Jonouchi in the Virtual Nightmare Arc. (But lacking a Deckmaster like his, it would take some adjusting.)


	41. Poison Fangs

_**Author's note: The events of this chapter take place in the late afternoon a couple of hours before the events of Ep. 37. By this time, Rua's duel with Divine has occurred, but more importantly, the two Earthbound Gods Aslla Piscu and Ccarayhua are preparing to bestow their gifts upon their chosen ones. Before the night is out, the Dark Signers will be a complete team…**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-ONE**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Poison Fangs**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**You all are likely thinking, "What the Hell is wrong with you, Ember? What ever possessed you to go after Hebi-Na when you knew that the others couldn't help you?" Well, my job would be hard, but I wasn't the only young apprentice that had chosen a difficult Rite of Passage.**_

_**You already know that Jinx went after a redcap. Shichiro defeated a sahuagin mutation. (Sahuagin believe that members of their race who are born mutations are blessed by their gods, and these incredibly powerful sahuagin usually act as the race's leaders.) Gears defeated a skinwalker for his Rite of Passage. (You're probably better off not knowing what that is.)**_

_**Still, I was about to take on a member of a race that considered themselves enemies of humans by culture and tradition. To the ophidia, humans were only good for slaves, or even better, for food. The Shadowchasers were likely the only ones who kept them from hunting humans in the same way that wolves prey on lambs.**_

_**And before the night was over, I would come face-to-face with a horror from another reality, who would show me a deep, dark abyss of terror and try to shove me into it…**_

"Jinx, please!" protested Gloria. "I didn't do anything to her! I don't want any trouble…"

"Then I won't give you any," said Jinx. "I just want to know where she went."

"I don't know…" moaned the gorgon.

"TALK!" shouted Jinx.

"You don't know what it's like…" sobbed Gloria. "Whenever Shadows and Awares come in here for the first time, they don't dare look me in the face. They've all heard legends of gorgons who turn victims to stone, and then use them to decorate their lairs like a ghastly museum…

"A gorgon would have to be _dumb_ to display her victims like that… It would give her away!

"But I don't do that, Jinx! I'm just a merchant who runs this store, that my poor mother opened with the money she scraped together in the five years after she was pulled into this world…"

"But you deal with the ophidia," replied Jinx. "You sell viperwine."

"And do you know how hard it was to get that license?" asked Gloria. "I had to go to Shadowchaser Headquarters in person three times! They grilled me, did background checks, lie detector checks, found out stuff about me that even I didn't know! They wanted to make absolutely sure I wouldn't try to profit by offering it to someone who couldn't survive drinking it!

"Yeah, I deal with the ophidia… Jinx, if some mob boss goes into a café and orders a hamburger, and the waiter gives it to him, does that make the waiter a bad man? Everyone's gotta eat, and if someone wants to buy liquor, I'm the one who sells it."

She sighed.

"All I know is, Ember said that she might try to find a place where ophidia like to go."

"Any idea where that might be?" asked Jinx.

"How am I supposed to know?" asked Gloria. "I'm not an ophidia.

"I might know where to find some you can ask, though… Although they aren't as nice as I am…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Four PM.

Ember slowly walked through the entertainment district.

Her eyes moved to the place where the tipster had directed her to, although she wasn't sure if she trusted him. She was almost certain she had heard a sinister snicker from him when she had turned away.

The bar had a large sign shaped like a cobra about to strike above the entrance. The sign called the place The Den.

_Seems like a place where snakes would hang out,_ she thought.

She took a deep breath and went in.

She was shocked as she went in. She had been right.

About half of the patrons looked human. The other half, like Hebi-Na, were half-snake in some way. However, not all of them were of the same design that she was, with a human upper half and a serpent's trunk in place of legs.

Some had snakes' heads. Others looked like humans with scales all over their bodies. Some had both legs _and_ tails. Some, most shocking, had snakes in place of arms. And most had combinations of all of these features.

Ember shuddered in fear. Then she swallowed hard.

_Take it easy, Ember…_ she said. _There are humans here… You can see these creatures for what they are, but they don't know that you can._

She was a little worried about exactly why there were humans here. She wondered if they didn't work for the ophidia, willingly or not.

She slowly made her way up to the bar. The bartender was human, but two male, muscular ophidia with colorful tattoos on their scales were there, drinking some sort of beer.

"Eh, it isn't viperwine," said one of them to the other, "but it's good stuff."

Ember sat down at the bar.

_So what now?_ she thought. _What do I…_

"Hey, Francis," said a familiar voice next to her. "Let me buy my friend here a drink…"

A chill ran down Ember's spine. She slowly turned her head. She shivered as she saw that smile again.

"I'll have a martini," continued Hebi-Na. "Ember?"

"Diet Coke…" said Ember, softly.

"Heh," chuckled Hebi-Na. "You come to a bar and order Diet Coke?"

"I'm underage," replied Ember.

"Do you really think that someone would card you in a place like this?" asked Hebi-Na.

As the bartender put the drinks in front of them, Hebi-Na's voice sank to a low whisper.

"You've got a lot of guts, kid," she said. "You think you're safe because the other ophidia here don't know that you're not one of our servants?

"Well, guess what kid… I know that you're not, and that you're also a Shadowchaser in training. Know what would happen if I stood up and told everyone? They'd tear you apart."

Hebi-Na grinned evilly at Ember, and panic started to rise in her bones. Hebi-Na sipped her martini.

"Not gonna do that, though…" said Hebi-Na. "You coming here was a bit of good fortune…

"I could use a hostage when your friends finally come after me."

"You were expecting them to come after you?" asked Ember. "What are you planning?"

Hebi-Na tapped the Duel Disk on her left arm.

"You came here wanting a duel," she said. "I'll give it to you… But if you lose, you agree to surrender your Disk and deck and become a cooperative hostage from this point on.

"I doubt you'll have much fight left in you after see what's in this deck anyway.

"And by the way, agreeing is the only way you're getting out of this place alive."

"How can I say no?" asked Ember, with a nervous grin.

Hebi-Na finished her drink, and threw a bill on the counter.

"Then let's take this outside," she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember stood at the end of the alley. Hebi-Na was in front of her, so she wasn't getting out that way. The ophidia was shuffling her deck.

"I don't get it, Hebi-Na," asked Ember. "Why?"

"Why what?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Why do you guys hate humans so much?" asked Ember. "What ever happened that made you so cold-hearted and dark?"

"It's kind of a long story," said Hebi-Na.

"I have nowhere to go," replied Ember.

Hebi-Na sighed.

"Let me explain it to you…" said Hebi-Na. "Life on Earth is torture for predators like us. The Treaty we're forced to live under is like an abomination to us.

"When I first came to this world, only two years ago, I lost most of my memories, like most Shadowkind. But at first, I thought I was in paradise. I was in a place full of humans who couldn't perceive me as an ophidia. I thought I could hunt at my leisure, and they wouldn't know they were in danger until my hands were around their necks.

"But then, another ophidia found me and told me I didn't dare, due to a treaty that humans and folks like me had agreed to.

"I was shocked. Since when did ophidia ever make deals with humans? I asked him why we didn't tell whoever had written the Treaty to go to Hell. Then he told me the story of one ophidia who had tried."

Ember started to listen closely.

"Five years ago, a very powerful ophidia clan leader named Saramanda got fed up," continued Hebi-Na. "She got tired of all the years of having to give up raw human flesh and eat boring roast beef. So she announced that she was going to openly defy the Treaty, and any ophidia who was also sick of it was welcome to join her. To live life as true ophidia.

"About three hundred ophidia flocked to her side, and she started to make plans, daring the Shadowchasers to stop her. For three days life had meaning again for the ophidia… They hunted as my race was meant to, and they were feared.

"But the Shadowchasers took action. They gathered a group consisting of all their members from all the neighboring geographic regions. Saramanda told her followers not to worry, and her army armed themselves. She promised that the Shadowchasers would be defeated in a battle that would make the heavens weep in anguish…"

Hebi-Na sighed.

"But there was no battle… Saramanda had made a dire error. She had assumed that all humans wouldn't dare disregard their precious Rules of Engagement. What she didn't realize was, the Treaty more-or-less _is_ the Rules of Engagement as far as Shadows are concerned. Since she had decided to defy it, she forfeited all the benefits it allotted her.

"The Shadowchasers didn't confront them directly and didn't present them with a target they could fight back against. The fair fight clause was now null and void, after all. They directed a squad of iron golems to smash down the fortified gates of Saramanda's compound. The ophidia's weapons couldn't scratch them. A few of the ophidia threw down their weapons and surrendered, but the golems knocked them aside to get to the ones who were trying to fight back. No mercy is shown to anyone who thinks they're above the rules.

"The ophidia panicked. Saramanda was about to give the order to retreat, when the golems flooded the whole compound with a cloud of powerful alchemical gas, specially designed to paralyze the muscles of reptiles. Five minutes after the assault started, all of Saramanda's forces had been subdued. Not one of them escaped.

"Saramanda didn't even get a warrior's death. She was shamefully led away in handcuffs.

"But it didn't end there… Oh no… At her trial, she and her top aids were charged with the murders and terrorist acts they had committed during her insurrection by a special tribunal. Since they had defied the Treaty, they weren't allowed to choose any part of the defense team that represented them. Like I said, when you defy the Treaty, you lose the benefits it gives you. That's one of the ways Jalal and Maskent enforce it.

"Not that any defense team could have done much. The case that they had against her was overwhelming. What was her defense, that ophidia were supposed to prey on humans? As Jalal is fond of saying to many criminals, in another place and time, they wouldn't even get trials.

"All ophidia assumed that Saramanda would remain defiant and die as a martyr. But she wouldn't. As soon as the death penalty was proposed, she turned into a frightened coward. She changed her plea to guilty, and begged for her life, saying she would do anything if she only wasn't executed. Jalal accepted her offer.

"She became one of the Submitted…"

"Submitted?" asked Ember.

"It's like states' evidence for Shadowkind!" growled Hebi-Na. "In exchange for everything she knew about illegal activities, she would live. To some criminals, it's the best offer they can get.

"Overnight, she turned from champion of the ophidia to traitor. She told the Shadowchasers about every ophidia activity she knew about. Drug running, smuggling, blackmail, slave trading, illegal religious rituals. She even went so far as to give all the details of a sacred ritual that the ophidia elders had been preparing for three centuries, which would be completely ruined a week later when Shadowchasers stormed the stronghold where the preparation was being conducted. Within a month of this, hundreds of ophidia in positions of power were apprehended, and to this very day all ophidia clans who followed them are forced to agree to stricter rules and sanctions if they want to stay out of jail as well. It has been worse for us all since then than it ever was before. All because one of them dared to defy the Treaty."

Hebi-Na sighed again.

"No-one knows where Saramanda is now. Powerful ophidia everywhere have bounties on her head, but according to legend, the Shadowchasers keep the Submitted at some secure stronghold in some remote area that no-one can even locate, let alone go to, without Jalal's personal permission.

"Once I heard the whole story, I knew I wasn't in the paradise I thought I was in… I was in the darkest of hells…"

"It's no wonder most Shadows don't defy the Treaty," said Ember.

"Stuff it!" shouted Hebi-Na.

She took her glasses off and looked at Ember with those frightening reptilian eyes.

"Ophidia can't live like true ophidia because of it. I've almost forgotten what the sweet, tender taste of your race's flesh is like, I've gone so long without it…"

Her Disk activated.

"And once you've outlived your usefulness to me as a hostage, I just might try to find out again…"

Ember gulped, and activated her own Disk.

"That's it, little girl," said Hebi-Na. "Duel me… I promise you a duel like you've never had before, and fight unlike any you've ever experienced!"

Lightning flashed…

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hebi-Na: 8,000)**

"By all means," she continued, "make the first move…"

Ember nervously drew.

"I… set a Monster…" she said, "and then a facedown card…"

Two reversed cards, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone appeared.

"That's all."

Thunder rumbled as Hebi-Na made her first draw. The ophidia looked up at the sky.

_Odd weather…_ she thought.

She looked at her deck.

_It's too soon for the power in my deck to be causing it… Something else is brewing somewhere in the city…_

_Ah, well… At least it will unnerve Ember…_

"I summon Venom Snake," she said.

In a dark shadow, a Monster appeared that was, well, it was a snake. That was the best way to put it. It was rather large, and its fangs indicated that it was poisonous, but Ember had certainly seen nastier snakes. (1,200 ATK)

"Afraid?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Heh…" said Ember, nervously. "Afraid of that? _You're_ scarier than some dumb snake with low Attack Points."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Hebi-Na. "I'll set one card, and end my turn."

A facedown card flashed into existence behind the Snake.

Ember made a draw.

"I call out Blazing Inpachi!" she shouted.

A bonfire appeared in front of her, and the flaming wicker man rose from the flames. (1,850 ATK)

"Stomp that Snake!" she shouted. "Attack!"

Blazing Inpachi threw a punch at the serpent. It hissed, and was blown into shards.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 7,350)**

"Thank you," said Hebi-Na. "You're too kind…"

"Huh?" said Ember.

Then she noticed Hebi-Na's Trap Card, that she had activated.

"You might remember this from my duel with Shichiro," she said. "Damage = Reptile. Now, once per turn, I can Special Summon a Reptile from my deck, with equal or less Attack Points than the damage I took."

"You only took 650 points of damage," said Ember. "What sort of Monster could you…"

Then she stopped short.

"I'm summoning one with _zero_ Attack Points!" laughed Hebi-Na, as a large, shadowy figure rose beside her. "Meet Vennominon, the King of Poisonous Snakes!"

The snake that appeared this time was ten times larger than the first, and about a hundred times more frightening. It had two masses of smaller snakes that served as arms, wore a royal cape, and a crown shaped like a cobra's head decorated by two smaller golden cobras. (0 ATK)

"But he doesn't stay at zero for long," said Hebi-Na. "His Attack Score becomes 500 for each Reptile in my Graveyard."

(500 ATK)

"With only one there, that isn't much," said Ember.

Hebi-Na drew a card.

"Well, I'll just have to put some more in there," she said. "I play the Spell Card, Snake Rain!

"Now, I toss one card…"

She discarded a card, Rivalry of Warlords.

"…and I get to discard four Reptiles from my deck, making his majesty even stronger."

She quickly discarded four cards, two more Venom Snakes, one Venom Boa, and a Venom Serpent. Vennominon glowed with evil magic… (2,500 ATK)

"Now, your highness… Attack her Blazing Inpachi! Fang venom!"

Vennominon hissed, and shot a spray of foul venom at Blazing Inpachi.

"Go, Martyr's Flame!" shouted Ember. "This turns your attack into a direct attack, and cuts the damage in half!"

"A foolish choice…" replied Hebi-Na.

Ember screamed in pain as the poison soaked her, and burned her skin like acid.

"It burns!" she screamed. "It burns!"

"Did you expect my King to treat you with kid gloves?" asked Hebi-Na. "I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and my turn ends there…"

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

**(E: 6,750) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 7,350)**

Ember gasped for breath and looked at Vennominon.

_What is going on?_ she thought. _How could this be a Shadow Game? Hebi-Na may be a murderer and a snake-woman… But she's not an honest-to-goodness magician._

_Something is helping her… Some dark presence somewhere else…_

_But who? Edmund? Are he and DaPen behind this whole thing? Did they engineer the whole jailbreak and give Hebi-Na these cards?_

She made a draw.

_I have no idea… But I have to fight on…_

"I summon Little Chimera!"

In a small burst of flame, the small, white cat with black, bat-like wings appeared. (600 ATK)

"And when it's on the field, all Fire Monsters gain 500 Attack Points."

Blazing Inpachi rose to an Attack Score of 2,350, while Little Chimera rose to 1,100.

"Not good enough, I'm afraid," chuckled Hebi-Na.

Ember played a Spell Card.

"I also play Double Summon," she said. "Now, I can make a second Normal Summon. So I sacrifice Blazing Inpachi…"

The Inpachi vanished in a plume of flame.

"…to summon Flamvell Devil!"

In a stream of violet flames, the fiery Fiend appeared, and roared with anger. It exchanged looks with Vennominon… (2,100 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

"Attack the King of Poisonous Snakes!" she shouted.

Flamvell Devil belched a cone of blue fire at the large Reptile. The King groaned, and was blasted into pieces.

"And since I have one Pyro in my Graveyard," she continued, "you lose an additional 200 Life Points."

"Heh, heh," said Hebi-Na. "So be it, but you can't defeat Vennominon that way…"

One Venom Snake slipped out of her discard slot.

"All I need to do is banish one of his subjects in my Graveyard from the game…"

The card melted into glowing residue.

"…and he makes his triumphant return…"

Vennominon appeared again. (2,000 ATK)

"True," said Ember, "but he'll come back weaker each time.

"And I'm not done with you…"

Little Chimera shot a bolt of fire at the facedown Monster. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.

"You know what that means," said Hebi-Na.

She discarded her two cards, while Ember also discarded two. They both drew five. Ember looked at them.

"It's still my turn," she grumbled. "I play a facedown."

A reversed card appeared behind Flamvell Devil.

"Now you go…"

**(E: 6,750) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 7,050)**

Thunder rumbled again, as Hebi-Na drew.

She chuckled as she opened the Field Slot on her Disk, and placed a card in it.

"I activate Venom Swamp!" she exclaimed.

The whole alley darkened, and then the backdrop transformed into a dark sanguine swamp, full of dead trees and vines. Ember looked down, and she was in stagnant water up to her knees.

"Ho boy…" she said.

"This swamp is so choked with poison," said Hebi-Na, "that at the end of every turn, all Monsters except ones with the word 'Venom' in their names get a Venom Counter, which reduces their Attack Scores by 500. And this effect is fatal if it reduces the Attack Scores to zero.

"But I doubt your Monsters are going to last that long…

"Vennominon, destroy Little Chimera! Fang venom!"

Vennominon shot its venom stream at the small Beast, melting it into sludge. Ember started to sweat, and Flamvell Devil fell to an Attack Score of 2,100.

"I set a new card facedown, and end my turn," said Hebi-Na, as a new facedown card appeared. "And that means my Field Spell activates."

A small snake leapt out the swamp and bit Flamvell Devil on the arm. He groaned, and his Attack Score fell to 1,600.

**(E: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 7,050)**

_Okay, let's see…_ thought Ember. _How did Judai beat this thing?_

_Oh yeah… His plan was to defeat it with Elemental Hero Wildedge… It might have worked, but…_

She shuddered as she drew a card.

She looked at her own facedown card.

_Well… at least I might be able to get rid of this swamp…_

"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted, as she played a card.

In a burst of flames, Blue Flame Swordsman leapt onto the field. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I use his effect. I cut 1,000 points off of his Attack Score, and give it to Flamvell Devil."

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to an Attack Score of 800, while Flamvell Devil rose to 2,600.

"Attack Vennominon again!"

Flamvell Devil blew its flames at the King of Poisonous Snakes again, and it groaned again before exploding.

"And by the way, I have _two_ Pyros in my Graveyard now. I discarded a Flame Ruler when I flipped that Morphing Jar."

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Hebi-Na. "Because first, in response to taking damage, I use the effect of Damage = Reptile to summon my second Vennominon!"

A twin of the first Vennominon appeared in front of her.

"Then, in response to the first Vennominon being defeated, I remove one Reptile from play to bring him back too!"

The first Vennominon appeared beside the second. (1,500 x2)

"Now you have double-trouble!"

"Not as much as you think," said Ember.

Her facedown card shot up.

"I wanted you to Special Summon him back. Now, I can activate Demise of the Land. This lets me take a Field Spell from my deck, and activate it! So I'll burn down your Swamp to play Molten Destruction!"

The Venom Swamp went up in flames, and the dead trees went up like kindling. A flow of lava covered the field. Blue Flame Swordsman rose to an Attack Score of 1,300, while Flamvell Devil shot up to 3,600.

"Very clever," said Hebi-Na. "But you aren't safe yet…"

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Venom Burn. That Venom Counter may not be hurting your Fiend any more, but it's still there. And now it's going to hurt you."

The snake leapt off of Flamvell Devil and leapt onto Ember's arm. She froze in fear…

Then she screamed as it sank its fangs into her wrist.

Ember's hand shook as she reached for a card, and set it on her Disk.

"I… I set a Monster…" she groaned. "And I end my turn…"

A second reversed Monster appeared.

**(E: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 6,050)**

"My move," said Hebi-Na.

She looked at the card.

"I sacrifice both my Kings…" she said.

Both of the Vennominon vanished.

"…to summon a third one."

A third Vennominon appeared where the two had been.

"Why did she make such an odd move, you may ask?"

"Because with the first two in your Graveyard, the one on the field is 1,000 points stronger," replied Ember.

(2,500 ATK)

"Smart," replied Hebi-Na as she played a Spell Card. "And does this Spell Card look familiar? I have a Double Summon too. I think I'll use it to summon Gagagigo."

With a flourish, the tall lizard man with scaly skin and a long tail appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Now, another Spell Card," she said, taking another card from her hand. "Enemy Controller! I'll move your Devil to Defense Mode."

The Spell Card appeared, and Flamvell Devil knelt and crossed his arms. (800 DEF)

"Gagagigo… Take it out."

The lizard man lunged, and made a swipe at Flamvell Devil. The Fiend burst into an explosion of soot.

"Now, Vennominon, destroy Blue Flame Swordsman! Fang venom!"

Vennominon shot his stream of lethal poison again, drenching the Warrior. He screamed, and dissolved into ichor.

"I use his effect!" shouted Ember. "I summon the real Flame Swordsman!"

In a burst of fire, the actual Flame Swordsman appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF) –) (1,200 DEF)

"Your move…" said Hebi-Na.

**(E: 3,950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 6,050)**

Ember drew a card.

She quickly set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Next," she said, "to avoid any other creepy surprises, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

The Spell Card appeared, and the cyclone tore across the field. Damage = Reptile was blown to bits.

She glared at Hebi-Na.

"That all?" said the ophidia, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"Gagagigo, attack the facedown Monster on the left!"

Gagagigo charged at the facedown Monster. Flamvell Paun appeared on the card, and was ripped to shreds.

"I activate its effect," said Ember, taking her deck. "I now get to search for any Monster with a Defense Score of exactly 200. That, by the way, includes most of the Flamvell Monsters."

She got what she wanted, and added it to her hand.

"Then let's continue," said Hebi-Na. "Vennominon, destroy Flame Swordsman!"

Vennominon shot its fang venom at the Warrior…

Then Ember's facedown card shot up, revealing Negate Attack. The foul liquid was halted by an invisible shield.

"Still hanging on to dear life, aren't you child?" asked Hebi-Na. "Very well… Make your move…"

Ember whipped a card off of her deck.

"I flip Guard of Flamvell into Attack Mode!" she shouted.

Her other facedown Monster flipped, and the small Tuner Dragon appeared. (100 ATK)

"Now… Guard of Flamvell… Flame Swordsman… I Tune you both together!"

The two Monsters leapt up, and flew into the sky. Lights flashed, and they faded into six glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Flamvell Urquizas!"

With the crackling of a bonfire, Urquizas leapt down onto the field. (2,100 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

"Next," continued Ember, "I Normal Summon Flamvell Archer!"

In another burst of flames, a fiery, bare-chested archer with a flaming bow, and fiery hair and a beard appeared next to Urquizas. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"With Archer on the field, I can sacrifice a Pyro-Type Monster to increase the Attack Score of a Monster with the word 'Flamvell' in its name by 800 points for one round.

"And since Flamvell Archer _itself_ is a Pyro-Type Monster…"

Flamvell Archer vanished, and Urquizas burned even fiercer. (3,400 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Ember.

Urquizas socked Vennominon with a flaming fist, and the evil monarch was blown to pieces.

Hebi-Na quickly took a card from her discard slot, and Vennominon rose again. (2,000 ATK)

"I don't care how many times I have to smash it!" shouted Ember. "I will defeat you, Hebi-Na!"

She took some deep breaths.

"Urquizas gains 300 Attack Points from his effect… I end my turn, and Archer's effect wears off."

(2,900 ATK)

**(E: 3,950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 5,150)**

"My move…" said Hebi-Na.

She drew. She looked at the card.

She gave a slight smirk.

"I set this facedown," she said, as a facedown card appeared next to her other one.

"Gagagigo, attack Flamvell Urquizas."

"Huh?" said Ember.

Gagagigo lunged at the Pyro, but Urquizas punched it hard, blowing it to bits.

"Ergh…" groaned Hebi-Na.

Vennominon glowed with the same evil power again. (2,500 ATK) Urquizas burned with flames. (3,200 ATK)

"It's your move…" said Hebi-Na.

**(E: 3,950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 4,100)**

"Draw!" shouted Ember.

"Urquizas, crush Vennominon!"

Urquizas flew at the wicked king…

"I activate a Trap!" shouted Hebi-Na.

One of her two facedown cards shot up.

"Offering to the Snake Deity! Now, I can destroy my Monster to destroy two of your cards!"

"HUH?" gasped Ember.

Vennominon was blown into his component atoms, and then Urquizas exploded. Then the Molten Destruction Field Spell shattered into pieces.

"And now…" said Hebi-Na, as her other facedown card shot up, "I activate Rise of the Snake Deity, to summon the guest of honor… Come forth… Vennominaga, the Deity of Poisonous Snakes!"

Ember stepped back in fear as a much bigger, looming creature that exuded an aura of pure evil materialized onto the field. Ember had read about this Monster… Judai Yuki had spent a great deal of one chapter of his autobiography describing it.

But it seemed that no amount of second-hand description could truly prepare one for seeing this demonic creature in person. The mere sight of the female creature with a thick, snaky trunk in place of legs with huge snakes for arms had Ember rooted to the spot in terror.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was in a dark place. Lightning flashed in the sky. Hebi-Na was gone, but Vennominaga was looming in front of her, three times the regular size, looking ready to swallow her whole. The snake goddess's eyes glowed with evil light, and Ember couldn't look away. She heard the demon's voice in her head, a voice that sounded like nails on a slate.

"You will die, little girl," goaded the demon. "You and your whole pathetic race are doomed…"

"No…" gasped Ember.

"The cataclysm will cover the world," continued Vennominaga. "Clouds will blot out the sun… Tsunamis will drown the cities. Mountains will tumble into the sea. The ocean will boil and rage, whole continents will slide into the abyssal depths, and the whole planet will shudder…"

Then Ember noticed that the demon's coils were slowly constricting around her.

"NO!" she screamed.

"Why should I bother trying to bring about the Age of Serpents," asked Vennominaga, "when I can bring the ophidia back to the glory of their past?"

Then the demon lunged at her. Ember screamed…

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Then, in the next instant, she was back in the alley. Vennominaga had not yet attacked, was back to her normal size, and Hebi-Na was back beside her.

Ember held her chest. Her heart was pounding.

"Oh, did you just have a waking nightmare?" asked Hebi-Na. "So sorry… That tends to happen sometimes when this Monster is summoned…"

Ember took some deep, gasping breaths.

"But anyway," continued Hebi-Na, "the real nightmare is about to begin, because she inherits both of Vennominon's effects. She has 500 Attack Points for each Reptile in my Graveyard, and that total has grown by one."

(3,000 ATK)

"It's still my move!" shouted Ember, taking a card from her hand.

"I remove Little Chimera from play to Special Summon Spirit of Flames! Defense Mode!"

Spirit of Flames appeared, and crouched in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

"My move!" laughed Hebi-Na, drawing a card.

"I summon my Des Feral Imp!" she exclaimed.

In a burst of shadow, a demonic reptile with jagged claws and spines all over its body appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Destroy Spirit of Flames!" she laughed.

Des Feral Imp lunged with its claw, and Spirit of Flames shattered.

"Now, Vennominaga… Get her…"

Ember was close to panic. She wanted to run, but Vennominaga and Hebi-Na had cut off her only escape. She screamed in agony as the goddess's claw grabbed her by the waist and squeezed. Fiendish laughter echoed through her head.

She fell to her knees.

**(E: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 4,100)**

"HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!" laughed Hebi-Na. "How do you like that, little girl? How does it feel to taste the wrath of Vennominaga?"

Ember panted for breath.

"Y'know…" she snarled, "I'm beginning to see why so many folks don't like you guys!"

"Sticks and stones, little girl," said Hebi-Na. "By the way, each time she inflicts damage, she gets one Hyper Venom Token. Once she gets three, you're dead. Still, I doubt you'll even have any Life Points left at that point.

"So move if you can…"

Ember got up, stumbling a little as she did.

She looked at the three cards in her hand.

She closed her eyes as she reached for her deck.

She quickly drew a card. She looked at it.

"I throw down a facedown," she said, as a facedown card appeared. "Then, I play Fire Back! I'll toss one Fire Monster…"

She discarded Ultimate Baseball Kid.

"…to bring Flamvell Urquizas back from the Graveyard!"

Urquizas appeared, and struck a pose.

"Defending with that loser again?" asked Hebi-Na.

"Defending?" asked Ember. "Take a closer look… Urquizas is in Attack Mode."

(2,100 ATK)

"Destroy Des Feral Imp!"

Urquizas socked Des Feral Imp with his fist of flame, and the Imp was blown to shards. Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 2,400, but Vennominaga rose to 3,500.

**(E: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 3,400)**

"I think Vennominaga's poison is messing with your brain," chuckled Hebi-Na. "That guy won't survive one more round against my goddess. Or do you think that facedown card is going to defeat her? Well, I have news for you… It won't. Vennominaga is immune to all card effects. She's invincible!"

"Make your move…" demanded Ember.

"As you wish," said Hebi-Na, drawing a card. "Vennominaga, destroy them both!"

The snake goddess lunged at Flamvell Urquizas…

"That's the problem with thinking you're invincible, Hebi-Na," said Ember. "You get careless."

Her facedown card shot up.

"I activate Samsara Dogma!"

"Samsara Dogma?" said Hebi-Na. "What does that do?"

"It works like DNA Surgery," replied Ember, "but instead of affecting Monsters on the field, it affects Monsters in both Graveyards. That means I can turn all the Monsters in both Graveyards into Pyros."

Hebi-Na's eyes widened in horror.

"But that means…" she gasped.

"No Reptiles in your Graveyard now, Hebi-Na…" said Ember. "Which renders your goddess powerless."

Vennominaga's Attack Score plummeted all the way down to zero. She couldn't stop her attack, but Urquizas made a mighty punch, blowing the snake goddess to oblivion.

"And also," continued Ember, "no Reptiles in your Graveyard means none to remove from play. So her reviving effect can't be used."

Hebi-Na stared at Ember in horror, and dropped her cards.

"I suspected from the start that your new deck had Vennominaga lurking around in it," said Ember. "And I knew that she was immune to all card effects. So I knew I had to attack indirectly, and deprive her of her power source."

Hebi-Na slumped down on her coils.

"How… How could you have known?" she sobbed.

Ember drew a card.

"Hebi-Na…" she said, "there's an old saying… 'Loose lips sink ships'. And lips become looser after they've had a flask of whiskey. Once I heard that you had boasted about making a 'more terrifying' deck after you had drunk a whole flask of viperwine, I simply put the pieces together.

"Urquizas… Finish her off…"

Hebi-Na whined as Urquizas struck her with a direct attack. The once-proud ophidia collapsed like a wet bag.

**(E: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (HN: 0)**

Ember took some deep breaths.

"I'm done," she said. "You can come out now…"

Jinx slowly stepped out of the shadows.

"I can't believe it Ember…" said Jinx. "You not only defeated Hebi-Na… You defeated the embodiment of Seghulerak."

"So I wasn't imagining things?" asked Ember. "Seghulerak was manifesting herself through that Monster… Talking to me through that waking nightmare…

"She said some terrible things… About cataclysms destroying the world… About 'bringing the ophidia back to the glory of their past'."

"We'll talk about it later," said Jinx. "But for now… You've done it!"

She hugged Ember.

"All the tests are passed. You're a Shadowchaser now."

Ember breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, what about Hebi-Na?" she asked.

Jinx looked at Hebi-Na. She lifted the gemstone.

"Hebi-Na won't be a threat any more," said Jinx. "She used a card to channel the power of her goddess, and lost. She'll be an outcast among her people from now on. She'll realize that jail will be the safest place she can be."

The gemstone glowed, and Hebi-Na vanished.

"For now… Let's go home… We're both hungry…"

Lightning flashed again. Jinx looked up.

_Odd…_ she thought. _Seghulerak's avatar has been defeated… And yet nature still seems to be restless…_

_Clearly something else will happen before the night is out… But what?_

_I have a feeling that we won't like whatever it is…_

_**I hadn't felt this proud since I graduated from high school. My thoughts were now on what sort of formal ceremony this would entail. I wanted to invite so many people, and I wondered if I would be allowed to, seeing as most of them were Mundane.**_

_**Of course, there were still many unanswered questions at this point. We still didn't know who had engineered the escape of those four. Nor did we know who had supplied Hebi-Na with those incredibly powerful cards, which were capable of channeling an actual goddess, nor what she was actually planning on doing with them. She had only wanted to defeat me to use me as a hostage for some greater plan, which we didn't know the details of. **_

_**Answers would come, but not before true terror struck the streets of uptown this very night. A war was starting in Neo Domino which we couldn't directly interfere in, but we would do our best to provide the minute help that we could…**_

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**FLAMVELL ARCHER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Pyro/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can Tribute 1 Pyro-Type Monster you control to increase the ATK of 1 "Flamvell" Monster on the field by 800 points until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Flamvell Archer" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2; Invasion of Worms!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**SAMSARA DOGMA (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** The face of a figure who is a handsome, young man on his left, and a mechanized android on his right.

**Card Description:** When this card is activated, declare one Monster Type. All Monster Cards in each players' Graveyards are considered the declared Type.

_Note: "Samsara Dogma" was first used by Hell Kaiser in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Tough Love". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Note that this card was called "Rebirth Judgment" in the dub.)_

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_Coming up next:_

_Jalal finds out who helped the four fugitives escape, and he's someone who one of the heroes knows. The problem is, he's made it all the way to California by now. We take a break from Ember and her friends as Sofia pursues this criminal into Redwoods National Park to find answers, because something is definitely up._

"_Survival Instinct" is coming up next._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Sultan Yasuf Alrahad, Lord of the Empire Beneath the Waves**

The relations between humans and Shadows must be enforced among aquatic races, too. The sea holds far more life than land, and undersea Shadowkind populate the oceans of the world. Crabmen and locaths populate shallow waters, while merfolk, nereids, and tritons can endure greater pressure, and populate the depths beyond the continental shelves.

Villages and cities of aquatic Shadowkind dot the sea floor, each one typically home to one race. The exception to this is the Citadel of Ten-Thousand Pearls, the biggest undersea city, which lies in the center of the Pacific. The commerce and culture center for undersea Shadowkind, it has been a melting pot for a dozen undersea races for hundreds of years… All except the sahuagin. They were kicked out of the city long ago, and are considered its enemies.

In the past hundred years, the sultans of the Citadel have been fops who obtained their nobility status via birthright. (The sultanate of the city is not an inherited position; sultans are elected.) Twenty years ago, the sahuagin came under leadership of a violent warlord who was intent on conquering the Citadel. The current sultan could not deal with this crisis, and a vote of no confidence was leveled against him by the other nobles.

A new election was held, and the people looked for a new, stronger leader. They found that leader in Yasuf Alrahad.

Alrahad is a marid, a type of genie of elemental water. He mastered the magic of water centuries ago, and is likely the most powerful water elementalist on the planet. Though he is said to have a rotten temper (the rumor that he deals with people who insult him by throwing them to his pet devil sharks has not been proven), he tolerates no nonsense, and said from the start that he would not negotiate with any crude warlords.

As soon as he was elected, Alrahad got busy. His first order of business was to send diplomats to form a more active alliance with Jalal, something that former sultans were to egotistical to do. He quickly began recruiting an army, and fortified the perimeter of the Citadel. When the sahuagin eventually started to make offensive maneuvers, they were crippled by a pre-emptive strike.

Alrahad has ruled the Citadel ever since, but concern over the duration of his rule has begun to worry him. His term of office actually expired two years ago, but he has applied special conditions to extend it. He knows that as soon as he retires, the Citadel's enemies will see an opportunity, and that can lead to disaster.

**Story Ideas:** Any story that deals with undersea Shadowkind should involve Sultan Yasuf Alrahad. He is the most influential source of power under the ocean waves, a powerful ally and a terrible enemy. The Shadowchasers count him as an ally for now, mostly because doing otherwise would give them a foe that was incredibly difficult to stop.

A good story idea would be dealing with the approaching problem of his term of service needing to end. In American history, new leaders are often tested. John F. Kennedy was mistaken for a weak President, which is why the Russians attempted to move nuclear missiles to Cuba when he took office, starting the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Shadowchasers might have to work to make sure that whomever takes over for him doesn't cause a similar crisis.

**Deck Suggestions:** It comes as no surprise that Alrahad uses a Water Deck. However, he is a purist when it comes to what Monsters he uses. He won't use Machines, like Amphibious Bugroth MK-3, or even Fish-Type Monsters that look like Machines, such as Shark the Crew or Fishborg Gunner. One possible idea would be a deck centered on Fish that uses Superancient Deepsea King Coelacanth.


	42. Survival Instinct

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**CHAPTER FORTY-TWO**

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**Survival Instinct**

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_**While Jinx was driving me home, folks were busy in Satellite. A meeting was about to get underway, and it didn't bode well for us.**_

_**Illithids normally think of all other races as good for nothing but slaves, food, and chattel. DaPen was just as egotistical as the next illithid; however, he figured it was time to break tradition. He had very big plans, and he knew that one crime syndicate wasn't prepared to carry them out. There was strength in alliances, and DaPen was going to try to form them.**_

_**He knew it would be a hard sell, seeing as very few Shadows would ever trust an illithid. But he had made it to the first step… The folks he had invited were at least willing to listen.**_

5 PM. Satellite.

In DaPen's headquarters, a large conference table had been set up in the largest room.

Da Pen walked in, with the two Schumer brothers behind him, once again heavily armed, and Edmund behind them. The folks at the table could easily see through any disguise he tried to use, so he didn't bother using one now.

DaPen's true form was hideous. No pencil sketch could do it justice. It was clear that the constantly moving beard in his veiled form was actually his tentacles lashing about. Like all illithids, his mauve skin glistened with slime. He still wore an expensive, grey business suit, but it appeared several sizes smaller now. He was much thinner in his true form; you'd never see a fat illithid, as their diet wasn't very fattening, and they didn't eat all too often anyway. He still puffed on a cigar, a habit he had picked up a long time ago.

At the table were five Shadowkind clan leaders, all of whom ones the Shadowchasers kept close watch on. Behind each of them (most of them, that is) were their bodyguards.

Chief Gruupen sat closest to the end. He was a powerful orc, the leader of the largest clan of orcs in the region, and the most influential among orc-kin in Neo-Domino. He wore old-fashioned chain mail and a helmet made from a skull (belonging to the former chief of his clan) and carried a bastard sword, a very difficult weapon to master. He also had a Colt M1911 on his belt, in case his sword wasn't sufficient to get his point across.

Behind him were his bodyguards, two orogs. Orogs were half-breeds, the offspring of male orcs and female ogres. They were stronger than true orcs, and these two were trained in use with special weapons called orcish double-axes, heavy two-handed weapons with a battle-axe on both ends.

Opposite Gruupen was someone who had little influence in Neo Domino itself, but a lot of it offshore. His name was Sslenic, and he was a sahuagin mutation, the leader of the largest sahuagin clan and the most powerful authority figure among the aquatic clans in the waters surrounding Neo Domino. As a mutation, he was a frightening sight, with a shark-like mouth and four arms. Behind him were his bodyguards, two normal sahuagin armed with magical tridents that were enchanted to channel electricity.

Next to him, standing up (a chair would likely break if he sat on it) was the Arcane Golem named Blueslash. This Golem got his name from the mark that a human made on him with a blue laundry marker, after the human found it hard to tell the Arcane Golems that he dealt with apart. He was never told to wash it off, so he never saw reason to do so. Unlike the one Jinx had fought, Blueslash controlled the element of fire, and was stronger than most Arcane Golems. He eventually became their leader, mostly by default. No bodyguards were with him, as he could handle most threats on his own.

Opposite Blueslash was the verdant prince named Lord Aderan. The most powerful dark fey in the wilderness outside of Neo Domino, he was the ruler of the evil fairies, mostly because he was the only one who wanted to do the job and who was powerful enough to control such chaotic creatures. He was intimidating, resembling a tall, muscular, sinister-looking elf, dressed in animal furs, and wearing a headdress made with antlers. Behind him were two females that looked similar to Mistle, but with black hair, and sinister, dark eyebrows, dressed in the clothing of a harlot. These were dark nymphs, and were both his bodyguards and concubines. Most dark nymphs seduced men in order to enslave them, but these two were likely practitioners of much more destructive magic.

Finally, there was Hylanus, the clan leader of the gnoll clan of Neo Domino, and high priest of the King of Ghouls. He was a rarity among gnolls, one able to channel divine magic. His clothing was similar to that of a primitive shaman, made up of skins, bones, teeth, and other parts of formerly-living creatures, and he carried a simple wooden shillelagh. His two bodyguards behind him were more heavily armed, with long knives and revolvers tucked in their belts.

"Are we all here?" asked DaPen.

The door opposite him opened, and one more Shadow came in. It was an absolutely gorgeous dark elf, with long, white hair down to her waist, dressed in a halter top, loincloth, a dark cape, boots, and gloves. The two male dark elves behind her were more modestly dressed, in leather suits and sunglasses, and they carried assault rifles, which they'd be more than willing to use if anyone made the slightest move towards the female.

This was Matron Drizzera, a sorceress who was likely the most powerful dark elf in this part of the world. Rumors stated that her mother had been the former leader of her clan, but when Drizzera was only fourteen, she challenged her mother to mortal combat for leadership, killed her, and took over. This incredible act of betrayal at such an early age was unusual even for a dark elf, but she was still admired for it.

She hated DaPen with a passion, because before he had shown up in Neo Domino, Shadowkind on the wrong side of the law came to her. DaPen had changed all that. Because of him, she now placed second in the world of Shadowkind crime.

She glared at DaPen and sat down opposite him at the end of the table.

"This had better be good, DaPen," she said. "I had to cancel my manicurist appointment to come her, and I don't like coming to Satellite at the best of times."

"Drizzera, stop thinking about your constant beauty treatments and listen up," said DaPen. "I'm gonna make you all an offer you wouldn't be wise to refuse…"

"I think _someone_ here has watched _The Godfather_ one time too many," said Hylanus.

"And let's face it, DaPen," said Aderan. "You're no Don Vito Corleone."

"Yeah, I've seen _The Godfather_," replied DaPen, "and I realize that Vito Corleone was an abnormality among mob bosses – he survived long enough to retire, alive and out of jail. He did so because he had folks he could trust, he had family…"

"I doubt you'll survive then, DaPen," said Sslenic. "Families are a foreign concept to illithids, or so I've heard."

"Granted, but I still can establish trust," replied DaPen. "All of the people in this room are folks I have a history with… Some of you I once thought of as rivals… Others I once thought of as more than rivals…"

"To Hell with the 'rival' junk, DaPen!" shouted Gruupen, standing up. "You tried to have me killed!"

Everyone growled at this. DaPen had sent assassins after _all_ of them at one point or another.

"Maybe so," said DaPen, calmly. "But we're more alike than you think, as strange as that is.

"There are many strange things in this world, you know. There was once a guy named Al Capone. During the Prohibition Era in the States, he was the biggest crook there was. And he used to mock the IRS, saying that they couldn't touch him, because you didn't file earnings that you made illegally.

"Well, you know what was strange? When they finally caught him, he didn't go to jail for bootlegging, or smuggling, or murder, or anything like that. The only charge they could make stick was tax evasion."

"Get to the point, DaPen," said Hylanus. "Assuming you have a point to get to. I had to record two of my soaps to come here, and if my DVR records the wrong channel one more time…"

DaPen sighed.

"I will," he said. "See, there was once a time when Shadowkind could do as they pleased, and they weren't hampered by any rules that said they couldn't. I'm sure all of you, and the folks that work for you, would love a return to those times."

"Oh sure, DaPen," muttered Blueslash. "Let's all defy the Treaty just like Saramanda did."

"And look what happened to her," added Sslenic.

"You know what I think?" said Aderan. "I think Jalal and Maskent used her as an example of what happens to anyone who doesn't like their little system. What happened to her was their way of saying, 'Our way or no way'."

"True, true," said DaPen. "But Saramanda made a mistake. She may have had three-hundred ophidia on her side… But the Shadowchasers had several dozen clans of Shadowkind that were loyal to the Treaty on theirs, each of them with hundreds of members. That's how they were able to move a squad of iron golems without being detected. That's how they found out when the guard watch at her compound would be the lightest. That's how they got gallons of anti-reptile gas. Saramanda was foolish to think she stood a chance. They had help, while her group stood alone.

"The way I see it, no one player can stand alone if he wants to stand against Jalal and Maskent. But I had this vision… What if everyone who hated that Treaty worked together?"

"Are you suggesting an alliance?" asked Blueslash.

"More like a company," replied DaPen. "A business."

"A business?" said Drizzera, with a laugh. "You're serious?"

"Know what the difference is between a criminal and a businessman?" asked DaPen. "Not much, really, except that a businessman's methods are more accepted. For instance, if I run a factory, and my workers go on strike, and I hire a group of strike breakers to bust up the picket line, I'm a crook, right? But, if I hire a lawyer to find some law that convinces a judge to break up their picket line, I'm a businessman.

"And say I want to build a house on a nice piece of land in a tropical paradise, but it's owned by a government who won't sell it. Now, if I hired a group of armed mercenaries to charge in there and take it for me, I'd be a terrorist, right?

"But, if I hired a politician to dig up some obscure clause in a diplomatic agreement that was signed two-hundred years ago that would force that government to sell it to me, what would I be?"

"Then you'd be a businessman," replied Gruupen.

"You're learning," said DaPen. "So I say we all form a company. A big company, spread out across Neo Domino. Like any company, we expand. We use our influence to gain more influence, until we have enough to make a united stand against Jalal. Everyone in this room would be the board of directors…"

"And you'd be chairman of the board, I assume?" asked Drizzera.

DaPen chuckled a little.

"Well…" he said. "If anyone else here expresses interest in that position, I'll gladly give that person the floor so he or she may state his or her case."

There was a long pause. Looks of doubt appeared in all the Shadows present, and none of them spoke up.

"No one?" asked DaPen. "I didn't think so. You're all afraid of what would happen if it didn't work. You remember what happened to Saramanda too well. Well… I'll gladly take that responsibility."

"Even if we joined forces," replied Blueslash, "the clans of Shadowkind in Neo Domino that like the Treaty have us outnumbered astronomically! It wouldn't work! There are five clan leaders I know of who would be dancing in the streets if I were arrested."

"You can add me to that list, Blueslash!" answered Drizzera. "You guys think that everything that carries a raw enchantment already belongs to you! You'd take anything that wasn't nailed down if you could."

"Heck, they'd take things that _were_ nailed down," added Aderan, "and take the nails with them."

"Oh, so I'm a thief, am I?" shouted Blueslash.

"Calm down!" shouted DaPen. "Let's not fight among ourselves, people! And it wouldn't work now, maybe… But we have an ace up our sleeves that will even the score dramatically…

"Once the Regalia of Day are complete, which my good friend Edmund here says will happen very soon, we'll have the power we need to tip the scales of power in our favor and keep them there… It's only a matter of time…"

"There's another problem too, DaPen," said Hylanus. "You may well not be the strongest force in this part of town anymore. The flux of dark magic coming out of the B.A.D. Area keeps getting stronger. If the group behind it keeps growing in power…"

Then Edmund spoke up

"That is indeed a concern," he said. "I'm looking into the power fluxes coming from B.A.D. as we speak, and if this group becomes a threat, we will deal with them as well."

"Oh, that sounds lovely…" said Aderan. "It will be a three-way conflict! Us, the Shadowchasers, and whoever these black sorcerers are that are turning the B.A.D. into a chill-grill!"

Sslenic got out of his chair.

"I've heard enough," he said. "Unless I see some concrete proof that this master plan of your actually works, DaPen, you can count me out."

Gruupen got up too.

"I'm with him," said the orc. "No proof, no alliance. So we suggest you get proof, and get it fast…"

DaPen and his group watched as they all packed up and left. The illithid crossed his arms.

"Don't worry…" he said. "They'll be back…"

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Shichiro, Gears, Jinx, and Ember were gathered around the kitchen table in the townhouse. Mistle was sitting there too, as she had been invited.

"A toast," said Jinx, raising a glass of V8. "To our newest member…

"She has passed all the tests, overcome every pitfall, and triumphed over every obstacle put in her path. Ember may now truly call her herself a Shadowchaser!"

"Here, here!" said Gears.

Ember blushed.

"Uh, Gears…" she said. "Now that we're all friends and all… I want to give you something…"

She handed him an envelope.

"Uhm, thanks Ember," said Gears. "But… My birthday isn't until February."

"No, no, you don't understand," said Ember. "I've had this card for a long time, but it's always been a mystery to me… I never understood its effect.

"But… Now that I've seen you duel, it's all clear to me. I think you can use it."

Gears opened the envelope and took out the card. He gave it a strange look. Then he read the effect.

_Interesting…_ he thought.

Then Boris flew to the table and placed a large pan on it.

"Enough talk!" he said. "I say we celebrate in style! I made something that I call two-triple lasagna!"

He lifted the pan cover, and the sumptuous aroma of pasta and marinara sauce filled the room.

"I call it that because it has three kinds of cheese, and three kinds of sausage!"

"WHOA!" said Ember.

"It sounds great, Boris," said Mistle. "But, uh… I'm a vegetarian…"

"Ah…" said Boris with a smile.

He lifted another plate.

"One garden salad for our guest, no expenses spared."

"Is that crème fraîche dressing?" asked Mistle, getting excited.

"_Homemade_ crème fraîche dressing!" replied Boris. "Gears told me it was your favorite."

Ember sighed.

"This is all great, guys…" she said. "But… As good as Boris's cooking is, I kind of expected more fanfare…"

"Oh, don't worry…" said Shichiro. "Jalal always goes overboard when a new Shadowchaser joins the organization. He's likely already starting to decorate the banquet hall at Headquarters for your initiation."

"Indeed I am," said Jalal's voice.

Jalal slowly appeared.

"I came to congratulate young Michiko," he said, "and also to tell you all that we have made progress in investigating the prison break."

"Who was behind it?" asked Shichiro.

"That we are not certain yet," replied Jalal. "But we learned the identity of the mercenary who was hired to sneak in and give Fogg access to the portal room.

"Someone whom I believe Gears knows… A wererat named Maccal."

"You're kidding!" shouted Gears. "Ooh! That sneak did it to get even with me because I won that card from him!

"When I find him, I'm gonna make ratatouille!"

"Calm down, Gears," said Jalal. "He fled to California. We believe he's hiding out in Redwood National Park. Sofia is tracking him down."

Gears thought for a minute.

"Jalal you might want to warn her," he said. "When I dueled him, he was using some Kuriboh deck, but he said he was working on a Dinosaur one.

"The weird part is, he didn't want the Ultimate Tyranno I offered him. He said it was the wrong type of Dinosaur."

Jalal scratched his chin.

"A Dinosaur deck that has no use for Ultimate Tyranno…" he mused.

"Do you have any idea what he was talking about?" asked Gears.

"I have a general idea," replied Jalal. "But I think Sofia can handle it."

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In California at this time, it was sixteen hours earlier. One AM of the same day.

The old growth forests made up of giant redwoods had once covered over two million acres of northern California. But logging had greatly depleted the ancient trees, destroying 96% of them. Roughly half of the redwoods that remained were now protected by law, within the confines of Redwood State and National Parks.

Sofia slowly rode her D-Wheel down the road under the canopy of huge trees, towards the picnic area. Getting access to the park this late had been hard, but she had managed. Her sensors showed her that a lycanthrope was in the general area, but she didn't know exactly where.

She stopped her bike, and looked up at the sky, through the trees, towards the night sky.

It was a full moon. All lycanthropes would be at their strongest tonight.

She dismounted, and hit the command to disengage the Duel Disk. It detached, and clamped onto her gauntlet.

She looked around, and simply didn't understand. Why would a wererat try to hide out in an ancient forest? A moon elf or a hill gnome or any fey creature who was on the lam could likely hide here for years… But wererats were urban Shadowkind who had adapted to city life. They would stick out here like sore thumbs.

As she was thinking this, she caught wind of a foul odor.

As he pounced, she spun around, and socked him in the face. Of course, she had come prepared. Her fist was armed with a device similar to brass knuckles, except made with a silver alloy instead of brass.

Sofia glared at him as he fell backwards.

"Folks like you should know better than to try to sneak up on someone who's downwind from you," she said.

Maccal rubbed his jaw and got up.

"Can you blame me for being careless?" he grunted. "I'm a marked Shadow!"

"Marked?" asked Sofia. "I'm not going to _kill_ you. Not unless you…"

"You just don't get it, do you, Shadowchaser?" asked Maccal.

Sofia then noticed the hint of fear in his voice.

"You guys aren't the only ones after me…" he said. "I agreed to sneak into that prison and help those four out because I wanted to get even with Gears… Well, it was the worst mistake I ever made, and likely my last…

"Now I know too much! The one who hired me to do it is after me to silence me, and once it finds me, I'm _dead_!"

"Who's after you?" asked Sofia. "DaPen?"

"You actually expect me to say its name?" asked Maccal. "It will just find me faster!"

"Look, Maccal…" said Sofia, extending her hand. "Why don't you just turn yourself in? If you know so much, you can make a deal with Jalal. You can become one of the Submitted… You can get protection… No-one in history has _ever_ been able to reach one of the Submitted. They're untouchable."

"You just don't get it, do you?" asked Maccal.

He activated his Duel Disk.

"Once the plan is put into motion, no-one will be safe. I doubt I'll be able to hide if I go to Mars. The best I can do is take down as many of you folks and as many of _its_ folks as I can before someone gets me…"

Sofia sighed.

"Fine…" she said.

Her Disk activated.

"If you want to do it the hard way, Maccal, I'll do it the hard way… But you brought this on yourself."

**(Sofia: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Maccal: 8,000)**

"My draw!" exclaimed Maccal.

He quickly made his first draw.

"I summon Jurak Vello in Attack Mode!"

A blast of flames shot up in front of him, and a man-sized figure stepped out of the fires. It was a fiery Dinosaur, resembling a raptor, with a hide that was bright orange, green, and metallic blue. (1,700 ATK)

"I end my turn."

"A Fire-Attribute Dinosaur?" asked Sofia.

"Yeah, a Fire Dinosaur!" said Maccal, getting impatient. "It's called a Jurak. Juraks are all Fire.

"I said I ended my turn, so let's keep moving already!"

"Okay, okay," said Sofia, drawing a card..

"I summon Ptarmigan of Mist Valley," she said.

In a gust of wind, the large bird that looked like a rooster with lightning bolts on its feathers appeared. (1,100 ATK)

"Next, I'm going to Special Summon my Mist Condor," she said. "But to do that, I have to send one of my Mist Valley Monsters back to my hand. Like Ptarmigan of Mist Valley."

Ptarmigan vanished, and the card appeared back in Sofia's hand. In its place appeared a big, ugly bird of prey, with dark blue feathers and an amulet shaped like a skull around its neck. (1,400 ATK)

"Since I summoned it with its effect, Mist Condor gains 300 Attack Points."

(1,700 ATK)

"And, since I returned Ptarmigan to my hand, I get to Special Summon it."

Ptarmigan of Mist Valley appeared again, covering itself with is feathers in Defense Mode. (700 DEF)

"Now, I play the Spell Card, Shrink!"

The Spell Card appeared, and Jurak Vello shrank to half its size, and an Attack Score of 850.

"Mist Condor, destroy it!"

Mist Condor swooped upon the shrunken Dinosaur, and tore it in half.

"Ergh…" muttered Maccal. "You activated Vello's effect… When it goes down in battle, I get to Special Summon another Jurak from my deck, so long as its Attack Score isn't more than 1,700.

"So, I Special Summon Jurak Iguanon."

Another burst of flame appeared in front of him, and another flaming Dinosaur appeared. This one looked like a bigger, bulkier version of Jurak Vello, with a sail on its back. (1,700 ATK)

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,150)**

"I draw!" he shouted, making a draw.

"First I summon Jurak Protopus in Attack Mode."

Another flaming dino appeared. While the first two looked like fiery raptors, this one looked more like a fiery triceratops. (1,700 ATK)

"And due to its effect, it gains 100 Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field."

(1,900 ATK)

"That isn't good…" said Sofia.

"I'll make it worse," said Maccal, opening his Field slot. "I play Molten Destruction!"

The whole forest seemed to go up in flames. A lava flow covered the field, and the two Dinosaurs roared. Jurak Iguanon went up to an Attack Score of 2,200, while Jurak Protopus rose to 2,400.

Iguanon spit a ball of flame, roasting Ptarmigan of Mist Valley like a cooked chicken. Then Protopus spit another ball of flame, reducing Mist Condor to ashes.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,150)**

"I end my turn…" he said.

Sofia drew a card. She looked at it.

_Sweet…_

"I remove Ptarmigan of Mist Valley from play to Special Summon Silpheed," she said.

In a gust of wind, the elegantly-dressed Wind Fairy appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I summon Dancing Elf."

She played another card, and the little sprite with gossamer wings appeared. (300 ATK)

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Summon Storm. I'll pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Soldier of Mist Valley from my hand."

She played the Spell Card, and the winged soldier dressed in a blue tunic and scarf appeared, holding his daggers. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three of my Monsters together!"

The three Monsters flew towards the sky, and burst into nine glowing stars…

"Uh… oh…" muttered Maccal.

"Synchro Summon…" said Sofia, "Mist Wurm!"

With a roar, Mist Wurm appeared on the field, with mist pouring from the vents on its back. (2,500 ATK)

"Now, I can send three of your cards back to your hand!" she continued.

Mist Wurm roared, and both of the Juraks vanished, and the lava flow disappeared.

"Ho boy…" said Maccal.

"Attack him directly!" shouted Sofia. "Freezing fog!"

Mist Wurm belched a cloud of chilling fog, and Maccal hollered as he was knocked over.

**(S: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,650)**

Slowly, he got up.

"That hurt…" he said.

"Yes," said Sofia. "I'll repeat my offer… Just give yourself up. Make a deal with Jalal and tell us what this is all about. I'm more than certain he can protect you from whoever wants to kill you."

Maccal sighed.

"Twenty-four hours ago, I might have believed you," he said. "But then I saw what this thing was capable of doing, and saw the might it possessed. You have no idea.

"If I side with Jalal and tell you this thing's plans, I'm only guaranteeing myself a much crueler death when it gets me."

He drew a card.

"First, I'll play Molten Destruction again…"

He played the card, and the lava field returned.

"Then, I'll play the Spell Card, Living Fossil. This lets me bring Jurak Vello back from the Graveyard so long as I Equip it with this card."

Jurak Vello appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF) –) (600 DEF)

"Sure, it loses 1,000 Attack Points and its effect, but I don't intend to keep it. I'm going to sacrifice it to play Big Evolution Pill."

He played another Spell Card and Vello vanished into grains of light.

"This Spell Card stays on the field for three of your turns. During that time, I don't have to make sacrifices to Normal Summon high-Level Dinosaurs.

"Not even this one… The Jurak Titan!"

There was a fierce explosion on his side of the field, and a huge, twenty-foot tall Dinosaur loomed over the lava wasteland. It was just as big as Ultimate Tyranno, with a similar shape, but is hide had the texture and consistency of cooling lava. (3,000 ATK)

"Three-thousand attack points?" gasped Sofia.

"And the Field Spell makes it even stronger!" replied Maccal.

(3,500 ATK)

"You can't target my Titan with any Traps or Effect Monsters that target," he continued, "and it has another effect…

"I can remove a low-Level Jurak in my Graveyard from play to power it up even more!"

He took Jurak Vello from his discard slot and put it his coat. Jurak Titan burned with flames… (4,500 ATK)

"Incinerate her Mist Wurm!" he shouted.

Sofia covered her head as Jurak Titan let loose a burst of fire that looked like a volcano erupting. It hit Mist Wurm, blowing it to pieces in a deafening explosion that lit up the whole forest.

Sofia couldn't believe it… Her best Monster… Beaten?

**(S: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,650)**

"It's your move, Shadowchaser," snarled the wererat, as Jurak Titan's Attack Score returned to 3,500.

Sofia could honestly say she had never been in a mess like this before. She had no cards on the field, none in her hand, and her best Monster had just been blown to Kingdom Come. And this thing in front of her not only had an incredible Attack Score, it was resistant to Traps and Effect Monsters. If she didn't draw something she could defend with, she was finished.

She slowly drew a card.

Without a word, she set it on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"That all?" asked Maccal, drawing a card.

"You remember Protopus, don't you?"

The flaming triceratops appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"Don't forget, it gains 100 Attack Points for each Monster you have, plus 500 from the field Spell.

(2,300 ATK)

"Attack!"

Protopus blasted its flame at the facedown Monster…

Dandylion appeared, crouching on the card. It was incinerated instantly, but Sofia smiled. Two Fluff Tokens quickly sprang up in front of her. (0 DEF x2)

"Seems I'm safe for now," she said.

"For now…" said Maccal.

Jurak Titan simply blew at one of the two Tokens, and it was blown away.

"My move!" shouted Sofia, drawing a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" she shouted.

"Eh, lucky," muttered Maccal.

Sofia quickly took Soldier of Mist Valley, Mist Condor, Dancing Elf, Silpheed, and Dandylion from her Graveyard, combined them with her deck, reshuffled, and made two draws.

"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted, playing one of the cards.

With a roar, Mist Wurm appeared on her side of the field again. (2,500 ATK)

"Big deal!" laughed Maccal. "I'll just destroy it again!"

Sofia frowned, and opened her own Field slot. She placed the other card in it.

"I play Rising Air Current!" she shouted.

"Eh?" said Maccal.

The lava field vanished, and the forest returned, this time with a brisk wind blowing through it.

"This Field Spell does for Wind Monsters what your Field Spell does for Fire Monsters," she said.

All of a sudden, the Attack Scores of all the Monsters on the field changed. Mist Wurm rose to 3,000, while Jurak Titan _fell_ to 3,000, and Jurak Protopus fell to 1,900.

"Its Attack Score is the same as Titan's!" laughed Maccal. "You attack it, they'll both die!"

"That's the general idea," said Sofia, quietly.

"Huh?" said Maccal.

Then he screamed when he realized what Sofia intended to do. Mist Wurm blasted its freezing fog at Jurak Titan. Jurak Titan belched its fire back at Mist Wurm. Both duelists were knocked off their feet as the two Monsters were incinerated.

Sofia picked up her hat, which had fallen off, and put it back on. She got up.

"I end my turn…" she said. "That's all I can do…"

Maccal frowned, and made a draw. He looked at his hand.

"Time for Jurak Iguanon to make its reappearance!" he shouted.

In another burst of flame, Iguanon appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy the other Token!" he commanded.

Protopus belched flame, incinerating the other Token.

"Now, attack directly!"

Iguanon belched a similar blast of flame, and Sofia screamed as it burned her. She fell on her seat.

"It's your move."

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,650)**

Sofia got up, with sweat running down her brow.

_He's really toasting my weenies,_ she thought. _I'd better draw something good…_

She made a draw.

She smiled when she saw who it was.

"Guess what, pal?" she said. "Mist Wurm may be my most powerful card… But the gal I just drew… She's my favorite!

"I summon Falcon of Mist Valley!"

In a gust of wind, a sleek, slim, female figure appeared in front of Sofia. It was easy to see why this Monster was Sofia's favorite – she was a dead ringer for Sofia herself. Same hair, same smile, although her outfit was different, consisting of a black, leather halter and pants, both decorated with feathers. She carried a wooden shield decorated with totem symbols, and a glowing sword. She had beautiful, golden, eagle's wings. (2,000 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"A Level 4 with 2,000 Attack Points?" asked Maccal. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is, she can't attack unless I return one card I control back to my hand," replied Sofia. "So I'll return my Field Spell back to my hand so that she can take out your Protopus!"

The windy Field vanished, and Falcon fell to an Attack of 2,000. She made a swipe with her blade, cutting Protopus in half.

"Now I replay Rising Air Current," said Sofia.

The windy Field reappeared, and Falcon went up to 2,500 Attack Points again.

"And I end my turn. That means your Big Evolution Pill goes away."

The Spell Card vanished.

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,450)**

Maccal made a draw.

"I set a Monster," he said, "and then I move Iguanon to Defense Mode."

A new reversed Monster appeared, and Iguanon shielded itself in Defense. (700 DEF)

He nodded.

Sofia made a draw.

It was her second Rising Air Current

_Darn,_ she thought. _I'm at a big disadvantage here…_

She looked at the facedown Monster.

_I wonder…_

"I return my Field Spell to my hand, so that Falcon can attack again!" she shouted.

The Field vanished, Falcon fell to her base Attack Score, and she rushed at the facedown card. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

"I thought so!" she laughed.

She discarded both Rising Air Currents, and made five draws. Maccal discarded the one card in his hand, which was Gozen Match, and made five draws.

Sofia looked at her five new cards.

"I guess I end my turn," she said.

"Then I draw!" said Maccal, making a draw.

"Then I summon Jurak Monolov."

He played a card, and another fiery Dinosaur appeared. This one didn't look very dangerous, resembling a baby version of Jurak Vello. (1,500 ATK)

"That guy?" asked Sofia. "He's actually kind of cute…"

"A cute Tuner!" replied Maccal.

"Tuner?" said Sofia, getting nervous.

Clearly, Maccal had at least one Synchro of his own.

"Now, I Tune both my Dinosaurs together…" he said.

Jurak Monolov and Jurak Iguanon flew into the sky, leaving trails of flame in their wake. They dissolved into seven glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Jurak Giganot!"

With a roar, another large Dinosaur landed on the field with a tremor. It looked like a large T-Rex, with smooth, blue scales that slowly turned to orange towards its upper body, which bore a flaming mane. (2,100 ATK)

"That's not very strong for a Level 7," said Sofia. "I'm guessing it has a pretty good effect."

"It does," replied Maccal. "While it's here, all Jurak Monsters on the field gain 200 Attack Points for each one in my Graveyard."

The phantoms of Titan, Monolov, Protopus, and Iguanon appeared behind him. (2,900 ATK)

"Now, attack!"

Jurak Giganot blasted a bolt of flame, incinerating Falcon of Mist Valley. Sofia staggered backwards.

"It's your move…" said Maccal.

**(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,450)**

Sofia took some deep breaths. She slowly made a draw.

"I'm not going to let you win, Maccal!" she shouted.

Falcon slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed the card.

"I'm removing Falcon from play to Special Summon Garuda the Wind Spirit."

In a blast of wind, the winged elemental spirit with the hawk's head appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Normal Summon Shaman of Mist Valley."

In another burst of wind, the oddly dressed female Shaman appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Next, I'll pay 600 Life Points to play Winged Repayment."

She quickly played a Spell Card.

"I get to draw one card for each Winged Beast I have. But I can't use them until next turn."

She drew two cards. Then she put them aside, and chose another one.

"I set this, and end my turn."

A facedown card appeared.

**(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,450)**

"I draw!" laughed Maccal.

"And I'm taking your birds out! I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

He played the Spell Card, and the cyclone shot towards Sofia's facedown card.

"I chain it!" she shouted. "Threatening Roar!"

A loud bellow echoed across the field.

"Humph," said Maccal. "I'll end with this."

He set a card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"That means I can use Garuda's effect," she said.

Garuda beat its wings, and Giganot struggled under the wind. It knelt in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"My move!" shouted Sofia, whipping a card off her Disk.

"I summon Watchkeeper of Mist Valley!"

In another gust of wind, a tall man dressed in what looked like a Native American hunting outfit, with taloned hands and feet, came into view. (1,500 ATK)

"All right!" she shouted. "Shaman… Watchkeeper… Let's summon the big guy!"

Shaman of Mist Valley and Watchkeeper of Mist Valley flew into the sky, and this time formed into seven glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Thunder Lord of Mist Valley!"

With a mighty roar, a hulking, bestial creature landed. It looked like an eight-foot-tall ogre with a blue, muscular torso covered with tattoos, large, hawk-like legs, taloned arms, and huge, feathered wings on his back. (2,600 ATK)

Maccal grit his teeth.

"Attack Jurak Giganot!" she ordered. "Sacred lightning!"

Thunder Lord threw up his hands, and called lightning to them. He hurled the lightning forward…

But to Sofia's surprise, it just glanced off of the Dinosaur's hide.

"Eh?" said Sofia.

"Forget about my facedown card, huh?" asked Maccal. "It's a Spell called Class System. Since your Thunder Lord isn't a higher Level than my Monster, its attack was deflected."

Sofia looked at the cards left in her hand.

She fit two of them in her Disk, and two reversed cards appeared. Then she turned a card on her Disk, and Garuda crouched in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"That's all," she said.

"My move!" laughed Maccal.

He made a draw.

"I'll move Giganot back to Attack Mode…"

Giganot stood up. (2,900 ATK)

"And then I'll summon Jurak Guivre in Attack Mode."

In another burst of fire, a new flaming Dinosaur appeared. It looked like another raptor, but had a longer neck, and sharper claws. (1,700 ATK)

"And thanks to Giganot, it gains 800 Attack Points."

(2,500 ATK)

"Giganot, roast her Thunder Lord!"

Flames formed in the larger Dinosaur's mouth.

"I activate… Staunch Defender!" shouted Sofia, as one of her facedown cards shot up. "Now, all of your Monsters must attack, but they must attack the Monster I choose.

"And I choose Thunder Lord!"

"My pleasure!" laughed Maccal. "Giganot, turn it to ash!"

Giganot charged forward, towards Thunder Lord, causing the ground to tremble…

Then what happened next came as a shock to Maccal. Thunder Lord socked the Dinosaur hard, and Jurak Giganot screamed. It shattered into fiery embers.

"Why was _my_ Monster destroyed?" screamed Maccal. "It was stronger!"

"Take another look," said Sofia.

Maccal looked at Thunder Lord…

(3,100 ATK)

"Thunder Lord has a special effect," said Sofia, holding up a card. "I can return one of my cards to my hand, like my other facedown card, to give him 500 more Attack Points for the round. And I can do it on your turn as well as mine.

"And don't forget… Due to my Staunch Defender, your Guivre, who has now lost the bonus it got from Giganot, has no choice but to attack Thunder Lord."

Jurak Guivre looked confused. It looked at Thunder Lord, and then made a rush at him. The ogre growled, and blasted lighting at the Dinosaur, vaporizing it.

Maccal grunted. He took two cards from his hand.

"I toss two cards facedown, and end my turn!" he said, as they flashed into existence.

**(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 2,850)**

Sofia drew a card.

"I sacrifice Garuda…" she said.

The Wind Spirit vanished.

"…to summon Executioner of Mist Valley."

With a clap of thunder, a new Monster appeared. It looked like a muscular human with violet skin, again dressed in Native American-style clothing. He had taloned hands, and huge, black wings. (2,100 ATK)

"And when Executioner is summoned, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are returned to their owners' hands."

Maccal screamed as his two Trap Cards, which were Draining Shield and Fossil Excavation, were blown off the field.

"Now, it's time to end this," said Sofia. "Executioner, Thunder Lord…

"Attack!"

Both of the spirits of Mist Valley gestured, and lightning flashed. They called it from the sky, and it struck the wererat. He screamed again.

**(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)**

Maccal was still on his feet. He started gasping for breath.

"It's over Maccal," she said. "You're under arrest. If you won't tell me now who's after you, you can tell Jalal."

Maccal coughed. Then he reached into his coat. Sofia reached for her sword, thinking he was pulling a weapon.

It wasn't a weapon. It was a card. Maccal coughed again.

"It is… over…" he gasped. "But… only for me… For everyone… else… It's just starting…"

Then he clutched his chest in pain. He collapsed.

Sofia ran up to him. She bent down, and felt for a pulse.

Then she was struck with fear, when she didn't find one.

"In the name of the Father…" she whispered.

She made the sign of the cross over her chest.

She quickly took out her cell phone, and hit a speed dial number.

"Jalal?" she said. "It's me… I found Maccal but it's too late… Someone was pretty intent on keeping him quiet… He's dead… Some sort of curse must have been cast on him to kill him if he was in danger of being captured."

She picked up the card he had tried to give her. It was Cloudian – Altos.

"And, uh… Something else that might mean something, but I don't know what…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In the industrial district of Neo Domino, a small, unassuming warehouse stood.

Only five workers worked here. Their job was simply to load deliveries off of trucks and onto three freight elevators. A supervisor whom they never saw controlled the elevators from below. They were told not to ask questions, and never bother the people who came into and out of the private elevators that you needed a keycard to use. They didn't really know the meaning of their job, but their employer, whoever he was, paid them triple the amount that most loading dock workers got, so they followed the rules.

The freight elevators and private elevators actually led to an underground complex that was home to a clan of about two-hundred dark elves. They hid here from the sun during the day, only coming out at night.

The hub of this community was their shrine. It was a dark, foreboding temple to their dark goddess, decorated with a spider motif. Spiders were a dominant symbol in the dark elf religion. (They had certainly taken notice of the fact that one of the Nazca Lines which had recently vanished was the Spider, and were trying to determine whether it had anything to do with their goddess.)

For now, nightly services were scheduled to take place in an hour, but a delay was threatening them. In the temple, an acolyte was losing her patience with someone on the phone who kept calling.

"For the third time," she shouted into the receiver, "she doesn't want to talk to you!"

Then Matron Drizzera stormed in, incredibly angry.

"I changed my mind," she scowled. "Gimme that phone…"

She grabbed the receiver.

"Now you listen to me, you tentacle-faced freak," she said into it. "I'm not part of your group yet, and we told you the conditions. If you think that any of my people are going to risk going to jail by waltzing right up to the Shadowchasers' front door and making a challenge, you're crazier than I thought you were!

"So stop calling me!"

She hung up.

In DaPen's headquarters, he also hung up.

"I hate than bitch…" he said.

"You hate _everyone_," said Edmund, who had been listening. "Come to think of it, I think you hate yourself."

DaPen took the cigar out of his mouth and glared at Edmund.

"I've disemboweled people for saying less than that," he replied.

Edmund chuckled.

"You can't disembowel me, Louis!" he laughed. "I have no bowels!"

"Here we go…" sighed DaPen. "You're going to remind me that I can't kill you…"

"That's right," said Edmund. "I only agreed to work with you because I knew that your psionic powers only affect beings with complex nervous systems, and I have none. My mind directs this colony of worms that makes up my body purely by spiritual manifestation, so your powers are worthless against me. The only reason I do what you say is because the one who sent me requires it."

"And don't you forget it," said DaPen.

He sighed.

"So now what? _Someone_ has to go there to mess with them a little tomorrow morning…"

"Uh, how about me, boss?" asked Vincent.

DaPen looked up at the minotaur, who was standing by the door.

"Vincent, you're on thin ice as it is," he said. "You already messed up one job…"

"Yeah, well I can do better when I don't have Albert with me," replied Vincent.

He held up a deck.

"See, I got my real deck, and I've put some new surprises in it. I can handle it on my own."

DaPen crossed his arms.

He didn't want Vincent to screw up again… But on the other hand, not many of his men were loyal enough to go to that townhouse and make an open challenge.

"Very well…" said DaPen. "Why not? I'll expect you there at six AM sharp…

"Don't screw up…"

_**What he had thought would be a simple revenge plan had caused Maccal to pay a terrible price. Still, his death raised many questions. Both DaPen and Edmund were busy in Neo Domino at the time, trying to unite the clans that they wanted to ally themselves with. They were nowhere in the vicinity of Redwood National Park… Was it possible for either of them to kill someone from across the Pacific?**_

_**We didn't think so. That made us wonder whether they were the ones behind the jailbreak at all. There was something we were missing, something that we just didn't get. **_

_**The only clue appeared to be the Cloudian cards that kept turning up. What was their purpose? We had to take the next step forward… Unfortunately, DaPen intended to as well…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JURAK PROTAPUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Increase the ATK of this card by 100 for each Monster your opponent controls.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JURAK VELLO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this Attack Position card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one "Jurak" Monster with 1,700 Attack Points or less from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JURAK MONOLOV (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** This card can attack each Monster your opponent controls once each.

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**JURAK GIGANOT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Dinosaur-Type Monsters

While this card is face-up on the field, the ATK of all "Jurak" Monsters you control is increased by 200 for each "Jurak" Monster in your Graveyard.

_Note: The proceeding four Jurak Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. They have not been released in the United States._

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**JURAK IGUANON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, you can return one set card your opponent controls to your opponent's hand.

_Note: "Jurak Iguanon" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 5: Champions of Chaos!!" set. It has not been released in the United States._

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**JURAK GUIVRE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** If this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, you may Special Summon 1 "Jurak" Monster with an ATK of 1,700 or less from your deck. A Monster Special Summoned by this effect may not declare an attack during the same turn.

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**JURAK TITAN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dinosaur/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 3,000  
**DEF:** 2,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. While this card is face-up on the field, it cannot be targeted by the effects of Spell or Trap Cards. Once per turn, by removing from play 1 "Jurak" Monster in your Graveyard with 1,700 ATK or less, this card gains 1,000 Attack Points until the End Phase.

_Note: The proceeding two Jurak Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 6: Dragunity of the Hurricane" set. They have not been released in the United States._

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**WATCHKEEPER OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,900

**Flavor Text****:** _Generation after generation, it continues to watch the Mist Valley._

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**MIST CONDOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,400

**Card Description:** You can return 1 "Mist Valley" Monster you control to your hand to Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned this way, its base ATK becomes 1,700.

_Note: "Watchkeeper of Mist Valley" and "Mist Condor" were released in Japan for "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**EXECUTIONER OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,100  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, return all Spell and Trap Cards on the field to their owners' hands.

_Note: "Executioner of Mist Valley" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**FALCON OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Winged Beast/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** This card cannot declare an attack unless you first return one card you control to its owner's hand.

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**THUNDER LORD OF MIST VALLEY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Thunder/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Mist Valley" Monsters_

Once per turn, you can return one card on the field to its owner's hand to increase the ATK of this card by 500 until the End Phase of the turn. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn.

_Note: "Falcon of Mist Valley" and "Thunder Lord of Mist Valley" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**LIVING FOSSIL (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** A cartoonish Dinosaur wearing a tuxedo and top hat, holding a cane.

**Card Description:** Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard and Equip it with this card. The Equipped Monster's ATK is reduced by 1,000, and its Effect is negated. If this card is removed from the field, destroy the Equipped Monster.

_Note: "Living Fossil" was first used by Misawa in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Duel-Off (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SUMMON STORM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A ninja inside a glowing tornado.

**Card Description:** Pay 800 Life Points. Special Summon a WIND Monster from your hand that is Level 4 or less.

_Note: "Summon Storm" was first used by the spirit of Harpie's Brother in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "A New World Order". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**CLASS SYSTEM (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A man in noble's clothing on a decorated pedestal, as a commoner bows before him, with a guard standing by.

**Card Description:** Activate when your opponent activates the effect of an Effect Monster that targets and destroys a Monster you control, or declares an attack on a Monster you control. If the opposing Monster is not of a higher Level than the targeted Monster, it is not destroyed, and battle damage, if any, is reduced to zero.

_Note: "Class System" was first used by Marik in the original anime episode "The Final Face-Off (Part 4)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_It finally happens! Gears finally gains the courage to give that card to Mistle! Unfortunately, he gives it to her to defend herself in a duel when Vincent comes to the townhouse looking for trouble, and she insists on dueling him to defend her honor. What happens when Mistle duels while free of DaPen's brainwashing? Tune in to find out. "Fairy of the Spring" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Beloved; The Aristocrats of the Occult**

When one thinks of the occult and evil rituals, one usually thinks of maniacal doomsayers leading groups of runaway youths and drifters in bloody rampages. Do they ever think of groups of rich, well-off youths educated in such places as Harvard and Princeton? No… But many members of the Beloved, a religious cult that has slowly grown in secret, are currently in their Senior college year at those and many other prestigious schools.

The world knows this group as Epsilon Alpha, a private fraternity/sorority for students and professionals involved in business and management. They only allow the best students in a class to pledge, and in the end only accept one or two of the applicants. It is not uncommon for a chapter to not accept _any_ applicants for one or even two years in a row. Epsilon Alpha is _very_ selective, and you won't find more than ten to fifteen members even at an Ivy League school.

The truth of the matter is, Epsilon Alpha is the recruiting arm of the Beloved, a secret cult of Aware humans and Shadowkind, and the connection between the cult and the fraternity is deeply hidden. Members of the Beloved worship Wee Jas, a Shadowkind deity whose portfolio includes magic, knowledge, and death. As one might expect, many full-fledged members are sorcerers, and a few are necromancers. Wee Jas traditionally promises power and dominion over the masses in exchange for blood sacrifices. As the worshippers make their way into the world and show more grit, the goddess demands more gifts. But the Beloved will not kidnap innocent victims and strap them down to an altar to offer them as sacrifices… Not when they can make offerings on a far greater scale.

It is rumored that half of all toxic landfills, industrial spills, and hazardous materials accidents are actually premeditated attempts to offer grand gifts to Wee Jas. Most of her worshippers are more subtle, though. They give their blood tithe through promoting (or more often, simply feigning ignorance of) design flaws in consumer goods, promoting international discord, or subsidizing illicit activities. And they are very good at covering their tracks.

Split into several cabals with perhaps one in each city, the Beloved stays clear of the Shadowchasers using legal means when they can. They are the aristocrats of the occult, intelligent, educated, and connected, and even Jalal admits that investigating something that is rumored to be connected to them is always a big headache.

**Story Ideas:** Members of the Beloved might be described as the darker twins of the average upper class youth. Most members join because they crave something different than what they're used to, and gaining magical power from a divine source is certainly something different. They really don't care who they hurt when making their blood tithes, making them incredibly selfish. The Beloved is clearly a symbol of status taken to the extreme.

Heroes who investigate their activities and try to oppose them are going to be met with fierce resistance. Just getting into a position where one can oppose someone with this much influence, let alone make something stick, is going to be incredibly hard. These folks are used to the good life, and will betray anyone or commit any crime to avoid trading it for a jail cell.

Clearly, any story that involves the Beloved will have to have several levels. Paths might lead in several directions while tracking them down, and only a few will lead to anything useful. Don't forget to give them a grandiose goal that they are working towards, such as trying to get a new snack food that might contain harmful ingredients past the FDA.

**Deck Suggestions:** As worshippers of a goddess of magic, the Beloved make no mistake about their favored theme in Duel Monsters – they prefer Spellcasters. Spellcasters have a variety of possibilities, and all of them might be used by the Beloved. They might use Magical Citadel of Endymion, or a lockdown deck using Secret Village of the Spellcasters. Note that members tend to be incredibly rich, and may even be able to make a deck based on Dark Magician, as rare as that card is in the anime world. (A member is far more likely to use Pandora's version than Yugi's.)


	43. Fairy of the Spring

_**This point in the story begins right after the events of Episode 39. The Dark Signer abilities of both Misty and Carly have awakened simultaneously, and both Ccarayhua and Aslla Piscu have been summoned at the same time. The resulting two Shadow Duels have left Divine presumed dead, Aki in the hospital, and the whole Arcadia Movement in ruins. The supernatural activity in Neo Domino is now overwhelmingly dominated by Evil, and most Shadowkind who do not benefit from this shift in power are frightened.**_

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**CHAPTER FORTY-THREE**

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**Fairy of the Spring**

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_**Ever hear of "the shot heard round the world"? There were actually several. The term was used to describe several events that have changed the course of human history. **_

_**The first one, the case where the term was first used, was the battle at Old North Bridge at Concord, Massachusetts on April 19**__**th**__**, 1775. This was the battle that began the American Revolution.**_

_**Much later, the term was applied to the Gavilro Princip's assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, one of the principle causes of World War I. (Princip actually fired two shots, so the term isn't a hundred percent accurate here.)**_

_**Some also apply the term to the October Revolution, the beginning of the Communist Revolution in Russia. And less violently, the term is used for great moments in sport's history, like Bobby Thompson's walk-off home run that clinched the 1951 National Pennant for the New York Giants.**_

_**Why do I bring this up? Because the night when I formally became a Shadowchaser, humanity witnessed the arrival of a dire threat to its very existence… The Earthbound Gods had made their first attack.**_

_**It was truly a shot heard round the world…**_

Paris, France. Two o'clock in the afternoon.

A crowd had gathered under the Arc de Triomphe, where a duel was happening. Only Hank, one of the two duelists, knew how serious the matter was, or that his opponent was a hobgoblin. Hobgoblins were related to goblins, but bigger and meaner.

The hobgoblin had an impressive side. He had Dark Snake Syndrome, Messenger of Peace, Prohibition (set to Fossil Fusion), two facedown cards, Des Wombat (1,600 ATK), Servant of Catabolism (700 ATK), and 3,000 Life Points remaining. Hank had Stone Statue of the Aztecs (2,000 DEF), Giant Soldier of Stone (2,000 DEF), and 4,000 Life Points remaining.

The hobgoblin chuckled, and made a draw.

"You should have left well enough alone, Hank," he said (in orcish, so the crowd couldn't understand).

His Life Points went down to 2,900 to pay for Messenger of Peace.

"The boss-lady paid a lot of bread for that necklace, and she doesn't want to give it back."

"She should have known it was stolen when Al-Rashid offered to sell it to her for one-fifth what it was worth," replied Hank.

"So you say," said the hobgoblin. "By the way, my Des Wombat protects me, but you lose 1,600 Life Points this round from Dark Snake Syndrome."

Hank groaned as his Life Points fell to 2,400.

"Then I attack directly with Servant of Catabolism! Electric tendrils!"

Hank grunted as the mollusk flew at him and grabbed him in the face. His Life Points fell again, to 1,700.

"Not that I really need to do this, but I think I will anyway…"

One of his two facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Minor Goblin Official. And that's all for me."

"And it's my move," said Hank, drawing a card.

He made a draw.

"And you lose 500 more Life Points from Minor Goblin Official!" laughed the hobgoblin.

Hank groaned as his Life Points fell again.

"All right, chuckles…" he said, "you've had your fun…

"I sacrifice both my Monsters to summon Earth Giant Gaia Plate!"

Both of the Rock Monsters shattered into shards, and the titanic form of Gaia loomed over the field. (2,800 ATK)

"Now, I remove one of my Rocks from play to Special Summon The Rock Spirit."

With a rumble, a muscular, stony humanoid dressed in Spartan armor appeared, holding a ruby staff. (1,700 ATK)

"Talk about worthless," said the hobgoblin. "Those two can't get by my Messenger."

"One more Monster coming up," said Hank. "I remove two more Rocks from play to Special Summon my Gigastone Omega."

With another rumbling noise, another Rock Monster appeared on the field. It looked like a huge, rocky cross between a dragon, dinosaur, and turtle. (1,000 ATK)

"Notice that it only has 1,000 Attack Points," said Hank. "That means it can get by your Messenger of Peace!

"And it will… Once I play Shrink!"

The Spell Card appeared, and Des Wombat shrank to half its size. Its Attack Score fell to 800.

The hobgoblin gasped.

_If I lose Des Wombat,_ he thought, _the Dark Snake Syndrome will take us both out next turn!_

_But I'm prepared…_

The last card in his Spell Zone shot up.

"I activate Offerings to the Doomed!" he shouted. "Now, I can destroy that… thing."

Lighting flashed. Gigastone Omega was blown into shards of rock.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh," laughed Hank.

"Why are you laughing?" demanded the hobgoblin. "You've lost!"

"No, you have," replied Hank. "That was just what I wanted you to do. See, when Gigastone Omega is destroyed by a card effect, it takes all my opponent's Spell and Trap Cards with it."

The hobgoblin screamed as all the remaining cards in his Spell Zone were blown to pieces.

"Still my Battle Phase, I believe," said Hank. "And since your Messenger is gone… Rock Spirit, destroy Des Wombat!"

The Rock Spirit fired a ray of energy from its staff, and the small Beast was blown away.

"Now, Gaia attacks Servant of Catabolism, which means your Monster loses half its Attack Score."

Gaia lifted its hand, and Servant of Catabolism fell to an Attack Score of 350. The giant brought its hand down, squashing it flat, and knocking the hobgoblin off of his feet as his Life Points fell to zero.

"You won't be the one collecting that bounty," said Hank. "And as soon as Al-Rashid's testimony is presented, it's not gonna be worth much anyway."

Then there was a loud clap of thunder.

Hank looked up. The sky had turned dark.

_Something's wrong…_ he thought. _This storm… Evil is afoot…_

His cell phone rang.

"Travis?" he said, answering it. "What?"

"Hank, you'd best watch the news," said his friend on the other end. "Something big just happened in Neo Domino."

"Any particular network?" asked Hank.

"Uhm, I kinda think this will be on all of them," was the reply.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The night passed slowly. At four in the morning, Edmund stood in DaPen's office, watching a spider crawl up the wall.

He started to sing an old children's rhyme.

"_The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout…_

"_Down came the rain, and washed the spider out…"_

Then he crushed it with his thumb.

"Interesting analogy, Edmund," said DaPen, "but we both know that there's a very _big_ spider out there, and it's going to take a _big_ of rain to 'wash it out'. You said you were looking into the…

"Okay, I'll be the first one to say it… The Dark Signers. Any news yet?"

"Well, they seem to be occupied with the true Signers for now," replied Edmund, "and they appear to have the advantage. Yusei is recovering from his duel with one of them. Divine is dead, unless he had a way to survive a twenty-story fall onto pavement."

"Humph, that's good news, I always hated him," replied DaPen. "Did Aki manage to survive?"

"For now," replied Edmund. "She was also targeted, and she's in the hospital. Whether she'll recover as well as Yusei did, only time will tell. But even if she does, she and Yusei are broken, and like a piece of broken pottery that is mended, I doubt they will hold as well as before."

DaPen crossed his arms.

"So then," he said, "I assume the plan is to let the Dark Signers finish off the true Signers, and then deal with them."

"Uh huh," said Edmund.

"Oh, brilliant!" said DaPen, sarcastically. "They'll likely be at the peak of their power by then!"

"Don't underestimate my power, Louis," said Edmund. "If any of them challenge us, I will deal with them personally."

"You said yourself that they've already beaten Divine and two Signers," noted DaPen. "What chance do _you_ have?"

"All three victims lost for the same reason," replied Edmund. "They were unprepared. I won't be."

He held up his gloved hand, and worms started crawling out of it.

"You forget, Louis, I am a master of infiltration. I can send the worms that make up my body considerable distances, and observe things through their eyes. Thus, I witnessed all three duels with them none the wiser, even though two of them happened at the same time.

"And they can be defeated… All it takes is going in prepared…

"Take Kiryu for instance. His Infernity Monsters only gain their effects when he has no cards in his hand. His One-Hundred Eye Dragon copies the effects of the Dark Monsters in his Graveyard. Thus if he has even one card in his hand, it is nothing more than a very ugly twin of one of Kaiba's Dragons.

"Yusei destroyed the Dragon by activating a card whose cost required Kiryu to draw a card, leaving it unable to use any effects. Unfortunately for Yusei, he took advantage of this weakness too late to prevent Kiryu from summoning Ccapac Apu.

"Now… Just imagine if Kiryu's opponent had a deck _full_ of cards that required him to draw… A Greed Deck, say."

"His Monsters would be powerless," said DaPen, scratching his chin.

"Exactly," replied Edmund. "So if he becomes a threat, I can defeat him long before he summons Ccapac Apu. I've developed counter strategies to deal with Misty and Carly as well. Demak will likely reveal his strategy soon, and I can do the same with his. Rudger will be harder, but he might surprise us. If I had to take a guess, I'd say that Demak probably uses Beasts, and Rudger's deck has something to do with Insects.

"And worst-case scenario… If the Earthbound Gods actually come to full power, I've already gauged a weakness in them as well. Their power comes from the very land itself."

DaPen lit a cigar and took a few drags.

"So what you're saying is," he said, "if our true plan works…"

"The Dark Signers will be helpless," said Edmund, evilly, "because their precious Gods will be cut off from their power source. They will be unable to draw power from the land, and will suffocate trying to.

"With both the Signers and the Dark Signers out of the picture, and our true plan underway, the Shadowchasers will be easy to defeat…"

"Very well…" said DaPen. "Vincent is ready to make his move…

"Go finish what you started…"

Edmund turned and left the room. DaPen sat at his desk and turned on his laptop.

He typed in a command, and "Viva la Vida" started playing again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One and a half hours later, at the townhouse.

Shichiro was pacing back and forth in the living room. Everyone else was sitting on the couch in front of the television, watching classic comedy shorts on one of the basic cable channels.

"I can't believe this" moaned Shichiro. "We've got a crisis on our hands, and you people are watching _The Three Stooges_?"

"Not only that," said Ember, "it's an episode with Shemp in it."

Mistle sighed.

"Who was it that said that the only difference between men and women was that men find this show funny and women don't?" she asked. "I think I see his point…"

"People, focus!" shouted Shichiro. "As you know, Neo Domino has a… small problem on its hands…"

"A _small_ problem??" replied Gears.

"Shichiro," said Jinx, "if Godzilla and Rodan flattening the Arcadia Building is your idea of a 'small problem', I'd hate to see your idea of a big problem!"

"Fine," said Shichiro. "It's a very big problem, and I think we have to…"

Then the television turned off.

They all turned, and saw Jalal, who looked very upset.

"Yes," said the half-dragon. "It is a big problem… One which will threaten the whole world…

"However… As of right now… We are not to get involved."

"WHAT?" shouted Gears.

"Jalal, what are you saying?" asked Shichiro. "Now we know that there are three of these humungous demons out there…"

"Five," said Jalal, interrupting. "There are five that we currently know about, possibly more."

"Even worse!" shouted Shichiro. "They wrecked uptown… God only knows what happened to the people who disappeared when they showed up…"

"Not to mention that one of these… Dark Signers murdered Divine," added Jinx.

Jalal raised his hand.

"True, Carly likely killed Divine," he said. "But we must look at the circumstances leading up to that. It was his fault that she became a Dark Signer in the first place, due her falling victim to _his_ cruel act of murder. In a way, he is to blame for Carly's situation, and any evil that she may commit."

He sighed.

"But much as I dislike saying so, in this conflict as it stands, the Shadowchasers stand no chance. The Dark Signers will be battled by the ones who are meant to do so, and I have faith that the darkness will be overcome.

"I am already making plans, should the true Signers fail…"

Shichiro looked at him.

"Wait…" he said.

He chuckled.

"Oh, I get it! This is why you insisted on bringing the Regalia of Day to Neo Domino! You wanted to use it as a contingency plan against those things!"

"Yes," said Jalal. "I believe a spell might exist that might be able to banish the Earthbound Gods to some alternate dimension or parallel universe. Or possibly even to whatever Hell they originally came from. But to banish beings this powerful, we would certainly need an amplifier. I felt that the Regalia of Day might do the job.

"That is why it is imperative that the pieces be recovered. Something strange is going on. Maccal's autopsy was just completed.

"As hard as it is to believe, he drowned."

They all looked at him.

"Drowned?" asked Gears. "Hold on… He was dueling Sofia in the middle of a forest… He was nowhere near a body of water…"

"Regardless, he died as a result of his lungs filling with water," replied Jalal. "It was clearly some sort of deadly magical attack, but we have no idea how it was actually done.

"Now, you must…"

He stopped.

"Evil draws near…"

"Huh?" said Ember.

"I feel it too!" said Mistle, getting up. "Something bad is coming."

"Edmund?" asked Gears.

"No…" said Mistle. "Someone less… cultured…"

All of them ran to the breezeway, and looked out the entrance. Vincent was there, casually smoking a cigarette.

"Ah, what a beautiful morning," he said, looking up at the dark, grey, overcast, sky.

"Oh, lovely," said Jinx, as she opened the door. "It's one of the two Bad News Bears."

"I'm no bear," replied Vincent. "I'm a bull."

"If you want to start trouble, my friend…" started Gears.

"Gears!" interrupted Mistle. "I know this guy!"

Vincent smirked. He clearly recognized Mistle as well.

"DaPen had two minotaurs with him when he broke into my greenhouse to…"

She shuddered.

"Did this guy hurt you?" asked Gears.

"No…" muttered Mistle. "But he said awful, degrading things to me…"

"So, Gears…" asked Vincent. "Is this your bitch?"

He flicked the cigarette forward, and it hit Mistle in the chest.

Gears fumed with anger.

"If it's a fight you're looking for, my friend…" he started.

"Gears, honey…" said Mistle. "Lend me your Disk…"

"What?" asked Gears.

"I want to duel him," replied Mistle. "He called me such terrible things… I have to defend my honor, Gears… I have to stand up for myself…"

"But Mistle…" said Gears.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mistle," said Shichiro. "I know this guy's type. They play dirty."

"Ahem," said Jinx. "Guys, being a woman who's endured her own share of chauvinism, I think Mistle has a valid argument."

"Yeah," said Ember. "If Vincent wants to duel, let Mistle teach him not to pick on girls."

Mistle looked at Gears and Shichiro.

"I think we have you outvoted," added Jinx.

Gears looked at his Duel Disk. He slowly took it off his arm, and handed it to Mistle.

Mistle slipped it on her own arm, and then shuffled her own deck.

"Mistle!" shouted Gears. "Wait!"

He opened a pouch on his belt.

"Mistle, honey…" he said. "I've wanted to give you this for days… But every time the time was right, I got cold feet…"

He handed her the card.

"It's a present to you from me."

Mistle looked at it. She smiled.

"This is so cute, it's disgusting," growled Vincent.

Mistle put the card in a special slot in the Disk. Then Gears handed her three other cards.

"Here," he said. "Put these in your deck too, so you can actually _use_ that card."

Mistle looked at the two Monsters and one Trap. She went through her deck, made the necessary replacements, and shuffled again.

"If we're all done with this mushy stuff," said Vincent, "I'd like to get started. After all, I came here to duel, not watch some chick flick."

"Then I accept your challenge, you unwashed ape!" replied Mistle.

"I'm not an ape!" replied Vincent. "I'm a bull! Can't you guys tell one animal from another?"

Both Disks activated.

"Duel!" they both exclaimed.

**(Mistle: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Vincent: 8,000)**

"I'll even show you that I can be chivalrous when I want to be," said Vincent. "Ladies first…"

Mistle made her first draw.

"I summon Floral Knight Tulip," she said.

She threw down the card, and the female, teenage Floral Knight wearing pink armor and a helmet with a floral design appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Okay, I definitely remember the Floral Knights," said Gears. "She used them when DaPen was controlling her."

"And I have more surprises in my deck this time," said Mistle, taking another card. "I'll set this, for later."

A facedown card appeared with a flash.

"Humph," said Vincent, drawing a card. "I've thrown up scarier things than that."

Both Mistle and Tulip gave him a dirty look.

"Heh…" chuckled Vincent, taking two cards from his hand. "I'll set these…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"And then summon my Enraged Battle Ox."

With a loud bellow, the armored, axe-wielding Beast-Warrior appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"He kind of looks like you," said Mistle, putting her hand on her hip, "except that he's handsomer."

"Oh, you're asking for it…" growled Vincent. "Attack! Crush her flower fairy!"

Enraged Battle Ox charged, and slammed his axe down, blowing Tulip to pieces.

"Trap activate!" shouted Mistle, as her facedown card shot up. "Floral Arrangement! Now I can Special Summon as many Plant-Type Monsters from my hand as I want…

"So long as I pay 100 Life Points times their Levels. So, first, I'll pay 400 Life Points to bring out Floral Knight Sunflower in Attack Mode."

In a burst of verdant energy, the male, armored Floral Knight holding his circular blade appeared. (2,000 ATK)

"Next, I'll pay 400 more to bring out Gigantic Cephalotus."

In another wave of verdant energy, another, more bestial Plant appeared. It looked like a large pitcher plant on legs, with a large tongue. (1,850 ATK)

"And finally, I'll pay 300 to Special Summon Lonefire Blossom in Defense Mode."

A smaller Plant sprouted, this one a vine-like flower with a twisted stem, serrated leaves, and a large bulb for a blossom. (1,400 DEF)

"Good, Mistle!" encouraged Gears. "Way to swarm the field!"

"Eh, I end my turn," said Vincent.

**(M: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 8,000)**

Mistle made a draw.

She smirked. She fit the card in her Disk.

"I play The World Tree," she said.

There was a rumble, and the whole street shook. Then, it seemed that the townhouse behind them vanished, and the biggest, most majestic tree in all creation appeared where it had been. It didn't seem very happy under the overcast sky, but it was clearly healthy, with emerald leaves, a thick trunk, and flowering blossoms in its branches.

"Playing this card always awakens the poet in me," said Mistle. "With due apologies to Joyce Kilmer…

"_I think that I will never see, a Duel Monster that is a tree;_

_However, I know very well, there is a tree that is a Spell."_

"Unbelievable," muttered Vincent. "So what does your big tree do?"

"Let's just say that if you take out my Plants now," replied Mistle, "something will happen.

"Next, I use Lonefire Blossom's effect. By sacrificing a Plant, I get to summon another one from my deck.

"So, goodbye Sunflower…"

Floral Knight Sunflower vanished.

"…and hello Botanical Lion!"

With a loud roar, a new Plant Monster sprang onto the field. It was a lion with a body made of bark, and a mane that resembled a rose. (1,600 ATK)

"And he gains 300 Attack Points for each Plant on the field."

(2,500 ATK)

"Not good…" said Vincent.

"And that's not all," continued Mistle. "Since I just sent a Plant-Type Monster to the Graveyard, my Cephalotus's effect activates, and it gains 200 more Attack Points."

Cephalotus growled. (2,050 ATK)

"Cephalotus, devour his Enraged Battle Ox!"

The large plant charged at the Beast-Warrior, and with one might chomp, bit him in two.

"Well, fine…" said Vincent. "Now I can use my Trap Card…"

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"It's called Animal Trail. Since you destroyed my Monster, I get to take any Beast I want from my deck."

He quickly looked through his deck, and got the card he wanted.

"Too bad it goes to your hand and not to the field," said Mistle. "Botanical Lion, attack him directly!"

Mistle's supporters cheered as the vegetable lion pounced at the minotaur and tackled him. Vincent was a big guy, but the Monster was plenty big too, and it knocked him over.

**(M: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 5,150)**

The bodyguard slowly got up. He looked at Mistle.

Without saying a word, he took the pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, and transferred one directly from the pack to his mouth. He flicked a lighter, and lit the cancer stick.

He took a couple of drags on it, and then spoke.

"That hurt…" he said. "It hurt bad…

"You know, babe… At first I was gonna cut you some slack 'cause you were a girl. I got some scruples, after all…

"But now I know better… I'm taking you down _hard_."

He drew a card.

"I'm summoning Berserk Gorilla."

With a loud roar, a very angry gorilla with red fur appeared. It howled in rage and beat its chest. (2,000 ATK)

"Next, I play a Spell Card," he continued as a card appeared. "It's called Wild Nature's Release. Now, my Monster's Attack Score is increased by its Defense Score."

Berserk Gorilla looked even angrier. (3,000 ATK)

"Turn that Cephalotus to mulch!" he ordered.

Berserk Gorilla rushed at the Plant, and grabbed it with both hands, tearing it asunder.

"You activated the effect of The World Tree!" replied Mistle. "Whenever one of my Plants is destroyed, it gets a Flower."

A huge blossom sprouted in the branches of the giant tree.

"And you made a big mistake, fellah," said Jinx. "When you end your turn, the side effect of Wild Nature's Release will kick in, and destroy Berserk Gorilla! You'll be defenseless!"

"I'm not done!" said Vincent.

His facedown card shot up.

"It's a Trap called Beast Soul Swap. Now, I can return a Beast on the field to my hand…"

Berserk Gorilla vanished, and its card reappeared in Vincent's hand.

"…so long as I then Special Summon a Beast that's the same Level in its place. And I can Special Summon the exact same Beast if I want to."

Berserk Gorilla appeared again. (2,000 ATK)

"And since it counts as a new Monster, it won't be destroyed by Wild Nature's Release. And my Battle Phase isn't over yet…

"But, before it attacks again, I'm going to play a Quickplay Spell…"

A Spell Card appeared.

"Shrink will cut your Lion down to size."

Botanical Lion was reduced to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,400.

Berserk Gorilla charged again, and tackled it. Botanical Lion was blown to splinters.

"And The World Tree gains another Flower," added Mistle, as another huge blossom appeared on the tree."

_That was a pretty clever strategy,_ thought Gears. _I hope Mistle isn't in over her head._

"My turn is over," said Vincent.

**(M: 5,250) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 5,150)**

"I draw!" said Mistle, drawing a card.

"I summon Nettles!"

A nasty-looking weed with a sinister face appeared next to Lonefire Blossom. (1,200 ATK)

Gears lifted an eyebrow. That was one of the three cards he had given her to help her use the big one. But she couldn't use it right now…

"Now, I use Lonefire Blossom's effect," continued Mistle. "I sacrifice Nettles…"

The weed vanished.

"…to bring out Floral Knight Lily."

In another burst of verdant energy, the archer of the Floral Knights, clothed in her green armor and carrying her mahogany bow, appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"She can't beat my Gorilla," said Vincent.

"She doesn't have to," replied Mistle. "The World Tree has three effects, which I can use depending on whether I remove one, two, or three of its Flowers. If I remove two, I can destroy one card on the field."

The two Flowers vanished, and a mass of blossoming vines sprang out of the ground, seizing Berserk Gorilla. They constricted the furious primate, and it shattered into pixels.

"Lily, attack directly!" shouted Mistle. "Black arrow!"

Lily leapt up, and fired her bow. Vincent grunted in pain as it struck him.

**(M: 5,250) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 3,350)**

"This is why I don't like dames…" he said.

"My move!"

He drew a card.

"Your pal Jinx will remember this card… Swords of Revealing Light!"

He threw the card in his Disk, and a shower of swords fell around Mistle and her two Monsters.

"That will hold you," he said. "Next, I summon Des Kangaroo."

The Monster that appeared was indeed a kangaroo, but not a typical one. It had green fur, wore boxing gloves, a purple vest, and red sneakers. It took a few warm-up jabs. (1,500 ATK)

"Take out that Lonefire Blossom!" he ordered.

Des Kangaroo threw a punch at the Blossom's big bulb, and it burst into sparks.

"I don't like this," said Jinx.

"Me neither," said Shichiro. "I'm guessing that whatever he searched for with Animal Trail is pretty powerful, and he's buying time until he has enough Monsters to summon it."

"How many times do I have to remind you about the big, two-hundred-foot-tall tree behind me?" asked Mistle. "Each time you mulch one of my Plants, it powers up!"

Another Flower grew on The World Tree.

"I end my turn," said Vincent.

Mistle drew a card.

"I summon Cactus Fighter…" she said.

She played the card, and a mean-looking cactus with arms and legs appeared next to Lily. (1,900 ATK)

"That's all I can do."

"Then it's my move!" laughed Vincent.

He drew a card.

"I'll drop 800 Life Points to play Brain Control!"

The Spell Card appeared, and the huge, fiendish brain appeared in front of him. Two arms reached out, and Lily screamed as they grabbed her and pulled her over to Vincent's side.

"LILY!" screamed Mistle.

"She's mine now," replied Vincent. "And now I'm gonna sacrifice her and Des Kangaroo…"

Mistle looked at the minotaur with a look of pure hate as Lily vanished, along with Des Kangaroo.

"I summon the Mosaic Manticore!" shouted Vincent.

As far as mythical monsters went, the Manticore wasn't as commonly known as most. The legends surrounding it were Indian in origin. Its name meant, literally, "man-eater", and it was supposedly a fierce carnivore with the body of a lion and the head of a man (similar to the Grecian Sphinx in some regards) with three rows of teeth along each jaw and spikes at the tip of its tail, with which it could not only defend itself with at close quarters, but hurl like an archer's arrows at distant targets. More than likely, the monster was actually a mythical interpretation of a tiger, an animal that the locals of India dreaded at times, altered by superstition and exaggeration.

The Monster that Vincent had just summoned was clearly an exaggeration of even that myth. It looked like a demonic lion with armored plating, fiendish, batlike wings, and a long, scorpion's stinger for a tail. (2,800 ATK)

"Ho boy…" said Mistle.

"Incinerate Cactus Fighter!" shouted Vincent.

Mosaic Manticore breathed a gout of violet flames from its jaws, and Cactus Fighter was burned to a cinder. A second Flower appeared on The World Tree.

**(M: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,550)**

"Talk about dumb," said Ember. "Now Mistle can use the tree's effect to destroy that thing."

"Well, Vincent doesn't seem all too worried about it," replied Shichiro.

"Make your move," said Vincent. "You want to use that overgrown carnation to destroy my Manticore? Fine. I won't stop you…"

Mistle drew a card.

"I don't think so…" she said, taking the last two cards in her hand. "Instead, I'll set a Monster, and a facedown card, and end my turn."

A set Monster and a reversed card appeared in front of her.

"Your funeral," said Vincent, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"Since I summoned Mosaic Manticore this turn," he said, "its effect kicks in this turn. I get to Special Summon the two Monsters I sacrificed to summon it."

Des Kangaroo appeared, crouching and crossing its arms. (1,700 DEF) Then Lily appeared, kneeling and holding her bow down. (1,700 DEF)

"Of course, they can't attack, and they don't have their effects," he continued, "but I can still defend with them.

"Mosaic Manticore, destroy her Monster!"

The Manticore blasted its flame. An odd-looking fruit with eyes and a fanged mouth appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.

_Darn…_ thought Mistle. _That wasn't exactly the right time to defend with my Cursed Fig…_

A third flower appeared on The World Tree.

Vincent took the last card in his hand, and placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"That's all for my turn," he said.

"Then it's my move," said Mistle.

She drew one card.

"I use the effect of The World Tree again," she said. "But this time, I'm removing _three_ Flowers. By doing so, I get to Special Summon a Plant from my Graveyard."

All three Flowers vanished. Then Lonefire Blossom appeared in front of her again. (1,400 DEF)

"Now I play… Fragrance Storm!" she said. "Now, I can destroy one Plant on the field. Then I get to draw one card. And if the card I draw is also a Plant, I can show it to you to draw another card."

"Oh, sure," chuckled Vincent. "You're going to get rid of your only Monster on the hopes that the card you draw is something that can defeat my Manticore?"

"I'm not going to destroy Lonefire Blossom," said Mistle, sadly. "There's another Plant on the field…"

She looked at Floral Knight Lily, who was still on Vincent's side.

"I hate to do this to one of my Floral Knights…" she said, "but she'll be happier in the Graveyard than she likely is defending you!"

Indeed, that seemed to be the case. As a storm of petals and potpourri began to blow, Lily smiled. Then she shattered into shards.

"The World Tree gains one Flower…" sighed Mistle. "And like I said, I draw one card…"

She made a draw. She looked at the card.

"This isn't a Plant…" she said. "But it is a Monster, so I'll set it…"

A set Monster appeared.

"Now, I use Lonefire Blossom's effect, and sacrifice itself… The time has come to summon one of my strongest Monsters…"

Lonefire Blossom vanished.

"I summon Tytannial, Princess of Camellias!"

The ground shook, and a huge, red camellia burst out of the ground. The huge flower opened, revealing a beautiful and intimidating woman, garbed in a dress made of leaves, vines, and flowers, wearing a crown that seemed to be one large rose. (2,800 ATK)

"Good gravy!" gasped Vincent.

Then he paused, and remembered.

"You can't attack me!" he shouted. "My Swords last for one more round!"

"I end my turn…" said Mistle.

The glowing Swords vanished.

Vincent's hand shook as he made a draw.

"Gears, is that the card you gave her?" asked Shichiro.

"No, I can honestly say it isn't," replied Gears. "And this is as much a surprise to me as it likely is to Vincent. I had no idea that Mistle had a Monster this powerful…"

"She's _incredibly_ powerful," replied Ember. "My cousin told me about this card. He's run into it a few times on the pro circuit. Let's just say that she's very had to beat. I think the only Monster that's stronger that's Plant related is that Synchro Dragon that the Black Rose Witch had at the Fortune Cup."

"She called it Black Rose Dragon," replied Shichiro. "And it seems to be related to Jack and Yusei's Dragons in some way. There's no mention of any of them in any catalogues or databases… I think they're custom cards."

Vincent grunted as he looked at the card he had drawn.

"Attack the facedown Monster!" he shouted.

Mosaic Manticore breathed its flames, and Morphing Jar appeared on the card. It laughed, and then exploded. Mistle smirked.

Vincent discarded the one card in his hand, and they both made five draws. Vincent looked them over.

"I play Poison Fangs," he said, as a Continuous Spell Card appeared in front of him. "Now, when I dish out damage with a Beast-Type Monster, you lose an additional 500 Life Points.

"And I end my turn…"

Mistle quickly drew a sixth card.

"I activate, Plant Food Chain!" she shouted.

Her facedown card lifted up.

"This Trap Card Equips to Tytannial, just like an Equip Spell, and gives her Attack Score a little boost."

Tytannial glowed with golden energy… (3,300 ATK)

"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted Vincent.

"Tytannial, destroy Mosaic Manticore!" exclaimed Mistle. "Petal storm!"

Tytannial's eyes glowed, and then a whirlwind of flower petals filled the air. The Beast roared, and then burst into shards.

"Ugh…" muttered Vincent.

"To end my turn…" said Mistle, "I'll summon Botanical Girl, and then set one card."

In another flash, a slim girl who seemed to be dressed all in leaves appeared next to Tytannial. However, on closer inspection, it was clear that she was _made_ of plant matter, and her head was crowned by a cowl resembling a flower and a ponytail made from a pitcher plant. (1,300 ATK)

Then a facedown card appeared in another flash.

**(M: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,050)**

Vincent drew a card. He raised an eyebrow.

He fit three cards into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared, one in each of his free spaces.

"Mmm!" he said.

_Four facedown cards…_ thought Mistle. _Not the best situation… But, I've got Tytannial's effect in case something goes wrong…_

She made a draw.

"I play… Monster Reborn!" she shouted. "It's an old friend of yours…"

Floral Knight Lily appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Take out his Des Kangaroo!" she shouted. "Black arrow!"

Lily leapt up, and fired her bow.

"I'm real sorry, but I gotta cut this short!" interrupted Vincent. "I activate… Mirror Force!"

His facedown card shot up.

"Mirror Force?" gasped Ember.

"What a surprise…" muttered Jinx.

"And here's another surprise," replied Mistle. "The Counter Trap, Pollinosis!"

Her own facedown card shot up.

"It works just like Solemn Judgment, but I have to sacrifice a Plant Monster instead of cutting my Life Points in half. So I'll sacrifice Lily to negate your Trap Card!"

"Oh yeah?" replied Vincent.

Another of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I chain-activate Emergency Provisions! I'll send Mirror Force to the Graveyard to gain 1,000 Life Points before you can negate it!"

The Trap Card vanished.

"Fine," said Mistle. "Now, let's continue… Tytannial, _you_ take out that Kangaroo."

Tytannial's petal storm blew again, eradicating Des Kangaroo.

Mistle simply pointed, and Botanical Girl leapt at Vincent, and kicked him across the face.

He grunted, and held his chin.

**(M: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 1,750)**

"I'll throw this facedown," said Mistle, as a facedown card appeared, "and then you go."

"You're really starting to cheese me off," said Vincent, as he drew a card, "but I'm not dead yet…"

He looked at Mistle's facedown card.

_A Trap Card,_ he thought. _Let's hope it's a good one…_

"I summon Mad Dog of Darkness."

With a low snarl, a large, savage-looking dog appeared on the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy her Botanical Girl!"

Mad Dog of Darkness leapt at Botanical Girl…

"I activate… Wall of Thorns!" shouted Mistle.

Her facedown card shot up, and a mass of thorny vines sprang out of the ground, and grabbed the Beast.

"This works just like Mirror Force, but only if you attack a Plant!"

The vines constricted, and crushed Mad Dog of Darkness.

"You know what this means?" asked Ember. "This means Mistle's gonna win!"

"No she isn't," said Vincent with a chuckle. "You think I didn't expect that? I was _counting_ on it!"

He held up a card in his hand.

"Since you destroyed my Beast-Type Monster, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon _this_ little guy!"

With a roar, a huge, hulking creature materialized in front of Vincent. It was a huge ape standing ten feet tall, with green fur. It had a bushy, green beard, wore a leather vest, and carried a wooden club. (2,600 ATK)

"_Little_ guy?" asked Mistle.

"And my Battle Phase continues," said Vincent. "Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest… Destroy Botanical Girl! Hammer club death blow!"

Green Baboon let out a bellow, and brought its club down on Botanical Girl, smashing her to pieces. Mistle cringed.

"Don't forget," said Vincent. "You lose an extra 500 Life Points from Poison Fangs…"

Mistle clutched her chest.

"But I get to use Botanical Girl's effect…" she replied. "I get to take a Plant-Type Monster from my deck with a Defense Score of 1,000 or less…"

She took a card from her deck, and looked at it.

"And don't forget, my World Tree gains another Flower…"

"Not for long," said Vincent, playing another card. "I'm sick of that stupid thing…"

Mystical Space Typhoon appeared in front of him, and the cyclone turned into a practical tornado, engulfing The World Tree. Mistle covered her head as the whole thing burst into fragments.

"I end my turn…" said Vincent.

**(M: 2,550) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 750)**

"You'll pay for that…" growled Mistle, as she drew a card.

"Tytannial, destroy Green Baboon!" she shouted.

Tytannial gestured again, and the petal storm started…

"Go, Scapegoat!" exclaimed Vincent.

One of his remaining facedown cards lifted up, and four multicolored sheep appeared. (0 DEF x4)

"It's still all over for your Monster!" shouted Mistle, as the petal storm started again.

"Or so you think," said Vincent, with an evil smile.

His other facedown card shot up.

"I activate The Big March of Animals! Now, Green Baboon gains 200 Attack Points for each Beast I have!"

Green Baboon roared, and its Attack Score rose to 3,600. It slammed its club into Tytannial, blowing her to shards. Mistle almost fell over in shock at seeing her best Monster crushed.

The Poison Fangs card glowed, and she groaned.

Her hand trembled. She looked at the five cards in her hand.

She took three of them, and set them on her Disk. A reversed Monster and two reversed cards appeared.

"Your move…" she said, nervously.

**(M: 1,750) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 750)**

Vincent chuckled as he made one draw.

"I activate Token Thanksgiving!" he said, as he played it. "Now, I get to destroy these four sheep, and gain 800 Life Points for each…"

The four Tokens shattered.

"Now, my Monster attacks!"

Green Baboon rushed at the facedown Monster with its club. Lord Poison appeared on the card, and was smashed flat.

"I activate Lord Poison's effect…" said Mistle. "I'm bringing back Floral Knight Tulip from my Graveyard."

Tulip appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,800 DEF)

"Huh?" said Mistle. "Why would she choose to bring her back and not Tytannial?"

"I have no idea," replied Shichiro.

**(M: 1,750) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 3,150)**

"Now, it's my move," said Mistle.

She paused. She looked at Gears.

_Okay, Gears…_ she said. _I'm putting everything I've got into the card you gave me…_

One of her facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Revival Gift," she said. "Now, I get to Special Summon a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard…"

Nettles appeared next to Tulip. (1,200 ATK)

"…and in exchange for that, you get two Gift Tokens."

In two dark shadows, two weird creatures that looked like black frogs with floppy arms appeared on Vincent's side of the field. (1,500 ATK x2)

"And just what am I supposed to do with them?" he asked.

"Anything you want," replied Mistle. "They aren't Ojama Tokens…

"But for now… I Tune together Tulip and Nettles…"

Nettles dissolved into two glowing stars, while Tulip turned into four. They flew into the sky and combined in a burst of light.

"Synchro Summon… Queen of Thorns!"

Similar to how Tytannial had made her appearance, a blooming, thorny briar grew up from the ground. Its blossoms opened, unfolding to reveal a woman dressed in serrated leaves and rose petals, surrounded by thorny brambles, with sharp pods for hands. (2,200 ATK)

"Uh, Gears?" asked Jinx. "Is that…"

"Uh huh," replied Gears. "You know what they say about a rose… Its beauty hides sharp thorns underneath."

"Big deal!" replied Vincent. "That bimbo is weaker than my Baboon!"

Then Mistle's other facedown card lifted up.

"Plant Food Chain?" shouted Vincent. "You had another one?"

Queen of Thorns rose to an Attack Score of 2,700.

"There some sort of rule that says I can only have one?" asked Mistle.

"Ergh…" said Vincent.

Queen of Thorns lifted the pods that served as her hands, and they opened. A spray of thorns shot out of them with the force of a machine gun, literally filling Green Baboon with holes. The big ape collapsed and shattered.

"I end my turn," said Mistle. "And by the way… Queen of Thorns has a powerful effect. While she's on the field, you have to pay 1,000 Life Points to summon a Monster from your hand that isn't a Plant."

**(M: 1,750) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 3,050)**

Vincent snarled, and snatched a card off his Disk.

"I'm beginning to get angry!" he shouted.

"I activate Pot of Avarice! Now, I'll take five of my Beasts and shuffle 'em up…"

He took Des Kangaroo, Mosaic Manticore, Mad Dog of Darkness, Berserk Gorilla, and Green Baboon, and shuffled them into his deck.

"Then I'll draw two times…" he made two draws.

"So… I gotta pay 1,000 Life Points, huh?" he said. "Fine… I'll do that… And I'll sacrifice both of these weirdoes…"

The two Gift Tokens vanished.

"To summon Behemoth the King of All Animals!"

With a roar that seemed to shake all of the Tops, a Beast that was twice the size of Green Baboon appeared looming over Vincent. It was a colossal creature that seemed to combine the worst features of lion, bison, and bear, with violet skin and a long, bushy mane. (2,700 ATK)

Queen of Thorns fired her salvo of thorns again, this time hitting Vincent. He groaned.

"Its Attack Score is equal to Mistle's Monster!" shouted Ember.

"Not for long!" laughed Vincent, playing a card. "I'm going to blow that Trap Card away with Heavy Storm!"

Behemoth roared again, as a ferocious wind ripped though the whole field. Both Poison Fangs and Plant Food Chain were blown to pieces. Queen of Thorns fell back to an Attack Score of 2,200, and Mistle's hair was blown in her face.

Mistle pushed her hair aside and glared at Vincent.

"I activate Plant Food Chain's _other_ effect…" she said, quietly.

"Huh?" said Vincent. "But I destroyed it!"

"Exactly," replied Mistle. "When Plant Food Chain is destroyed by a card effect, I get to summon a Plant from my Graveyard.

"Guess who it is…"

With an explosion of leaves and vines, Tytannial, Princess of Camellias appeared again. (2,800 ATK)

Vincent was now almost beside himself with rage.

"Have it your way!" he screamed. "At least I can crush you boyfriend's precious gift!

"Destroy that skank of a weed!"

Behemoth lifted one mighty claw, and made a savage slash at Queen of Thorns, ripping her in half. Mistle held her chest.

She took some deep breaths.

**(M: 1,250) - - - - - - - - - - (V: 2,050)**

"It's my move…" whispered Mistle.

She drew a card.

"You aren't a bull, Vincent," she said. "Nor are you a bear or an ape…

"You're a pig, plain and simple."

She played the card she had drawn.

"So, you think Queen of Thorns is a weed, do you?" she asked. "Well, you know something, fellah? Weeds are very tenacious… They're hard to get rid of when you're growing a garden or a lawn… If you do manage to get rid of them, odds are you didn't kill their roots, and they'll grow back, stronger than ever…"

"I play Miracle Fertilizer. Now, I can bring a Plant back from my Graveyard one more time…"

Queen of Thorns appeared again. (2,200 ATK)

"Tytannial!" she shouted. "Overthrow his King!"

Tytannial's petal storm blew again, and Behemoth howled in rage. Then it shattered into shards.

"Now, Queen of Thorns, attack directly and finish that pig off!"

Queen of Thorns fired an even more intense spray of thorns, and Vincent Shummer howled in pain.

Then, he toppled over, falling on his back with a crash.

Mistle took a deep breath, as the holograms vanished. Gears ran up and hugged her gently.

Shichiro walked up to Vincent, who wasn't moving. Whether it due to pain or humiliation, it was impossible to say.

"We've had enough from you, my friend," said Shichiro. "You're under arrest."

The gemstone glowed, and the minotaur vanished.

He sighed.

He picked up a card that had apparently been left behind. He looked at it.

It was Cloudian – Nimbusman.

"This was big, people," he said. "He left behind a high-Level Cloudian this time."

"HEY!" shouted Boris's voice from inside. "Gears!"

"What is it, Boris?" shouted Gears, plenty annoyed.

"Telephone!" replied Boris. "It's Soelma, and she's in a panic!"

A look of shock crossed Gears's face. He rushed inside, with the others close behind.

He grabbed the phone.

"Soelma?" he said into it.

"Gears, you gotta help me!" screamed Soelma's voice. "He's a madman… He's…"

Then she was cut short.

"SOELMA!" shouted Gears.

"Hello, Gears," said a familiar voice over the phone.

It was Edmund.

"You…" said Gears, in a voice thick with bile.

"I was just doing some early morning browsing in Soelma's little shop," said Edmund. "Quite a selection here, although I've never been much of a 'reader' myself except for spellbooks and scrolls.

"I notice that Godwin's autobiography is out in paperback, and it seems to be a big seller…

"Of course, I'd wager my last dollar that everything in it is lies written by a ghost writer. If you Shadowchasers truly wanted to make society safe, you'd go after people like him."

"Dealing with corrupt governments is not our business," replied Gears. "There are many problems plaguing the world, and as much as we'd like to solve all of them, we can only do so much. As Jalal is fond of saying, it's not a perfect world."

"You like to quote that mongrel who leads you so much…" replied Edmund.

Gears couldn't respond for a minute. _That_ was crossing the line.

"I'd like to see if you're brave enough to actually call him that to his face," he whispered.

"Enough chat," replied Edmund, not bothering to answer. "I have Soelma tied up here, and as of a minute ago, gagged as well. It will be another two hours before this bookstore is supposed to open, so no customers will be showing up. She's completely at my mercy… Are you aware of the legend of the relationship between moon elves and silver dragons?

"According to legend, if a moon elf is slain by a single strike through the heart with a dagger made from the finest silver, she'll be reborn elsewhere in the world as the child of a silver dragon.

"No moon elves in modern times have been willing to test this, I'm afraid…

"But if you aren't here in thirty minutes, Soelma's going to find out for herself.

"Bring your Disk. I'll be waiting."

He hung up.

Gears dropped the phone, and ran to a cabinet.

"He's leading you into something, I hope you realize," said Shichiro.

Gears opened the cabinet, which held neatly organized cards.

"Yeah, well…" said Gears, "I'll be ready for him… I have just what I need make my deck even more anti-Worm."

He took two Trap Cards out of the cabinet, and looked at them.

"Edmund is going to get what he wants… But this time, I'm going prepared.

"Everyone here, keep watching the perimeter. Edmund probably wants to draw me away so that someone else can come here and steal the Silver Hemisphere."

Shichiro, Jinx, and Ember lifted their Disks.

"We'll be ready for them," said Jinx.

"Then I'm gonna hook me a worm," said Gears.

He ran out to the garage, and leapt onto his D-Wheel. He donned his helmet, and started it up.

With a whir, he sped towards downtown.

_**Mistle had stood up for herself, and had regained the honor that DaPen had taken away. But it seemed that Vincent had succeeded in his mission after all – to keep us occupied while Edmund made his move to set up a battle of **_**real**_** importance. Gears seemed pretty anxious to actually face him, and I don't blame him. After all, he had adapted the Allies of Justice deck to combat the Worms in case they had ever come back, and now was finally his chance to test them in that scenario.**_

_**But little did Gears know, Edmund was as much prepared for him as he was prepared for Edmund. Gears was driving straight into a deadly trap, which would lead him to a difficult and painful duel. After all, Edmund had no intention of facing his enemies on equal terms any more. The stakes had become far too great at this point.**_

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**ANIMAL TRAIL (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A forest path, with a pair of glowing eyes watching from up ahead.

**Card Description:** Activate when 1 of your Monsters is destroyed by battle. Search your deck for 1 Beast-Type Monster, and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Animal Trail" was first used by Hayato in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magna Chum Laude". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Edmund lures Gears into a dangerous duel, with the odds completely in his favor. It's not going to be easy, and Gears is going to have to use his wits and every bit of skill he has as a duelist to make it through._

"_System Down" is coming soon._

_On an unrelated note, Mistle's poem is inaccurate. There are three Monsters in the game that resemble trees. Ten brownie points to the first person who can name all three._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The All-Seeing Orbs; The Eyes of Evil**

In the past two decades or so, overpopulation and a lack of affordable housing has created a vast underclass of the homeless in virtually every city worldwide. Many of these people rightfully feel abandoned by mainstream society, and have decided to turn their backs on it entirely. Seeing this, a dark malevolent force has worked to turn these people's bitterness to their advantage: a group of beholders who now lead a group of them called the All-Seeing Orbs.

Beholders, known occasionally as Eye Tyrants or Spheres of Many Eyes, are a race that is rare even in the homeworld of Shadow. Resembling large, floating, spherical creatures with eleven eyes (ten small ones on stalks and a large central one) and able to project deadly magical rays from these eyes, beholders on Earth find it difficult to hide behind the veil that hides most Shadows, so most simply keep to themselves in hidden enclaves in remote locations.

Not so for one group. This group has presented themselves to the vagrants and destitute of the cities, claiming to be a powerful force from beyond (which is technically true). They offered the disgruntled people power, protection, and a sense of community in exchange for their aid in bringing rightful retribution to the uncaring world. Those who agreed and did their jobs well were given magical gifts, and called the All-Seeing Orbs.

All-Seeing Orbs are practically indistinguishable from the other masses of homeless in any given city. They spend their days panhandling, walking the streets, visiting libraries or other public buildings, or simply congregating in any area where it is common to do so in a metropolitan area. Members of this organization, though, make sure to get within earshot of well-dressed, executive types. They eavesdrop on any important conversation that they can, gathering information about business, finance, politics, and other popular trends, and sending it to their monstrous masters via the magical devices that they carry.

The beholders, for their part, build safe, secure shelters for their minions, and protect them from the police, government agencies, and people who might harass them. Unfortunately for members of this organization, they don't realize that beholders have huge egos and rarely help anyone for any form of charity. To them, the All-Seeing Orbs are slaves (or at best, pets) and are treated as completely expendable. They rarely tell their followers about the plots and schemes they are hatching, and make gruesome examples of Orbs that show too much of an interest.

Just what are the beholders' goals? No-one is really clear on that. Beholders are known for being incredibly xenophobic, and don't have much contact with other races, or even with other clans of beholders. If this group of Eye Tyrants seeks something as grandiose as subjugating humanity or even only Shadowkind, they'll likely need more than an organization of vagrants to do so.

**Story Ideas:** Few creatures are more terrifying than beholders, and for good purpose. Their powers can vaporize a man just by looking at him. Clearly, any story that involves these monsters should be well thought-out.

When dealing with armies of evil minions, mobs of vagrants aren't exactly what the heroes will expect. The All-Seeing Orbs may be slaves, but most would prefer slavery under the beholders with food and a warm place to sleep, as opposed to the slavery under society's uncaring eyes, where they went to sleep hungry and out in the cold, which is what they had before.

It may be possible, however, that heroes might come across former members of this organization who realized that their alliance was a pact with the devil. Such defectors could be a wealth of information about these reclusive monsters. In fact, vagrants often have access to information that you can't get anywhere else. Just watch any crime drama, and you'll be sure to see a scene eventually where the main character gets set on the right track by some panhandler who pays attention where most people don't. And not all bums in a city are members of this group. Heroes might have to pay for this information, but it comes cheap; a few dollars can go a long way for such folks.

**Deck Suggestions:** Oddly, the most popular deck for members of the All-Seeing Orbs is a _Gradius _themed deck. This is due to one combo they use with a specific _Gradius_ Monster, Brain Golem, which has a slight resemblance to a beholder. They use Scroll of Bewitchment to turn the opposing Monster into a Light Monster, thus allowing the Brain Golem to nullify its effect, and allowing the Brain Golem to attack a second time after it destroys it. Naturally, their decks contain other Monsters from the video games, like Gradius itself, Solar Flare Dragons, Moai Interceptor Cannons, and Victory Viper XX03.

As for the beholders themselves, it would be incredibly hard for them to duel, even if they cared to. They can lift things using telekinesis, but without hands to use fine manipulation, it is impossible for them to use a Duel Disk. If a beholder wanted to duel, it likely would have to build some sort of technological or magical device that was designed with beholders in mind.

If they did so, than as far as a deck goes, beholders pride themselves on using the most bizarre and otherworldly creatures imaginable. An Alien Deck would not be unreasonable.


	44. System Down

_Okay, brownie points all around!_

_It seems I was wrong, however. There are actually four Monsters in the game that are trees. The ones that were easy to get were Trent, Vampire Orchis, and Naturia Guardian. But I found out that there is an obscure OCG Monster called Ancient Tree of Enlightenment. You learn something new every day._

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**CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR**

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**System Down**

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_**My cousin was fond of telling me that having a good reputation as a duelist was almost as bad as having a poor one. He encountered it several times in the Pro League. A powerful duelist encounters an opponent who's prepared for him, or thinks he is.**_

_**If a duelist uses a lot of Synchros, it makes sense for his opponent to come prepared with Royal Oppression. A deck that plays a lot of Dark Monsters can be countered with Shadow-Imprisoning Mirror. You play Gladiator Beasts? The Continuous Spell Card, Deck Lockdown and the Monster, G.B. Hunter can both stop them cold.**_

_**This practice can apply to any situation. Gears was rushing to face Edmund, thinking that he was prepared for him.**_

_**But he had made one tiny error…**_

_**Edmund was just as prepared for Gears…**_

Gears sped through the streets at high speed. He wasn't too worried about breaking any traffic laws. The streets were deserted, anyway. Most of the citizens of Neo Domino were too scared to come out of their houses after what happened last night.

He stopped in front of the bookstore after only fifteen minutes.

He opened the door, and slowly went inside.

Soelma was at the far end of the store, tied to a chair and gagged, right in front of the door to the storage room. Gears slowly walked towards her.

"Mmm! Mmm, mmm!" she exclaimed, trying to say something through the gag.

The door behind him slammed shut, as he expected it to do. No matter. He didn't want to leave right away anyway.

Then, he stepped back, as a glowing, sinister pentagram appeared between him and Soelma. As he watched, Edmund materialized in the pentagram.

The sorcerer took a pocket watch out of his robes.

"You're early," he said.

"Glad you approve!" said, Gears, clenching his fists in anger.

Edmund looked at Gears. It was hard to discern any sort of emotion in Edmund's face, seeing as he didn't _have_ any face. Only the mask.

He bent over and pointed to it.

"Go on," he dared. "Hit me right there, if you have the nerve…"

Gears glared at him. He wanted to do it. He was tempted to. But he knew better.

"And make contact with your worm-infested body?" he asked. "I don't think so…"

"Then it seems if you want to apprehend me and rescue the woman behind me, you only have one option…" said Edmund.

He lifted his left arm, and the odd Duel Disk activated.

"Let's cut all the small talk," he said. "I know you've wanted this for a long time."

"Oh, trust me," said Gears. "I have…"

"Duel!" they both said.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Edmund: 8,000)**

"First, I draw," said Edmund, making his first draw.

He added the card to his hand.

"I'll have this Monster defend me, and also set a facedown card."

He placed two cards in his Disk. A reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

_Typical,_ thought Gears.

He made his first draw.

_If I can get by this Monster's Flip-Effect, I've got something here that will ruin his whole strategy…_

"I summon Nanobreaker!" he shouted.

In a flash, Jake appeared, holding the Nanobreaker sword. (1,600 ATK)

"Crush his Monster!" he shouted.

The cyborg made a slash with her weapon. A small, black cat appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

_Huh?_ thought Gears. _I was expecting a Worm…_

"That was A Cat of Ill Omen," said Edmund, as he looked through his deck. "Now, I can take any Trap Card I want from my deck…"

He got the card he wanted.

"…then I reshuffle…"

He shuffled.

"…then I put the Trap Card on top."

He put the card on the top of his deck.

"Then," he continued, "I activate my facedown Jar of Greed."

His facedown card lifted up.

"Now, I get to draw that card instantly."

He drew the top card from his deck.

Gears took two cards from his hand.

"I'm gonna set two more cards, and end my turn," he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

Edmund made another draw.

"I set these two cards," he said, as two facedown cards appeared, "and then set a Monster."

A reversed Monster appeared.

"And my facedown card activates!" exclaimed Gears.

One of his facedown cards shot up, showing the image of a man in decorated armor issuing orders to a battalion of knights.

"It's called Royal Command, and it's your deck's worst nightmare! Now, Flip-Effects aren't gonna work!"

Edmund chuckled evilly.

"What's so funny?" asked Gears.

"Someone is very bright…" replied Edmund. "Gears, that is indeed a well-thought-out plan, and it would worry me… _If_ I was using my Worm deck right now."

"You aren't?" asked Gears, getting nervous.

"No, Gears, I'm not…" replied Edmund. "I have something much more insidious for you this time.

"And by the way, it's your move…"

Gears nervously made a draw.

"I, uh…" he said. "I summon Robotic Knight…"

Robotic Knight appeared, holding its rapier.

"Nanobreaker, attack!"

The bionic maiden made a slash with her sword…

The creature that appeared on the card looked like a vaguely humanoid mass made of blue gelatin, wearing a golden breastplate. (2,000 DEF) Nanobreaker's sword bounced off of it.

"Humanoid Slime?" exclaimed Gears.

"That's right," said Edmund. "And now, it's time to reveal my true plan…"

One of his Trap Cards lifted up.

"It's called Last Machine Acid Virus."

"A _Virus_ card??" shouted Gears.

"That's right!" replied Edmund. "Now, all I need do is sacrifice a Water Monster to infect your cards with a terrible infection of rust…"

Humanoid Slime vanished.

"Now, instead of destroying Monsters that are strong, like Crush Card Virus does, or ones that are weak, like Deck Devastation Virus, this Virus destroys _all_ Machines!"

Gears gasped as Nanobreaker screamed as she and Robotic Knight were covered with corrosive rust, and exploded into dust. Then, the three Monsters depicted in the cards in his hand, Ally of Justice Rudra, Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator, and Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais, appeared on the field, and the same thing happened to them.

"That's not all," continued Edmund. "For each Monster my Virus destroys, you lose 500 Life Points."

Gears screamed as searing pain ripped through him. He fell on one knee.

"And like all Virus cards, this applies to all cards you draw for three turns," said Edmund.

Gears glared at his enemy. Then he gestured, and his facedown card shot up.

"I activate Birthright!" he shouted. "I'm bringing Claíomh Solais back to the field."

"Not if I can help it," replied Edmund.

His other facedown card shot up.

"I activate Jammer Slime," he said. "Now, I just have to discard a Monster with the word 'Slime' in its name to negate your Trap."

He discarded a card, and a blast of purple ooze splattered on Gears's Trap Card, melting it into sludge.

"That's not all, Gears," he continued. "The Monster I discarded was a special one called Draw Slime. Since it went from my hand to the Graveyard, I get to make one draw…"

He drew a card and looked at it.

"Care to tempt fate even more?"

"I have to end my turn…" said Gears.

He was serious. That move had literally left him with nothing except Royal Command.

**(G: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

Edmund made another draw.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon," he said.

He played the card, and Royal Command was blown to bits.

"I thought you weren't playing a Worm deck?" said Gears.

"I'm not," replied Edmund, "but I still need to use one more Flip-Effect."

He played two cards, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared in front of him.

"You see, Gears, I paid a lot for that Virus card, and I intend to get my money's worth.

"I play Book of Taiyou."

The Spell Card appeared, and Morphing Jar flipped face-up. (700 ATK)

"Now, we each ditch the cards in our hands and draw five more…"

Neither of them had any cards to discard, actually, but they both made five draws.

"Of course, thanks to my Virus," said Edmund, "I get to check every card you draw. So let's take a look…"

"See for yourself," said Gears, turning the cards in his hand around.

The five cards were Limiter Removal, Battle-Tuned, Dark Resonator, Dark Tinker, and Overworked.

"How disappointing," said Edmund. "Well… Let's try again…"

The card he had just set lifted up.

"I activate Card Destruction. Now we must fold all our cards and draw an equal number."

Gears growled, as he discarded the cards in his hand. Edmund discarded his: Acid Slime, Jam Defender, Jam Breeding Machine, Frog the Jam, and Metal Reflect Slime. They both made five more draws.

"Let's see how we did this time, shall we?" said Edmund.

Gears growled, and turned his hand around.

This time, the cards were Perfect Machine King, Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive, Ally of Justice Garadholg, Pot of Avarice, and DNA Transplant.

The three Machines appeared on the field, turned to rust, and then shattered. Gears screamed again.

"Not your day, is it?" asked Edmund.

Then he pointed, and Morphing Jar darted forward, hitting Gears in the stomach.

"You crummy…" growled Gears.

"I'm not done," continued Edmund. "I play the Spell Card, Slime Vase."

A Spell Card appeared on the field.

"Now, I get to Special Summon a Monster from my hand with the word 'Slime' in its name. So, I'll summon Clone Slime in Defense Mode."

A creature made of blue liquid, vaguely in the shape of a human, appeared, and shielded itself with two pseudopods. (0 DEF)

"My turn is over…"

**(G: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

Gears drew a card.

He sneered. It was Bokoichi the Freightening Car. It rusted over and exploded, and he cringed again.

He sighed, and he looked at the remaining two cards in his hand, Pot of Avarice and DNA Transplant.

_This is gonna be a big risk…_ he thought. _But I gotta take it…_

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

"You sure you want to do that?" asked Edmund. "After all, if you draw any Machines with that card, you'll only hurt yourself."

Gears ignored him. He took Perfect Machine King, Dekoichi, Ally of Justice Garadholg, Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais, and Ally of Justice Rudra from his deck, shuffled them back into his deck, and made two draws.

He looked at them.

One was Monster Reborn. The other one…

_Hey…_ thought Gears. _This is the guy Ember gave me!_

_And not a moment too soon…_

"Well?" asked Edmund. "Don't keep me waiting, Gears."

Gears smirked, and turned the two cards around.

"Sorry, worm-feast," he said, "but Flamvell Magical is no Machine!

"And I'm summoning him now!"

In a burst of flaming energy, a fiery Spellcaster appeared in front of Gears. He wore leather pants and no shirt, and carried a burning scepter. His hair consisted of a red topknot and goatee, and he had glowing, red eyes. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I bring back Robotic Knight with Monster Reborn!"

The holy ankh appeared, and Robotic Knight appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"Robotic Knight, destroy Morphing Jar with gatling blast!"

Robotic Knight fired rounds of ammo from its left arm, and Morphing Jar was blown to dust. Edmund growled.

"Now, Flamvell Magical attacks your Clone Slime!"

The sorcerer burned with flaming energy. He blasted a fireball at the slime Monster…

"I activate Clone Slime's effect!" shouted Edmund. "When it's attacked, I get to switch it for a Slime Monster from my Graveyard. Like my Acid Slime!"

Clone Slime vanished, and a small, blue amoeba appeared in its place. (1,000 DEF)

The fireball struck it, and Acid Slime exploded.

"And now, due to it being destroyed, you lose 800 Life Points!"

Gears groaned.

**(G: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,100)**

He looked at his two Monsters.

_Flamvell Magical is a Level 4 Tuner,_ he thought. _That means I have what I need to Synchro Summon Ally of Justice Light Gazer…_

_But… If he has another anti-Machine card, it would leave me with nothing… I'd better wait._

"I end my turn," he said.

Edmund drew a card.

Without saying a word, he set two cards on his Disk, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

He nodded.

Gears drew a card.

"Well, let's take a look," said Edmund.

"Sorry, Edmund," said Gears, turning the card around. "This is Trap Eater, and it isn't a Machine.

"Now, Robotic Knight…"

He paused.

"Attack!"

Robotic Knight fired its guns again.

A second Humanoid Slime appeared on the card. The bullets bounced off. (2,000 DEF)

Edmund laughed cruelly.

"I can't believe you made the same mistake twice, Gears!" he laughed.

Gears scowled at him, and set a card in his Disk.

"I'll set this, and then you go," he said, as a facedown card appeared. "And that was the third round, which means your Virus is now expired."

**(G: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,100)**

"It's hurt you pretty much enough anyway," chuckled Edmund, making a draw.

"I sacrifice my Humanoid Slime…"

Humanoid Slime vanished.

"…for Multiple Slime!"

The Monster that appeared this time looked like a large dog or wolf, made out of thick, orange gel. (1,500 ATK)

Then his facedown card lifted up.

"Next, I activate Curse of Aging. I toss one card…"

He discarded a card, a second Draw Slime.

"And your Monsters lose 500 points."

Wrinkles appeared on Flamvell Magical's face, and Robotic Knight started to rust and corrode. Their Attack Scores fell to 900 and 1,100, respectively.

"And thanks to Draw Slime, I get to make one draw."

He drew a card.

"Now, attack Robotic Knight! Primordial ooze blast!"

Multiple Slime spit a blob of disgusting goo at Robotic Knight, and the robot melted into a puddle of sludge.

"I end my turn," chuckled Edmund.

The wrinkles on Flamvell Magical vanished, and his Attack Score returned to normal.

**(G: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,100)**

Gears made a draw. He looked at it.

He quickly set it on his Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Edmund laughed, and made a draw.

"Multiple Slime, dissolve his Flamvell Magical!" he ordered.

Multiple Slime prepared to spit again.

"I activate… Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears, as one of his two facedown cards shot up. "Now, you can either end your Battle Phase, or continue, with your Monster's Attack Score halved."

"Then I'll stop," said Edmund. "And then I'll move to my second Main Phase…

"I'll set a Monster…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

"Then, I'll play my second Book of Taiyou!"

The Monster flipped up, revealing an old, rotted, yellowing mask. (900 ATK)

"Mask of Darkness!" exclaimed Gears.

"Which lets me recover one Trap Card from my Graveyard," said Edmund.

Last Machine Acid Virus slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it. He quickly placed it in his Disk. It appeared facedown.

"Sorry, Ed," said Gears, "I went through three rounds of that, and I'm not going through it again!"

"I'd like to see you try to stop me," replied Edmund.

"As you wish…" said Gears.

His other facedown card shot up.

"Go, DNA Transplant!" he shouted. "Turn all Monsters on the field to Light!"

"HUH?" gasped Edmund.

"You have no Water Monsters to sacrifice now, Edmund," said Gears. "You can't use your Virus card.

"And now, it's my move…"

He drew a card.

_Perfect,_ he thought.

"I summon Ally of Justice Thousand Arms!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the six-armed android armed to the teeth with weapons appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"And guess what?" continued Gears. "When there's an Ally of Justice on the field, Flamvell Magical gains 400 Attack Points."

Flamvell Magical glowed with a shadowy aura. (1,800 ATK)

"Thousand Arms…." Shouted Gears. "Destroy his Multiple Slime!"

Thousand Arms rushed at the Slime, and with one slash, sliced it in two.

"Ergh…" said Edmund. "When Multiple Slime gets trashed, it leaves behind a bonus… Three Slime Monster Tokens."

Three small Slimes, looking like dollops of gel with eyes, appeared. (500 ATK x3)

"How convenient," said Gears. "Because Thousand Arms gets to attack every Light Monster you have!"

"It does?!" gasped Edmund.

Edmund cringed as Thousand Arms' blade slashed though all three of the Slime Monster Tokens, and his Life Points plummeted.

"Now for your Mask of Darkness!" shouted Gears/

Thousand Arms struck the Mask, and it exploded.

"Now, Flamvell Magical attacks you directly! Power of Flamvell!"

Flamvell Magical pointed his staff, and shot a burning ball of flame at Edmund. The Worm that Walked screamed.

_Ember was right,_ thought Gears. _This guy WAS a good idea._

**(G: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 700)**

"Seems that evens up the score, pal," said Gears. "I'll end my turn with that."

Edmund muttered a curse word as he drew a card.

"I'm not finished yet, Gears," he said.

"I play Monster Reborn, to bring Multiple Slime back in Defense Mode."

The ankh appeared again, and Multiple Slime appeared, sitting in a defensive position. (2,000 DEF)

"Next," he said, playing the last two cards in his hand, "two Continuous Spell Cards.

"First, the Dark Door. Now, both of us may only attack with one Monster per turn.

"Second, Hurricane's Nest. Now, if you Special Summon a Monster, I can destroy it by sending the Special Hurricane card in my deck to the Graveyard."

_Which means summoning Light Gazer is out of the question,_ thought Gears.

"It's your move, Shadowchaser," said Edmund.

_Man,_ thought Gears. _Neither of my two Monsters can break that Defense, and the only card in my hand is Trap Eater, which I can't use right now… I can only attack with one Monster, and I can't Special Summon…_

He looked at his deck.

_I need a miracle…_

He drew.

His eyes opened wide.

_Wow…_ he thought. _I ask for a miracle, and I get the parting of the Red Sea…_

"I sacrifice both my Monsters…" he exclaimed.

Flamvell Magical and Thousand Arms dissolved into pixels of Light.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Thunder Armor!"

With a roar, a much larger Machine rose on the field in front of Gears. It looked like a huge set of robotic armor, with a skull-like, robotic face in the center, two metal arms tipped with long energy blades, an engine on the back equipped with wings, and four spindly, mechanical legs. (2,700 ATK)

"You may have summoned a powerful Monster," said Edmund, "but my Monster is in Defense Mode. So I won't take any damage at all."

Gears grinned.

"That's what you think," he replied. "When Thunder Armor is on the field, all Monsters with the words 'Ally of Justice' in their names gain a trampling effect."

"But that means…" said Edmund.

"It means I'm ending this," said Gears. "Thunder Armor… Attack with energy sword!"

Thunder Armor's right blade was surrounded by an aura of blue lightning. It made a slash, cutting Multiple Slime in half. Edmund screamed…

And then he simply keeled over, and froze in place.

**(G: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)**

Gears sighed as the Monster vanished.

"It's all over, worm," he said. "You're under arrest."

Edmund didn't respond.

"Well?" said Gears. "Aren't you gonna say something?"

Then Edmund's body started to flicker and fade.

"Mmm! Mmm!" said Soelma.

Gears went up and tried to touch Edmund, but his hand passed right through the wizard as if he wasn't there.

"A hologram?" he said, in surprise. "Was he even here to begin with?"

He rushed over to Soelma and undid the gag.

"The back room," she said. "Someone's in the back room!"

Gears quickly kicked the door down, and rushed into the storeroom.

What he found there was a surprise. Huddled in the corner was a frightened, little leprechaun, holding a Duel Disk.

"You?" asked Gears. "You were dueling me the whole time, through that hologram?"

"Have mercy, please, sir Shadowchaser," begged the leprechaun. "I'm a member of a clan who lives in Satellite…

"DaPen threatened to destroy the tenement we lived in if I didn't duel you using that deck… I had no choice…

"We're poor folk, sir Shadowchaser… We couldn't afford to lose our home…

"I tried to 'unintentionally' let you know… That's why I had the hologram dare you to hit it… I hoped you would, and then you would realize…"

"A clan of _poor_ leprechauns?" asked Gears. "I thought leprechauns were rich. That they had fey riches, pots of gold…"

"We used to be," sobbed the leprechaun, "but we were wiped out by a string of bad investments. As far as leprechauns go, we aren't very lucky, either."

"Wait…" said Gears. "Where's the real Edmund?"

"He left right before you came here," replied the leprechaun.

Gears quickly turned on his phone.

"Shichiro, it's me," he said into it. "You having any problems?"

"No, not really," replied Shichiro.

"Edmund's trap was a farce," replied Gears. "He isn't even here. He might be trying to make an attempt to steal the Silver Hemisphere."

At the townhouse, Shichiro looked at Jinx.

"Okay, I'm having Jinx go check on it," he said, as Jinx went down to the basement. "How's Soelma?"

"She's safe, for now," replied Gears. "But keep your eyes open. An attack can come at any…"

"Shichiro!" shouted Jinx.

Jinx ran up the stairs. She took the phone away from Gears.

"Gears, hurry back here," she said. "We're in trouble…"

"What?" asked Gears.

"The Silver Hemisphere…" said Jinx. "It's gone…

"Apparently, Edmund has struck again…"

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Twenty minutes later.

"How could he have snuck into the vault?" asked Shichiro. "We had set up wards specifically against necromancy… He couldn't have gotten in…"

"No, _he_ couldn't have," replied Gears. "But maybe he could have used a portal to send a servant in to get it. Maybe a plain old animated zombie."

"So what do we do now?" asked Ember.

Jinx typed some things into the computer.

"The townhouse's equipment is now set to detect any major disturbances in the magical flow," she said. "If anyone casts a spell that could clearly only be cast with the help of the Regalia of Day, we should be able to pinpoint the exact location.

"Let's just hope that said spell doesn't burn the whole city to the ground…"

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At this time, in the ruins of the Arcadia Building…

Edmund stood, with the fully assembled Regalia of Day, all three swords placed in the Silver Hemisphere, before him. Two flesh golems, the ones who had actually gotten into the vault to steal the Silver Hemisphere, stood behind him.

He felt the air. Then he spoke into a cell phone.

"My calculations were right on the money," he said. "The lingering magical aura here is incredibly strong, left from the duels in which both Ccarayhua and Aslla Piscu were summoned simultaneously."

"Fine," said DaPen. "Then test it. Try to cast a spell that you couldn't cast before.

"Try to cast something with a lasting effect that will impress those six fools."

Edmund hung up. He thought for a minute.

Then he gestured, and a spellbook appeared in his hand. He opened it; the words on the pages were written in Old Gaelic.

He looked for a certain spell. Finding it, he started to read the instructions.

Then he started to chant. The swords started to glow…

_**The complete Regalia of Day was now in enemy hands. And now, Edmund's test run would inadvertently have dire effects that not even he could have foreseen. You see, as Jalal would later tell us, artifacts like the Regalia of Day were always double-edged swords. They could bestow great power, but they always came with strings attached.**_

_**Edmund's attempt at summoning something that was incredibly hard to summon would cause a very big mess, and guess whose job it would be to clean it up?**_

_**Yup, you're learning…**_

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**FLAMVELL MAGICAL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When you control at least one face-up "Ally of Justice" Monster, increase the ATK of this card by 400.

_Note: "Flamvell Magical" was released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**ALLY OF JUSTICE THUNDER ARMOR (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Special Summoned. When an "Ally of Justice" Monster you control attacks an opposing Defense Position Monster with an ATK higher than the opposing Monster's DEF, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Thunder Armor" was released in Japan for "Duel Terminal 3; Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MULTIPLE SLIME (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 3 "Slime Monster Tokens" (Aqua/Water/Level 1/ATK 500/DEF 500) in Attack Position.

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**ACID SLIME (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 800 points of direct damage to your opponent.

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**CLONE SLIME (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** Activate only when this card is designated as an attack target. Send this card to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Slime" Monster from your Graveyard (except a "Clone Slime") or one that is named "Frog the Jam" or "Revival Jam" in the same battle position as the "Clone Slime" was in before being sent to the Graveyard. Continue the battle normally with the Special Summoned Monster becoming the new attack target.

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**DRAW SLIME (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is sent from your hand to the Graveyard, draw 1 card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SLIME VASE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A blue slime pouring itself out of a stone tower.

**Card Description:** Special Summon 1 "Slime" Monster from your hand, or one that is named "Frog the Jam" or "Revival Jam"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**JAMMER SLIME (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** A burst of purple slime.

**Card Description:** Discard 1 "Slime" Monster from your hand, or one that is named "Frog the Jam" or "Revival Jam". Negate the activation of 1 Spell or Trap Card and destroy it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**LAST MACHINE ACID VIRUS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** An army tank being burned by Acid Slimes.

**Card Description:** Tribute 1 WATER Monster. Check all cards your opponent controls, in your opponent's hand, and all cards your opponent draws for the next 3 turns, and destroy all Machine-Type Monsters. For each card that is destroyed by this effect, inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points.

_Note: The proceeding seven cards were first used by Inukai in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "No Pain, No Game". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**HURRICANE'S NEST (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was not clear.

**Card Description:** When your opponent Special Summons a Monster, you can send this card and 1 "Special Hurricane" from your hand or deck to the Graveyard to destroy that Monster.

_Note: "Hurricane's Nest" was first used by the spirit of Scarr, Scout of Dark World in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Friend or Fiend". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Edmund succeeds in summoning something terrible, but doing so has repercussions that send the evil wizard running for his life. Now, the Shadowchasers must track down the new threat that has come to Neo Domino, one who is intent on finding and aiding the Dark Signers. Shichiro makes a bold challenge, with the possible fate of all creation riding on the outcome. _

"_Divine Wrath" is coming up next._

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**Shadowchaser Files:**

**Milton, the Mad Mechanic**

There are some things that both man and Shadow was not meant to trifle with. Such is the case with the moon elf who calls himself Milton.

Milton was a wizard of average skill, who set himself apart from his fellow elves by his odd hobby – studying the lore of an artifact called the Machine of Lum the Mad. According to legend, many centuries ago, a bloody warlord named Lum owned this large and complex device, and used it to conquer many lands. However, he was defeated in battle by the treacherous general Leuk-O, and both he and the Machine vanished without a trace.

The Machine is said to be an enormous contraption, covered with switches, dials, and plugs. If one knows the proper combinations to set them, the Machine can conceivably do anything. Lum was clearly insane, and used the Machine to create many terrible monsters and cataclysms.

While doing this research, Milton learned a lot about combining magic with technology, and built several magical toys and contraptions, like model helicopters that actually flew, and small toy tanks that rolled about and made noise. Then one day, he excitedly told a college that he had made a breakthrough. He left, and didn't return for a month.

When he did come back, he was a changed elf. He wasn't as friendly as he once was, and not as respectful to his friends. He started a new project, and after two more weeks, a much larger robotic construct that he had created attempted to break into the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Fortunately, the Shadowchasers intervened, and stopped it. They hunted down Milton, expecting a fight, but were surprised when he simply gave up without a struggle.

However, despite being arrested and convicted, prison cannot hold Milton, due to another invention he had completed before being arrested. Apparently, the first thing he had worked on were a group of clockwork duplicates of himself, which he can somehow project his consciousness into from anywhere on the globe. He had placed them at several strategic locations worldwide, and quickly started using them to make more. Thus, he can do whatever he wants when he wants while still in prison, and thus his crimes continue, with more mechanized creations pursuing bizarre goals. And Milton has the perfect alibi in case anyone suspects him – he's in jail.

Jalal and a few others are aware of this scheme, but there isn't much they can do to stop him. The correction officers at the prison have tried sedating him and erecting every manner of magical barrier to keep him from controlling these constructs, but some greater force is helping him foil each attempt. Jalal has thus made an educated guess as to what is motivating Milton, and what his goals are:

Milton somehow found the Machine of Lum the Mad, and it somehow dominated him, forcing him to work as its slave. As for what its goal for Milton is, the story of the Machine mentions a second artifact called the Mighty Servant of Leuk-O, a powerful war machine that could defeat an army, which Leuk-O used against Lum in the final battle. The Mighty Servant is the Machine's counterpart, and it wishes to be reunited with it. Jalal knows that the Shadowchasers must prevent this from happening, as it likely was the Machine's influence that drove Lum insane in the first place. It likely is just as mad as he was.

**Story Ideas:** The idea that says that "metal men can't duel" is common in fanfiction. It means, some people think that soulless robots and other creatures with artificial intelligence make poor duelists. (This is nonsense of course, as you'd know if you ever played a Yu-Gi-Oh video game.) In my various fanfics, I've presented many metal men who can duel, most notably the android Macros from _Legend of the Sorcerer Kings_. With a villain like Milton, you could create robots of any size and shape desirable, and many could be duelists.

Don't fall into a cliché trap with Milton, however. Most robots in fiction are no different than the ones that have appeared several times before. When designing Milton's creations, try looking at the old sketches for Leonardo Da Vinci's machines, and then add knives and old fashioned guns to them. You might come up with something special. Also, Milton himself need not hide in the background all the time like most villains. His clockwork doppelgangers are expendable, and he can use them to confront the heroes at any time.

Any story involving Milton should involve the Machine of Lum the Mad in some way, which is likely the driving force behind him, a shadowy villain that is controlling him. This infernal device of pure Chaos hides in some alternate dimension or world, with incomprehensible goals. Possibly, if Milton is truly defeated, the next step would be confronting the Machine and ending the threat it poses forever.

**Deck Ideas:** Milton likes Machines, and might use ones that you wouldn't expect a typical bad guy to use. Vehicroids are possible, and so are Gadgets. He might also like Ancient Gears, as he has a fondness for old machines, like the one that his hobby entailed.


	45. Divine Wrath

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**CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE**

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**Divine Wrath**

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_**Edmund was now in possession of all four components of the Regalia of Day. He had the power of a pretty potent artifact in his hands.**_

_**The problem was, all too often, artifacts are often double-edged swords. If used improperly, they can be as dangerous to their users as they are to those who fight them. You've certainly heard the old joke about the guy with the twelve-inch pianist, right? Well, artifacts are like that, only far more lethal. When you use the tools of the gods, you must take precautions and safety measures to make sure your intentions are not misinterpreted, and no unwanted side effects occur.**_

_**But Edmund, in his foolish pride, took very few precautions. And he was about to make a mistake which Gears had feared was waiting to happen…**_

Edmund dashed down the street, hardly even watching where he was going. He had managed to grab the Regalia and stuff it into a Bag of Holding before running for his life, but he had abandoned the spellbook he had used and most of his other equipment, and had left the two golems to their fates.

He had other spellbooks, and so long as there were corpses, he could build more golems. But not if he was dead.

He ducked into an alley, and started dialing on his cell phone.

"Louis!" he gasped into it. "Louis, are you there?"

"What's the problem?" asked DaPen's voice. "I can barely comprehend you."

"I'm a little out of breath…" muttered Edmund.

"How is that possible?" asked DaPen. "You have no lungs. What on Earth happened?"

"Okay, first the good news," said Edmund. "The Regalia works like a charm. I was able to cast the spell easily. I was able to make contact with something I was never able to before, and was able to convince it to come to this dimension. And the protective wards I set up held wonderfully."

"I'm sensing that there's bad news with this as well," replied DaPen.

"Yeah…" said Edmund. "I'll explain when I get back…

"In the meantime… You might want to call all the clan leaders you were trying to ally with… And tell them all to stay inside for a while…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Fifteen minutes later, back at the ruins of the Arcadia Building.

The equipment that Jinx had used to detect magical surges had worked perfectly. As soon as Edmund had cast his spell, the four Shadowchasers had honed in on this location, and five minutes later, they were on their way.

But nothing could prepare them for what they found when they had gotten here. The remains of a spellbook was on the ground, half burned to ashes, next to a chalk pentagram, its protective enchantment clearly ruined, and the bodies of the two flesh golems were on the ground, cut into pieces…

And a much bigger creature had perished as well…

"What is it?" asked Ember, who was stunned by the sight.

"I think a better question is," said Shichiro, "what _was_ it?"

The creature sprawled on the ground before them was clearly dead; it had been cut in half, after suffering numerous other wounds. By estimate, it had been about twenty feet tall when it was it one piece, and its muscular body looked like an atypical demon. It had horns, claws, tusks, and goat-like legs with cloven hooves. It had worn black, iron armor, which was now dented and broken, and it clutched the remains of a large sword in its claw, which had apparently been smashed to pieces by whatever weapon had been used by its killer.

"Pee-yew!" grunted Jinx. "Does it stink like that 'cause it's dead??"

Gears rubbed his chin.

"I've only heard stories about them…" he said, "but I think this was a deathdrinker, a very powerful demon. According to legend, deathdrinkers are somewhat of a class of nobles in the lower planes, known for their enormous egos. They love having lesser beings serve and admire them. To a deathdrinker, no amount of flattery is enough. As a result, they're very hard to summon. Deathdrinkers despise having to serve other beings.

"But if they crave attention, they deserve it. One deathdrinker is the equal of a small army of lesser demons when called into battle."

"Uh, Gears…" said Ember. "Forgive me for being so blunt… But if this thing was so powerful, what in the world killed it?!"

"Bad choice of words, Ember…" said Jinx. "I have a feeling that whatever killed it is _not_ of this world."

Gears took a device out of the pouch on his belt, and turned it on.

"That's your PKE meter, right?" asked Ember.

"More or less," said Gears. "It might help us identify just what did this… I'm assuming that Edmund summoned the deathdrinker using the Regalia… Whatever evil plans he had for it, we may never know…

"But apparently, once he did… Something went terribly wrong…"

He looked closely at the device, and some statistics started to appear.

"I'm picking up a total of five lingering auras," he said. "Two of them are a day old. They register as Class 12 immortal beings, Overwhelming Chaos and Evil. Clearly that would be the two Earthbound Gods. Eh… Those auras will likely never completely fade…

"The rest are a half-hour old. The first is a Class 6 mortal being, Strong Evil and Necromancy. That's likely Edmund. Then there's a Class 9 immortal being, Very Strong Chaos and Evil. That's probably the deathdrinker.

"The last one is very confusing. It has no mortality rating, only an aura that reads Very Strong Law."

"No mortality reading?" asked Jinx. "Gears, only creatures that are living or once-living can have ethical auras. If it isn't living or undead, it would have to be… a golem or something, and it couldn't have _any_ aura."

Gears sighed, and his brow furrowed.

"_Most_ golems can't have auras," he said. "I'm afraid that Edmund's carelessness with magic has finally caused repercussions…

"A platonic has come to Earth. Clearly, it killed the deathdrinker.

"And it hasn't left yet. It went towards the rural part of the city. Even worse, it isn't chasing Edmund. He apparently fled in the opposite direction. This platonic has some goal other than hunting him down."

"We have to find it," said Shichiro. "Platonics are utterly without mercy when pursuing their goals."

"Are you going to fight this… platonic?" asked Ember.

Shichiro gave a nervous laugh.

"Fight it?" he asked. "I wish. Ember, no mortal being has a prayer of confronting a platonic in combat and winning. Divine magic is used to teach them thousands of fighting styles from hundreds of worlds, and make them almost perfect in each one. In a boxing match, Muhammad Ali himself wouldn't have been able to beat one in his prime.

"The most we can do is find it, find out what it's planning, and somehow convince it to leave before more blood is spilled.

"Gears, can you get a fix on that aura?"

Gears plugged the device into his D-Wheel.

"Yeah…" said Gears. "It seems to be heading towards the Daimon Area."

"Then that's where we're going," said Shichiro.

They mounted their bikes, Ember getting on behind Jinx, and drove off into the seedier side of Neo Domino.

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The Daimon Area seemed a bit quieter than usual. Not as many folks who lived here were scared away by the events that happened the night before uptown, and there were still a few street duels happening here and there.

The three D-Wheels pulled to a stop.

"It's close," said Gears, "but I think it knows that it's being followed. The tracker is having a harder time pinpointing the exact location."

"Great," said Jinx. "So where do we start looking?"

Then an explosion of energy shook the whole block from up ahead. It was followed by screams, followed by dozens of humans and Shadows running from the source.

"Uh, I think we should try over there…" said Ember.

They got off their bikes, and started running towards the point of the blast on foot. As they did, two orcs, one of which was Hisao, ran past them, and dove for cover behind some garbage cans.

"You guys gotta stop that thing!" screamed Hisao. "It's some sort of crazy robot! It keeps saying stuff about something called Dark Signers!"

The four Shadowchasers looked at each other.

"Dark Signers??" they all said at once.

"We'll take care of it," said Shichiro.

_I hope…_

"Uh, Hisao?" said the other orc. "Do orcs go to Heaven?"

"I kinda doubt it…" replied Hisao.

The four Shadowchasers cautiously walked to the place where the explosion had come from. A humanoid form was standing in a cloud of smoke.

The creature was a mechanical construct, apparently made from clockwork parts. It wore elaborate bronze armor, a crimson cape and a white toga, and held a gleaming sword in its right hand. Its eyes were sparkling, green gemstones.

It looked at the four Shadowchasers without saying a word. Then Shichiro made the first move.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Then he paused.

_Does that question even make sense to this creature?_ he asked.

"I am the twenty-fifth of the Obligatum series of platonics," replied the creature.

Its voice was a monotonous tone with impeccable pronunciation.

"Fine," said Shichiro. "We'll call you Obligatum XXV. Now why are you here?"

"I came to this world when I sensed a vital treaty was violated," replied the platonic. "A member of the Cabal of Pain arrived in the mortal realm, which it was forbidden to do as outlined by a diplomatic agreement made nine centuries ago."

"Huh?" said Ember.

"The deathdrinker violated some of treaty by answering Edmund's summoning," whispered Jinx. "It probably didn't think anyone would be strong enough to stop it. Apparently, interdimensional justice is far stricter than the Shadowchasers'."

"However," continued Obligatum XXV, "once I rectified that problem, I detected a new one of much more importance that needs immediate attention.

"I must find the Dark Signers and aid them in their goal… To free the Earthbound Gods from their imprisonment."

The four humans gasped.

"Over my dead body!" shouted Jinx.

Obligatum XXV lifted its sword.

"Jinx, don't say things like that!" warned Gears. "Platonics have a hard time understanding figures of speech…"

"Everyone calm down!" said Shichiro.

He turned to Obligatum XXV again.

"Begging your pardon…" he said. "May I inquire _why_ you desire to free the Earthbound Gods?"

"Not that it is any of your business," said the platonic, "but I will explain so that I may do so unmolested.

"Their imprisonment is the result of a serious breech of contract."

"I don't understand…" said Shichiro.

"Five thousand years ago," explained the platonic, "a group of wizards who yearned to rule the People of the Stars first summoned the Earthbound Gods to the mortal world, as part of a verbal agreement. The Earthbound Gods would lead them in them their conquest in exchange for worship and sacrifices.

"But the wizards reneged on their side of the bargain. Once the Gods were summoned, their summoners decided that the price they had agreed to was too high. So they fled to the ones they had intended to conquer and pleaded for help. If not for their help, the Star Dragon King would have been taken by surprise, and the Crimson Dragon would have been outmatched."

"Buddy, you're missing the big picture," replied Shichiro. "The _reason_ that their summoners turned against the Earthbound Gods was because they realized they had made a terrible mistake by summoning them!"

"I am not interested in any extenuating circumstances," replied the creature. "What happened was a breech of contract that I intend to rectify. The Earthbound Gods deserve release."

"You have to listen to reason!" pleaded Jinx. "Do you have any idea what those things will do if they're freed?"

"That is not my concern," said Obligatum XXV. "Are you going to hassle me any longer, or should I continue what I was doing?"

"Uh, look, Obligatum XXV, was it?" said Gears. "You have a valid argument, and maybe we can even help you find the Dark Signers. Just give the four of us five minutes to discuss things, okay?"

"Gears?" said Shichiro.

"Five minutes," said Obligatum XXV. "Not one second more."

"Huddle," said Gears.

The Shadowchasers went into a huddle.

"We aren't really gonna help it, are we?" asked Ember.

"Of course not," whispered Gears, "but I think I see what the problem here is.

"This platonic appeared in the ruins of the Arcadia Building, where Ccarayhua and Aslla Piscu's auras were still strong. It learned of this 'breached contract' from the two demons' fleeting thoughts.

"Now, most likely, whatever actually happened between the Earthbound Gods and their summoners is thus subjective to the demons' biased view of the facts. But whatever the case, this created something _incredibly_ dangerous… A misguided platonic. Its sense of Law has been perverted by the Earthbound Gods' evil presence. It is completely uncaring about the repercussions that will result if its mission succeeds, and it doesn't realize that rectifying this violation of Law will only cause more Chaos than it could ever imagine."

"So what do we do?" asked Jinx. "We're no match for this creature! And I'm willing to bet that the true Signers aren't either. They'll be slaughtered…"

"Well," said Gears. "The only way to truly stop it from pursuing its mission at this point is to either trick it into finding a need to go home, or summoning more platonics. If it communicates with others of its kind, they will quickly discover that it has become misguided, and they'll have its memory wiped. It won't remember this mission any more."

"Really?" said Shichiro. "You said that the Earthbound Gods were Class 12 immortal beings, right? Tell me, Gears, if a platonic was a living creature, how would it measure?"

"Uh…" said Gears, "probably around 10. Why?"

"Okay," said Shichiro. "Wish me luck…"

He turned and stood up to Obligatum XXV.

"You seem to be very intent on seeing that contracts and agreements are not broken," he said.

"That has been the primary purpose of the Obligatum series since the very first one was forged," replied Obligatum XXV.

"Well…" said Shichiro. "I should tell you that the beings you wish to free have themselves committed many violations of an important contract that was drafted roughly five-hundred years ago, and have also blatantly directed their servants violate it."

"Prove it," ordered Obligatum XXV.

Shichiro took his iPod out of his pocket and pushed a few buttons, and the text of the Great Treaty appeared on the screen.

"I'll scroll to Section Two, Article Four," he said, "where you can see that beings in the class of the Earthbound Gods fall under its jurisdiction… Then you can…"

"No need…" said Obligatum XXV.

Its eyes glowed, and the text on Shichiro's iPod started to scroll incredibly fast, as the platonic read the text of the entire Great Treaty at high speed. It took it less than a minute to read the whole document.

Once it was finished, it paused. It seemed very unsure of itself for the first time.

"You make a good case…" said Obligatum XXV. "The Earthbound Gods have indeed committed several serious violations of this contract…

"The task before me is thus clear…

"I must first rectify the older contract by releasing them from their imprisonment…

"And then I must rectify this one by vanquishing them."

"That's the craziest thing I have ever heard of," whispered Ember.

"Misguided, remember?" whispered Gears.

"The problem is," continued the platonic, "I lack the power to do it on my own…"

"Well!" said Shichiro. "Maybe you should just go home and recruit some reinforcements! I'm sure a group of you could manage."

"True…" replied Obligatum XXV. "But I do not like leaving this situation as it is… I would need someone to make sure things do not get out of control… I would need a proxy to stay behind…

"But… I can't get one without leaving…"

"The rock and the hard place…" said Jinx.

"Uh…" said Shichiro.

_Think fast, Shichiro,_ he thought.

"You need a proxy, pal?" he asked. "I'll volunteer."

Obligatum XXV glared at him.

"How can I trust you with such a job?" he said. "How can I be sure that you can even _handle_ such a task?"

"I don't suppose you'd take my word?" asked Shichiro.

"Trust must be earned," replied Obligatum XXV. "Not just in word, but in deed."

"Uhm…" said Shichiro. "Tell you what… If I can prove to you that I'm just as skilled as you are in the form of combat used by the Dark Signers, will you trust me?"

Obligatum XXV looked at him.

"That seems fair enough," he said. "What form of combat do the Dark Signers use?"

"You don't know?" asked Shichiro. "Well, uh… Do you know anything about Duel Monsters?"

Obligatum XXV looked at him again and held its chin.

"No," it replied. "But I am a fast learner."

The platonic's eyes glowed…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At various parts of the city, everyone who owned a deck and a Duel Disk felt a small twinge of pain, like the shock you get from eating ice cream too fast.

The four true Signers felt it. So did the five Dark Signers. So did all their allies and rivals. Rex Godwin himself felt the same twinge. And so did every street-level duelist.

None of them realized that the sudden pain was caused by a quick scan by the platonic, who was using it to quickly learn this game that it had never heard of before.

In less than a minute, its knowledge of Duel Monsters had grown from nothing, to that of a pro duelist…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Quite interesting," said Obligatum XXV. "Very well… I agree to those terms…"

It stashed its sword in a sheath on its side, and then lifted its left arm. Three golden cogs appeared on it, and then started to spin. The cogs vanished in a flash, turning into a golden and bronze Duel Disk.

A deck appeared in the holder.

"You know, this just might work," said Gears. "Platonics are enchanted so that they can achieve perfection in all forms of combat… But Duel Monsters is technically a card game. And since it just had to learn how to play, this is one contest where a mortal can conceivably defeat it."

"Conceivably?" asked Ember, nervously.

"I can't exactly make any promises…" said Gears. "Platonics are so dedicated to Order, they can be confusing.

"At least with demons, you know what to expect."

Shichiro held up his own arm, and his own Disk activated.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Obligatum XXV: 8,000)**

"The rules of a duel state that the one who was challenged chooses the weapons," said Obligatum XXV. "Since you had to choose the weapons, logic states that you were the one who was challenged. I believe that also gives the honor to you."

Shichiro looked at him. He made his first draw.

He wasn't absolutely certain if that logic made sense, but if this being wanted him to go first, he wasn't complaining.

He looked at his hand.

"I summon Queen's Knight," he said.

In a burst of light, the lovely queen in scarlet armor appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"…and I'll leave it at that."

"Then I draw," said Obligatum XXV.

It clicked its thumb and middle finger, and its Disk beeped. A card slipped off of its deck, into its hand.

"I set one Monster, and one facedown card, and my turn ends," it said, as a reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

Shichiro drew a card.

_It looks like its running into trouble already,_ he thought. _I can make a good lead if it isn't as good as it professes to be._

"Come on out, King's Knight!" he shouted.

In another flash of light, King's Knight appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And he's followed by Jack's Knight!"

Jack's Knight appeared in another flourish. (1,900 ATK)

"All right!" cheered Ember. "His poker knight combo!"

"Queen's Knight, attack!"

Queen's Knight rushed at the facedown card, and a radiant man in a toga appeared, with feathered wings on his back, kneeling on the card. Queen's Knight struck with her sword, and he shattered into shards.

"Shining Angel?" asked Shichiro.

"Yes," said Obligatum XXV. "Now, I can Special Summon a Light-Attribute Monster from my deck with low Attack Points. I choose a second Shining Angel."

Another Shining Angel appeared in front of the platonic. (1,400 ATK)

Obligatum XXV held up its Disk, and it shuffled the deck automatically.

"I want one of those!" exclaimed Jinx.

"The Disk was probably built by the same crèche forges that build the platonics," replied Gears. "Those forges are capable of creating the finest machinery in the universe. It may have been a rush job, but it's obviously better than anything KaibaCorp could ever make."

Shichiro frowned.

"My King's Knight attacks your second Angel," he said.

King's Knight made a slash with his blade, and the second Shining Angel shattered.

"I summon a third Shining Angel," replied Obligatum XXV.

A third Shining Angel appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Jack's Knight, destroy the last one!" ordered Shichiro.

Jack's Knight slammed his sword down, and the last Angel was blown to bits.

"I use the effect of my last Shining Angel to Special Summon Radiant Jeral," said Obligatum XXV.

In a beam of light, an odd creature materialized. It looked like a cross between a holy idol and R2D2, made of green crystal. It had a glowing halo above it, and small, feathered wings in back, which kept it aloft. (1,000 ATK)

"Odd…" said Ember. "It's using Fairies? I expected Machines…"

"It might not be a good idea to make presumptions here…" warned Gears.

Shichiro sighed.

"I end my turn," he said.

"But first, my Trap Card activates," replied Obligatum XXV.

Its facedown card lifted.

"Solemn Wishes. Now, I gain 500 Life Points whenever I draw a card.

"NOW I will draw."

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,300)**

It drew a card, and a shower of gold fell upon it.

"I move Radiant Jeral into Defense Mode…"

The strange Fairy landed and folded its wings. (2,000 DEF)

"Then, I discard Zeradias, Herald of Heaven from my hand."

It slipped a card into its discard slot.

"By doing so, I can take a specific Spell Card from my deck."

It took the card, and the Disk shuffled its deck.

"Then, I play it… The Sanctuary in the Sky."

The platonic placed a card in its Field Slot, and an overwhelming light permeated the area…

When the light subsided, they were all standing on a huge cloud, under a sapphire blue sky full of other clouds. Heavenly hosts filled the sky, and a huge, ancient temple, the Sanctuary itself, loomed behind Obligatum XXV.

"This isn't good," said Gears. "I've run into this Field Spell several times…"

"It reduces the battle damage from battles involving Fairies to zero, right?" asked Ember.

"Yeah," replied Gears, "but there are numerous strategies involving this card, and none of them are easy to beat."

Obligatum XXV played a card.

"I summon Warrior of Zera," it said.

The clouds parted, and a Warrior appeared from within them. He wore blue pants, a green breastplate and helmet, and a red scarf. He carried a sword with a demonic face on the hilt. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice him…"

Warrior of Zera started to glow with radiant light. He grew to half-again his size, and huge, feathered wings sprouted from his back. His armor turned into gleaming, silver plate armor, and the helmet became three times as fancy. His scarf now covered the lower half of his face. He now held a sword that shone with blinding light.

"I summon Archlord Zerato."

(2,800 ATK)

"This isn't good…" muttered Shichiro.

"Now, I activate its effect…" continued Obligatum XXV. "I discard one Light-Attribute Monster…"

It discarded a card, The Agent of Creation – Venus.

Archlord Zerato lifted his sword, and the spire of the Sanctuary glowed. A lightning bolt shot from the spire, vaporizing the three knights.

"Attack directly," said the platonic.

Archlord Zerato flew at Shichiro at full speed, and gripped his sword with both hands as he slammed it into him. Shichiro screamed as he was propelled backwards.

"Ooh…" he said.

"My turn is over," said Obligatum XXV.

**(S: 5,200) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,800)**

"Aren't you gonna gloat?" asked Shichiro, as he got up. "Kick me when you have the advantage?"

Obligatum XXV just looked at him.

Shichiro sighed.

_I'm wasting my breath talking trash to this overgrown alarm clock,_ he thought.

He made a draw.

"I summon… Freed the Brave Wanderer!" he exclaimed.

With a flourish, Freed appeared, holding his glowing sword. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, I remove two of my Light Monsters from the game…"

Queen's Knight and King's Knight slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed them.

"And Freed can destroy any Monster that's stronger than he is!"

Freed made a slash with his sword. Archlord Zerato made a look of shock, and then burst into globules of light.

"All right!" cheered Ember. "He beat Zerato!"

"And Zerato is a NOMI," added Jinx. "Obligatum XXV won't be able to bring him back."

"I'm not done," said Shichiro, placing a card in his Disk. "I play Synchro Boost! This Equip Spell gives Freed 500 more Attack Points!"

(2,200 ATK)

"Attack Radiant Jeral!" he shouted. "Brave sword attack!"

Freed made a great cut with his sword, and the strange Fairy shattered into shards of green glass.

"And that's all," said Shichiro, with a laugh.

"Shichiro's gonna do it!" cheered Ember. "He's gonna win!"

Obligatum XXV made a draw, and looked at the card. The shower of gold fell on it.

"I play Pot of Avarice," it said, as a Spell Card appeared.

Zeradias, Zerato, Warrior of Zera, and two Shining Angels slipped out of its discard slot. It combined them with its deck, and the Disk shuffled it. It made two draws, and the shower of gold fell on it a second time.

Without missing a beat, it played a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," it said. "I'll bring The Agent of Creation – Venus back from my Graveyard."

The holy ankh appeared, and a feminine form appeared. It was an angel in a golden dress, blonde hair, and golden wings, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes closed. Three orbs of light, one red, one blue, and one purple, floated in front of her. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect, and pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball."

In a glowing light, a small orb of silvery, shining light with a calming aura appeared. (500 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice both of these Monsters…"

The Agent of Creation and the Mystical Shine Ball vanished…

"…to summon Splendid Venus."

The new angel that appeared stood over eight feet tall. She had four feathered wings, was dressed in elaborate golden raiment, and carried a long, golden scepter. She radiated an intense, intimidating aura. (2,800 ATK)

"I take it back…" moaned Ember. "He's _not_ gonna win…"

"When this Monster is on the field," continued Obligatum XXV, "all Monsters except for Fairies lose 500 points from both their scores."

Freed fell to an Attack Score of 1,700.

"In addition, my Spell and Trap Cards cannot be countered.

"So let's continue… Attack his Brave Wanderer. Holy feather shower."

Splendid Venus flicked her wings forward, and a swarm of her feathers shot towards Freed like knives. He struggled against the onslaught, but was blown to atoms.

"It is your move…"

**(S: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,300)**

Shichiro looked at his deck. Then he looked at the four cards left in his hand.

He drew a card.

He quickly set two cards, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

Obligatum XXV quickly made a draw. The shower of gold fell on it again.

"Attack his Monster," it ordered.

Splendid Venus unleashed her feather shower again. Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card, and tried to shield herself before she was blown away.

"I use Warrior Lady's effect!" said Shichiro, taking his deck. "I get to Special Summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"And the one I'm summoning is my Turret Warrior!"

With a flash, the large, blocky Warrior with gun turrets on its shoulders appeared. (1,200 ATK) –) (700 ATK)

"An illogical move," said Obligatum XXV. "Since it was Special Summoned from your deck, its effect cannot be used."

"But it has another purpose that will come into play soon," replied Shichiro. "Do you end your turn?"

"I do," said Obligatum XXV. "But that Warrior will be a poor defense as well. Venus reduces its Defense Score by 500, remember?"

"I don't intend to defend with it either…" said Shichiro.

**(S: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 8,800)**

He drew a card.

"I summon Nitro Synchron!" he said.

In a small burst of flame, the propane tank with a funny face and two pipe cleaner arms appeared. (300 ATK)

"Now, I Tune my two Monsters together…"

Nitro Synchron's eyes glowed, and the needle on its gauge moved into the red. It and Turret Warrior flew above the Sanctuary, and faded into seven glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Nitro Warrior!"

The fiery Synchro Warrior flew down to the field, a trail of flames in its wake. (2,800 ATK)

"Impressive," said Obligatum XXV, "but you seem to forget about my Monster's effect."

(2,300 ATK)

"I didn't forget," replied Shichiro. "But before I respond to it, Nitro Synchron's effect lets me draw one card…"

He made a draw, and looked at it.

"Now, I activate my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"Synchro Strike! This gives Nitro Warrior 500 more Attack Points for each Monster I used to Synchro Summon it!"

Nitro Warrior burned with flames… (3,300 ATK)

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Destroy Splendid Venus with dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior flew at the Fairy in an aura of fire. It socked the giant angel hard, and an explosion of flames erupted from the point of impact.

"He did it!" cheered Ember.

"Don't celebrate yet," said Gears. "He may have destroyed Splendid Venus, but thanks to this Field Spell, Obligatum XXV didn't lose any Life Points."

"I have to end my turn there," said Shichiro, as Nitro Warrior landed back beside him. (2,800 ATK)

Obligatum XXV drew a card, and the Solemn Wishes card glowed again.

"I summon The Agent of Force – Mars," it said.

Dramatic music started playing over the Sanctuary, and an angel even more intimidating cast his shadow over the cloudy field…

Long before the planet was discovered, the name Mars had long been associated with warfare. Indeed, this seemed like the celestial messenger of the god of war. He was bare-chested, with red skin, his chest covered with the scars of battle. He wore violet pantaloons, and had feathered wings that were the same color. He held a long hammer with an iron head.

"Ho boy…" said Shichiro.

"Mars is completely impervious to Spell Cards," said Obligatum XXV. "And so long as the Sanctuary is in play and my Life Points are greater than yours, its Attack and Defense Scores are equal to the difference."

"Uh…" said Ember. "I don't have a calculator handy, but I'm pretty sure that means Nitro Warrior is in big trouble…"

(5,200 ATK)

Obligatum XXV pointed, and Shichiro screamed as the Agent slammed his hammer into Nitro Warrior, smashing it to fiery residue. He fell to his knees.

"Shichiro's hurt bad!" shouted Jinx.

"Even worse," said Gears. "Since he just lost 2,400 Life Points, Mars just became that much stronger."

(7,600 ATK)

"That's crazy!" gasped Ember.

"I know," said Jinx. "I didn't realize it was using the Agents… Those are probably the cruelest, most merciless Fairies in the game.

"And if Obligatum XXV manages to summon Mars's big sister, I don't know _what_ Shichiro is gonna do…"

"I set one card facedown," said Obligatum XXV as a reversed card appeared, "and my turn ends…"

**(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 9,300)**

The device on Gears's hip started to beep. He took it off of his belt and looked at it.

The words "Analysis Complete" appeared on the screen.

Shichiro struggled to get up.

_Have to… Beat this guy…_ he thought. _Can't let it… help the Dark Signers…_

He drew a card. He looked hard at it.

He threw two cards in his Disk, and a reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

He nodded.

Obligatum XXV drew a card, and the shower of gold fell on it again.

Then its facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Meteorain," it said. "Now, all Monsters I control can inflict battle damage by attacking defending Monsters this round."

"No…" cried Ember.

Mars flew towards the facedown Monster.

"Gotcha…" said Shichiro.

"I activate Malevolent Catastrophe!"

His facedown card lifted up, and lightning struck. The Solemn Wishes card was blasted to pieces, and then the whole temple behind Obligatum XXV crumbled into a pile of rock, and the cloudy Field Spell vanished.

"The Sanctuary is gone!" exclaimed Ember. "That means Mars's Attack Score becomes…"

"Zero, zip, zilch!" added Jinx. "A big goose egg!"

Indeed, Mars groaned, and his wings sagged and molted. (0 ATK) Command Knight appeared kneeling on the card. (1,900 DEF) Mars made a futile attempt to hit her with his weapon, but she knocked him backwards with a simple backhand slap.

The platonic paused… It took one of the remaining two cards in its hand, and set it on the Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"My turn is over," it said.

(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 7,900)

Shichiro drew a card.

"I move Command Knight to Attack Mode…" he said.

Command Knight stood up. (1,200 ATK)

"And due to her effect, all my Warriors gain 400 Attack Points."

(1,600 ATK)

"Next, I summon Marauding Captain…"

He played the card, and the armored veteran with twin swords appeared. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"AND, I use his effect to Special Summon Hayabusa Knight!"

In a flash of energy, the rapier-wielding fencer with a falcon's head appeared. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,400 ATK)

"Hayabusa Knight, destroy the Agent of Force! Peregrine saber slash!"

Hayabusa Knight made a slash with his rapier, and Mars groaned before shattering into shards.

"And guess what? Hayabusa Knight gets to attack a second time!"

The Warrior swung his blade towards the facedown Monster. Morphing Jar appeared, right before it was slashed to ribbons.

Shichiro nodded. Both he and Obligatum XXV discarded the one card they had, and made five draws.

"I'm not done with you," continued Shichiro. "Marauding Captain, attack directly!"

The Captain lunged at Obligatum XXV and slashed at the platonic with his sword. The creature didn't move in the slightest.

"Uh, yeah…" said Shichiro. "Command Knight, you too…"

Command charged at the creature, and slammed her sword into its armor. Again, Obligatum XXV didn't even seem to care.

"He didn't even flinch…" said Ember, in disbelief.

"It's a construct," reminded Gears, as he looked over the analysis. "It has no nervous system, no way to feel pain. Platonics are so dedicated to Order, they don't adapt things that they deem unnecessary.

"A nervous system has no use in any of the platonics' goals, so they don't attempt to recreate one in any platonic models."

Shichiro looked at his five cards.

He set one, and a facedown card appeared.

"Mmm," he said.

**(S: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)**

Obligatum XXV made a draw.

"I play a second Sanctuary in the Sky," it said, playing a card.

"Aw, crud," said Shichiro, as the Sanctuary began to form again.

"Next, I set two cards," continued Obligatum XXV, as two facedown cards appeared.

"Then, I eliminate two Light-Attribute Monsters from my Graveyard…"

Shining Angel and Radiant Jeral appeared behind it, and then faded into nothing.

"…to summon Soul of Purity and Light."

A radiant, winged Fairy made entirely of light, almost transparent, appeared in front of it. (2,000 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it…"

Soul of Purity and Light vanished.

"…to summon The Agent of Judgment – Saturn."

Lighting flashed, and a new angel appeared where the Soul had been. It was a tall, blue-skinned woman, who might have been beautiful if her face wasn't so stern. She was clothed in a dress and a headdress colored white and blue, with jewelry that suggested Egyptian. She had large, blue, feathered wings. (2,400 ATK)

"Oh, no…" moaned Jinx. "I was afraid of this…"

"With the Sanctuary on the field," continued Obligatum XXV, "and my Life Points higher than yours, I can sacrifice this Monster to inflict damage equal to the difference in our scores."

"That will take Shichiro down to…" gasped Ember.

"100 Life Points…" said Jinx. "Unless it decides to attack first, in which case he'll lose…"

"I sacrifice Saturn to use its effect," said Obligatum XXV.

Saturn's eyes glowed. Then she transformed into a blazing ball of blue fire, and shot towards Shichiro…

Strangely, Shichiro didn't move in the slightest as the huge ball of fire hit him…

Shichiro gasped for breath, as the flames vanished.

**(S: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)**

"He _gained_ Life Points?" gasped Jinx.

"That's right!" laughed Shichiro. "All because of my Trap Card, Rainbow Life! I just had to toss one card, and all the Life Point loss I would have taken this turn is turned into Life Point gain!"

The platonic looked at him closely.

"Surely, you are more than you seem," it said. "I end my turn."

Shichiro quickly drew a card.

_He has two facedown cards,_ he thought. _But I could win this duel if they're bluffs…_

"Hayabusa Knight, attack!" he shouted.

Hayabusa Knight rushed at Obligatum XXV.

"I activate… Miraculous Descent," said the platonic, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "Now, I can bring back a Fairy that I removed from play earlier."

Radiant Jeral appeared to block the Knight's path. (2,000 DEF)

"Did you think I was bluffing?" asked Obligatum XXV. "Bluffs are tools of illogical creatures."

"Well, you can't blame me for trying…" said Shichiro. "I end my turn…"

Obligatum XXV drew a card. It gave the card a long look.

"I summon a second Mystical Shine Ball," it said, as it played a card.

Another of the glowing, silvery orbs appeared. (500 ATK)

Then it took the last card in its hand.

"And then, as I now control two Light-Attribute Monsters, I can Special Summon Guardian of Order."

Shichiro stepped back, as a blinding light emitted from the sky of the Sanctuary. A powerful Warrior clothed in golden plate armor with a faceless helmet and large, flared shoulders flew onto the field, glowing with incredibly radiance. (2,500 ATK)

"Next, a Trap Card," it continued, as its facedown card lifted up. "Solar Ray. This card inflicts 600 points of damage for each Light-Attribute Monster I command."

A beam of scorching, burning light shot out of the heavens and struck Shichiro. He screamed as it burned his skin.

"That must have been how it intended to win the duel before Shichiro played Rainbow Life!" exclaimed Jinx.

"Now, Guardian of Order," commanded the platonic, "attack Marauding Captain. Devastating dictum."

Guardian of Order fired twin beams of pure light from its hands, and Marauding Captain was vaporized. Shichiro groaned again.

"I end my turn," said Obligatum XXV.

**(S: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 3,300)**

Shichiro drew a card.

"All right, gearhead," he said, "I play my own Pot of Avarice."

He played the card, and took Nitro Warrior, Nitro Synchron, Marauding Captain, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, and Turret Warrior, and shuffled all of them into his deck. Then he drew twice.

He looked at the two Spell Cards.

_Time to end this…_ he thought.

"I play Heavy Storm!" he shouted, playing one of them.

A fierce wind blew across the field, and the Field Spell literally blew away. Miraculous Descent shattered, and Radiant Jeral burst with it.

"Now that I've done that," continued Shichiro, "I play Silent Doom, to summon Jack's Knight from my Graveyard."

Jack's Knight appeared, holding his shield up and his sword down. (1,000 DEF)

"Next, I summon Turbo Synchron!"

He played another card, and the cute, little robot that seemed to be half-car appeared next to Jack's Knight. (100 ATK)

"Alright! Now give Jack's Knight a Tune-up!"

Turbo Synchron's headlights flashed, and then it and Jack's Knight soared into the sky. Both of them faded into six glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Turbo Warrior!"

Turbo Warrior landed on the field, its engine running at full-blast, and smoke pouring from its exhaust pipes. (2,500 ATK)

"Turbo Warrior?" asked Obligatum XXV.

"That's right," said Shichiro, "and because it's a Warrior, Command Knight gives it a boost."

(2,900 ATK)

He took the other card he had drawn.

"And now, one of the Monsters in my Graveyard is going to help it even more. I play Battle-Tuned! By removing a Tuner Monster from play, like the one I discarded when I played Rainbow Life, Turbo Warrior gains Attack Points equal to hers."

_Hers?_ thought Ember.

Shichiro played the card, and Rose, Warrior of Revenge appeared behind Turbo Warrior, glowing with an aura of fire. Turbo Warrior shot up to an Attack Score of 4,500.

"Attack Guardian of Order!" shouted Shichiro. "Accel slash!"

Turbo Warrior's engine roared, and it sped towards Guardian of Order with Rose close behind. It made a mighty swipe with its claw, and the Guardian shattered into golden shards.

"Command Knight, you next!" shouted Shichiro.

Command Knight slashed with her blade, and the Mystical Shine Ball shattered.

"And now, Hayabusa Knight will finish this!"

The falcon-headed Warrior rushed at Obligatum XXV, and made a swipe with its rapier. The platonic simply bowed its head…

**(S: 600) - - - - - - - - - - (O: 0)**

The Monsters vanished. Obligatum XXV didn't say anything for about a minute.

"Never before has one of my kind met its match in any form of combat," it said. "Once I return to headquarters, I must petition my superiors that Duel Monsters be studied so that we may obtain perfection in it as well.

"For now, I will uphold my end of the bargain. I will trust you to act as my proxy while I gather aid for the task before me."

The platonic turned around, and a glowing portal appeared. With no fanfare at all, it stepped though the portal, which quickly vanished.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"We won't be seeing him again!" sighed Jinx.

"Indeed," said Gears, looking at the device, "but it seems we have a bigger problem now.

"I was taking some analysis of the magical auras surrounding the city in the past few hours. It seems that the spell that Edmund used to summon that deathdrinker was an epic level spell."

"I'm guessing that's bad," said Ember.

"_Incredibly_ bad," replied Gears. "Let me explain…

"Most spells, rituals, and incantations cast by mortals are grouped into levels of power, similar to how Monsters are in the game of Duel Monsters. The weakest spells are level zero; those are what apprentices are taught. Kinda like what students would have learned in their first year at Hogwarts, to make a comparison.

"Then there are level one spells, followed by level two, all the way up to the very powerful level nine spells, which only certain magic-users can cast. Again, by comparison, only wizards with Dumbledore's experience would be able to cast level nine spells."

"But?" said Ember.

"But…" replied Gears. "Certain arcane and divine spellcasters can train themselves to become true masters of their craft, and learn how to research and cast spells even more powerful than level nine. Spells of this magnitude are referred to as epic level spells."

"And by comparison?" asked Ember.

"No-one that Rowling could ever conceive," replied Gears. "If Voldemort were able to cast them, he could have reduced Hogwarts to a smoldering crater with wave of his hand.

"In history, only a handful of archmages and hierophants have been able to cast spells this powerful. A magic-user who can manage it could move mountains… Literally."

"Then it's time to stop standing around and waiting to see what Edmund does next," said Shichiro. "We're gonna go pay DaPen a little visit before he can make his next move."

"How?" asked Jinx. "He could be anywhere in Satellite! For all we know, he may be holed up in Team Satisfaction's old headquarters…"

Shichiro looked at her.

"I'll just have to talk to someone who might know," he replied.

"You're gonna go talk to our… uh, government contact?" asked Gears.

Shichiro mounted his D-Wheel.

"If I must," he replied. "But first… I seem to remember that someone owes us a favor…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Tensions were high at the headquarters of Sector Security. Godwin was close to declaring martial law in Neo Domino, and once that happened, every member of the force would likely be working overtime.

Few were more worried than Officer Sako Gakushi. He had managed to get a safe desk job after that snafu with the wererat, but the whole situation had left him nervous. Right now, he was on his third cup of coffee, and was monitoring the security band.

He was quite shocked to hear Shichiro's voice behind him.

"Gakushi?" said Shichiro.

Gakushi jumped.

"WHAT?" shouted the Security.

He frowned.

"How did you get in here?"

"I have my ways," replied Shichiro. "So, ready to do me that little favor?"

Gakushi sighed.

"So long as it doesn't get me fired…" replied Gakushi.

"I need to know where Louis DaPen most likely is hiding out," said Shichiro.

Gakushi looked at him. Then he turned to his computer and brought up a screen.

"He wants to know where DaPen is…" he mumbled. "I'll tell him where DaPen is…"

A map of Satellite appeared on the screen, and it zoomed in on one block.

"See that?" asked Gakushi. "That's an old factory at the intersection of Cherry Tree Avenue and 45th. DaPen conducts his 'business' from there."

"What?" gasped Shichiro. "You mean to tell me you guys know _exactly_ where he is and you've done nothing?"

"We've done plenty!" replied Gakushi. "You ever hear of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang?"

"Yeah…" replied Shichiro. "That was an outlaw gang that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid belonged to in the Old West…"

"It was actually a group of several gangs," replied Gakushi, "who all made their camp in Hole-in-the-Wall Pass in Wyoming for mutual defense. And it was a very good defense.

"The law knew they were there, but every time a posse tried to enter, they were repulsed and had to withdraw. No members of those gangs were ever arrested that way.

"We've tried several times to raid that factory, and we've never even gotten to the front door. Sometimes we never even get within three blocks. Some unfortunate Securities wind up working for DaPen, after he uses some form of mind control.

"Last month, Godwin held a meeting with the other brass, to plan sending a sizable force into that area to apprehend DaPen. Then, one executive fell into a trance, and DaPen started talking through his mouth, apparently. DaPen said that he was more than able to control the entire population of Satellite and arm them to stand against a Security force that tried to root him out. Then the poor guy fell into a coma that he hasn't woken up from since. DaPen might have been bluffing, but just in case he wasn't, Godwin doesn't want Satellite to turn into a war zone, so he scrapped the plan."

Shichiro thought.

_Bull,_ he thought. _What really scares Godwin is the thought of heavily-armed Satellite residents._

He took a long look at the map.

"If you guys are going there," said Gakushi, "good luck… You'll need it."

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It was now three o'clock.

The four Shadowchasers were in the living room of the townhouse. Sorsha was sitting on the mantle, while Boris was collecting glasses.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Gears.

"I have an idea," said Shichiro. "Anyone ever see _Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope_?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then, you remember how the Death Star plans got into the rebels' hands…"

"Yeah," said Jinx, "Leia put them into R2D2, and…"

"Yeah, well, here's the point," said Shichiro. "The Death Star was heavily protected from attacks by big ships. Giant battle cruisers and the like. But the rebels discovered that it had only minimal defense against small, one-manned fighter ships.

"Whoever designed the space station thought that small ships posed no threat. But the rebels found out about a vital Achilles heel that a one-manned craft could use to destroy the base.

"Anyway, DaPen has adequate defense against a large force. Attacking _en masse _might be a bad idea. But… One person going alone may be able to sneak up on him, at least enough to get to the building."

There was a pause.

"It will be dangerous…" said Gears. "If whoever goes gets in trouble, he'll have to get out himself."

"I volunteer," said Jinx. "Maybe a little luck will take me pretty far."

Shichiro sighed, and nodded. Then Gears spoke up.

"If we don't hear from you by seven…" he said, "I'll come after you…"

Jinx nodded.

She picked up her helmet, and headed for the garage.

_**We had waited long enough. The time for standing around was past. It was time to confront DaPen and bring him to justice. My mentor was willing to make the attempt, and had only her free will to lose. **_

_**It was going to be a long and dangerous night, and before it was over, we would see horror in many forms. DaPen was as dangerous as a tiger, and we were going straight into his den….**_

_Coming up next:_

_Jinx arrives in Satellite, and finds that DaPen's headquarters is far from unguarded. Even worse, the one who shows up to challenge her is an old friend who has fallen under the evil illithid's mind control powers. Can she break the spell? _

"_Assault on GHQ" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Keepers, a Mystery of Time**

Who are the Keepers? What do they want? No-one knows for sure, but this rare race of Shadowkind has aroused more suspicion in recent years than they ever have before.

Keepers are unusual even for Shadows. They appear as pale, bald, plain-looking humanoids, so thin as to be almost gaunt. They always wear black, and wear dark lenses over their eyes. They seem to have no emotion, and rarely speak unless it is vitally important. No-one has ever seen one eat or sleep. They never form clans, instead traveling in "companies" of three to five members.

No-one knows where the Keepers came from, but one researcher gave this theory. Long ago, before the Shadowchasers were founded, there was a powerful Incantifer who was obsessed with the concept of Time. He made many advances in studying it, and discovered something about the universe that mortals were not meant to discover. Many believe that he discovered a way to "find" whole worlds simply by imagining them. Knowing he needed servants to continue his research, he "found" a world where the Keepers lived, and summoned them to Earth.

He set the Keepers on several missions in pursuit of knowledge, geared towards the study of time. But eventually, he got sloppy. He told them, "Make sure no-one ever finds out how you got here". And the Keepers obeyed, by killing him.

At that time, all the Keepers were working on several projects, gathering information for their master. Some believe that they are still driven by those ancient orders, and still pursue them to the best of their ability. They have adapted as the world has changed, but their minds are completely alien and beyond human understanding. Dealing with Keepers is difficult at best. They cannot be dissuaded from their missions, even if they are now futile, and oftentimes, force must be used to stop them from committing violence against anyone who tries to stop them. And it is impossible to take a Keeper prisoner; they are immune to mind control, and if a Keeper is about to be captured, its body dissolves into a puddle of inert goo, giving the Shadowchasers very little to work with.

To make things worse, the Keepers have become more active in recent years. Possibly, whatever their plans are, they may be close to a breakthrough in them. What the end result will be, no-one knows.

**Story Ideas:** The Keepers still pursue their strange goals, which seem to be connected to the study of Time in some way. They never seem to be able to complete their tasks for some reason, possibly because the death of their master made doing so impossible. But they will not give up.

Keepers may try to steal magical artifacts, silence researchers or sorcerers who make breakthroughs, or even more elaborate schemes.

It is possible that a villain may be able to direct the Keepers to hassle the heroes in a story, possibly by giving them false leads. Dealing with these beings can be a big headache. They can't be reasoned with, cannot be bribed or threatened, and can only be fought and beaten.

**Deck Suggestions:** As creatures who research Time, a Keeper might use a Final Countdown Deck. It might also use a deck that deals with evolution and growth, like a deck that uses one or more sets of Leveled Monsters.

Keepers have a particular weakness while dueling: They can't abide the chaos involved with cards that depend on chance. To them, such moves are illogical, and their use makes them flustered. Players that use gamble cards might distract them, causing them to make careless mistakes, especially if the gambler beats the odds with a lucky roll.


	46. Assault on GHQ

_Author's Note #1: Because the readers' reaction to the change was almost all negative, I will from this point on, resume using the Japanese names for the X-Saber cards. I guess the English names were rather silly._

_Author's Note #2: This part of the story occurs in the events following Crow's interrupted duel with Jeager. An evil spell cast by the Dark Signers has caused most of the population of Satellite who were outdoors to vanish, and their fates at this point are unknown. Strangely, the Shadowkind population of Satellite seems unaffected, but they are still terrified of the evil aura originating from the B.A.D. Area, which is now perfectly clear to see. This event has caused the true Signers, who now exist as a united group, to decide to take action, and they are en route to Satellite as the Shadowchasers begin their own plans._

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SIX**

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**Assault on GHQ**

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_**And so it began…**_

_**As a war was about to begin in the slums of Satellite between the chosen ones of the Crimson Dragon and the disciples of the Army of Darkness, a smaller conflict would be regulated to the sidelines. We didn't know what DaPen's ultimate plan was with the Regalia of Day, we only knew that we had best stop it, whatever it was. It was a miracle that the deathdrinker had not killed anyone when it had been summoned. **_

_**I later asked Jinx if she was scared going into Satellite alone to face DaPen. And she told me that at first, she was only a little frightened…**_

_**But the fear increased a great deal when she actually got through that portal…**_

In a dark workroom, deep inside Shadowchaser Headquarters, a blacksmith toiled over a forge.

He was a muscular dwarf with a long, grey beard, dressed only in leather pants and an apron. He slowly struck a small object with his hammer, pounding it into shape.

He paused for a minute to wipe the sweat from his brow. He sipped from a bottle of water.

His name was Thaddeus Ironhand. The Ironhand clan had been working in Jalal's employ for almost a thousand years. They had built Shadowchaser Headquarters, and numerous other projects for the organization.

And whenever a new Shadowchaser was about to be initiated, he came here to craft a card. While most cards were made from cardboard using a press, these were made from metal, using a forge.

Thaddeus knew that all four of the elements of nature went into the forging of a weapon. The ore used as material was Earth; the flames of the forge were Fire; the bellows that fanned the flames were Wind; and Water tempered the hot metal.

Jalal always told him to concentrate on one element above the other three. And this was one of the rare times that element was Fire.

Jalal walked in behind to watch him.

"How's it coming?" he asked.

"Don't rush me, Jalal," said Thaddeus. "You rush a weaponsmith, you get rotten weapons…

"Still… This one seems to have incredible power waiting to be unleashed… I'll just heat it up again…"

He heated the metal in the flames.

"Might I ask just who this is going to?" he asked, as he started striking it with his hammer again.

"An exceptional duelist," replied Jalal. "One whom we can expect great things from…

"So by all means… Take your time…"

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Jinx drove out the Satellite end of the portal her D-Wheel had created, some three blocks from the factory that was her goal.

Almost immediately, she noticed a change.

Fog hung in the air, amid uncanny silence. Not a soul was in sight. The dark buildings and run-down tenements seemed to echo death and despair.

_I'd say the fog was as thick as pea soup,_ she thought. _But I've never seen pea soup quite this thick…_

She looked at her cell phone.

_No signal,_ she thought. _Guess I'm on my own…_

She dismounted, and hit the command on her ride. The Duel Disk disengaged, and clamped onto her gauntlet.

She slowly started to walk in the direction of the factory.

Then she was startled as she heard something scampering behind her. She spun around, and drew her sword.

Then she lowered it, as a stray cat ran into the alley.

_Lovely,_ she thought. _I'm starting to jump at my own shadow…_

"Nice night for a stroll, isn't it Kaede?" asked a voice from ahead.

Jinx froze. She knew that voice…

She slowly turned around.

She knew the face, too. And the uniform as well. She had known him since she was two years old, since her father started showing her off to his friends.

And she knew that General Ross would never have come to a place like Satellite on his own…

"General Ross…" said Jinx.

"Why must we be so formal, Kaede?" asked Ross. "You aren't a member of my unit… They're the only ones who have to be so formal to me…"

He smirked, and lifted his left arm, which held a Duel Disk.

Then Jinx noticed his eyes. They were cold and inhuman.

"General Ross!" she shouted. "You're being controlled by DaPen! Snap out of it!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Ross. "I'm not feeling any pain…

"Of course, I think I can dish out more pain than any of you young rookies could ever take. I thought I'd find you and see if I still had some fuel in the old engine…"

"Ross, listen to reason…" said Jinx.

"You gonna duel me, or are you gonna wave the white flag?" asked Ross.

Jinx sighed.

_I do NOT want to go up against those Koa'ki Meiru cards of his…_ she thought. _But dueling him may be the only way to drive DaPen out of his head…_

_And I've gotta do it… Dad owes this guy a lot…_

Her Disk activated, and he activated his own.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Ross: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move…" he said.

He drew a card.

"I'll have this defend me…"

He placed a card on his Disk, and a hidden Monster appeared.

"…and I'll end my turn there…"

Jinx raised an eyebrow.

_Odd,_ she thought, as she drew a card. _He's never defended on his opening move before…_

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera!" she shouted.

In a flourish, Anabelera appeared, lifting her bladed whip. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted.

Anabelera lashed her whip at the facedown Monster. A man in high-tech armor, and a helmet with goggles and a mouthpiece appeared on the card. It shattered into pixels.

"That was a Science Soldier!" exclaimed Jinx. "Why the heck would you even _own_ such a worthless card?"

"I have my reasons," replied Ross. "Is that your move?"

"Yeah, I… Guess so…" replied Jinx.

Ross made a draw.

"I'll defend again," he said. "And I'll also set this facedown."

A set Monster and a facedown card appeared in front of him.

Jinx was confused as she made a draw.

_This just isn't like him…_ she thought. _Playing defensively… He's always been more of a take-charge kind of guy… You have to be in his business…_

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she exclaimed.

She played the card, and the toad-like Warrior in armor appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"You can't surprise me with your X-Sabers, Kaede," said Ross. "Know why? I gave them to you!"

Jinx bowed her head. He was right… He had.

She paused, and took the redcap tooth from around her neck.

Folks had told her that by taking the tooth from the slain redcap, she would gain the blessings of the fey folk, blessings from spirits of nature. So she decided she would need Monsters who drew upon the same source.

It had been Ross who suggested the X-Sabers, and had later obtained them… The X-Sabers were barbarians who gained power from their rage, and their rage was obtained from their worship of nature. The animal spirits ran with them, giving them strength and power…

She never dreamed she would be using them against him…

Then she shook her head. He was trying to confuse her on purpose…

DaPen was trying to distract her!

"Anabelera, attack!" she shouted.

Anabelera lashed her whip, and an android with wires and tubes all over its circuit-covered armor appeared on the card. It was blown to pixels.

"Cyber Soldier of Darkworld?" shouted Jinx. "I don't know what your game is, but if your think you can distract me with these third-rate Monsters, this is gonna be over really quickly!

"Galahad, attack directly!"

Ross grunted as the Warrior hit him with his bronze sword.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,200)**

"Same old Kaede…" he chuckled. "Same spunky girl I've always known…

"Too bad you never gave any consideration to my suggestion for joining the service. You could have made Major by now."

"I had a different calling, Ross," said Jinx. "Some people are born to be soldiers, some are born for other things.

"I'll throw a card facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared in a flash of light.

"Is that so?" said Ross.

He drew a card.

"Well, let's up the stakes a little, shall we? Since you seem to have no trouble taking out my infantry, I'm radioing in the heavy artillery.

"I summon the KC-1 Clayton."

The ground started to rumble, and a large army tank rolled up beside Ross. It aimed its cannon at the two X-Sabers. (1,500 ATK)

"They don't make this card anymore, by the way," he said. "It was based on an old weapon that KaibaCorp made when it was still a military firm. That's what the 'KC' stands for. Once Kaiba found out about the card, he made such a fuss about it that I2 discontinued it.

"But they couldn't collect and destroy every last copy. Some are still around, which means this is a rare collectible."

"Yeah, well," replied Jinx, "I expected a tank to be a little stronger."

"It's about to get _much_ stronger," replied Ross, as his facedown card lifted. "Due to my Trap Card, Tank Corp. Now, I get three Tank Tokens."

Three small tanks that looked like miniature versions of KC-1 Clayton appeared in front of Ross. (1,200 DEF x3)

"And my big tank gets 500 Attack Points for each little tank I have."

KC-1 Clayton's engine hummed. (3,000 ATK)

"And that's pretty strong enough… Uh… You might want to cover your ears…"

KC-1 Clayton's cannon fired with a deafening blast, blowing Anabelera to particles, and throwing Jinx off her feet.

"Ooh…" muttered Jinx.

**(J: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,200)**

"I end my turn," said Ross.

"Okay…" said Jinx, drawing a card, "you want to play dirty, Ross?"

She played a card.

"First, I'm playing Monster Reborn!"

The glowing ankh appeared, and Anabelera reappeared. She held her chest, and felt her torso, perhaps to make sure she was whole. (1,800 ATK)

"You'll be fine!" exclaimed Jinx, taking another card. "Now, I'll summon Alligator's Sword!"

She played another card, and the reptilian Beast appeared, holding aloft its scimitar. (1,500 ATK)

"None of your Monsters are strong enough," said Ross.

"Not yet they aren't," replied Jinx. "But, I can weaken your Clayton by destroying the Tank Tokens.

"Alligator's Sword, go!"

Alligator's Sword made a slash with its scimitar, and one of the smaller tanks exploded. Clayton fell to an Attack Score of 2,500.

"Now Anabelera attacks a second Token!"

The X-Saber lashed her whip, and another Tank Token was blown to scrap. Clayton fell to an Attack Score of 2,000.

"Now Galahad is strong enough to take on your big tank," continued Jinx, "because he gains 300 Attack Points whenever he attacks a Monster."

Galahad leapt at the huge tank, and slashed downward with his blade. Smoke started to pour from KC-1 Clayton's engine…

Galahad leapt clear as the huge war machine exploded into burning metal. Ross shielded himself.

**(J: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 6,100)**

Ross frowned. Jinx caught her breath. She looked at the three remaining cards in her hand.

"I'll throw another card facedown," she said, and that will be all.

A second facedown card materialized.

_I have both Graceful Dice and Skull Dice set,_ she thought. _They should be enough to take care of anything he attacks with._

Ross made a draw.

He gave the card a long look.

He set it and two other cards on his Disk, and two facedown cards and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Mmm!" he said.

Jinx made a draw.

She looked at her three cards, which were Polymerization, Time Wizard, and X-Saber Palomlo.

_I've got to try to snap him out of this…_ she thought. _He can break free of DaPen's control… He didn't become a general by having a weak will…_

_Wait… Maybe I can appeal to his… pride…_

"Alligator's Sword, destroy his last Tank Token!" she shouted.

The Beast made a slash with his scimitar, and the Machine exploded. The Tank Corp card vanished.

"Galahad, destroy his last Monster!"

Galahad rushed at the facedown Monster, and a Morphing Jar appeared on the card. It was blown to shards of rock.

Jinx quickly discarded her three cards, and made five draws. Ross discarded his two cards and drew five.

"Anabelera, attack him directly!" shouted Jinx.

Ross grunted as the female X-Saber lashed at him with her whip. He held his chest.

**(J: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,300)**

"How does it feel, Reginald?" asked Jinx. "How does it feel to be pushed around and driven to your limits by a rookie like me? You remember military academy, don't you? You stood out among the other hopefuls because you always went beyond what was expected of you. You could do things that the other recruits couldn't.

"Now look at you… I'm a civilian, and I'm beating you! How does it feel?"

Ross looked at Jinx. For a minute, the cold look disappeared from his eyes.

"Kaede, I…" he started.

_Yes, yes…_ thought Jinx.

Then Ross grit his teeth, and his eyes started to glow with pinpoints of cold light.

"I can still whip my weight in young doughboys like you any day of the week!" he shouted. "It's my move!"

He drew a card.

"Kinetic Solider!" he shouted. "A-ten-shun!"

He played a card, and a new Machine Monster appeared. It was an android in blue battle armor with a laser mounted on its shoulder. (1,350 ATK)

"Oh no…" muttered Jinx. "That thing's Attack Score becomes 3,000 when battling Warriors."

"You're thinking far too small, Kaede," said Ross, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "I'm playing my Junk Dealer Spell Card. Now I can bring both Science Soldier and Cyber Solider of Darkworld back from the Graveyard. However, I have to cut their Attack Scores in half."

First, Science Soldier materialized. (400 ATK) Then Cyber Soldier of Darkworld followed. (700 ATK)

"What do you plan to do with them?" asked Jinx.

"This!" exclaimed Ross, as his other facedown card lifted up. "It's a Trap called Soldier Revolt. With Science Soldier, Cyber Soldier of Darkworld, and Kinetic Soldier on the field at the same time…

"Well, see for yourself…"

A burning wave of energy erupted from the center of the field. Jinx shielded herself as her Monsters and facedown cards were all vaporized, and the cards in her hand shattered.

"No way!" she shouted.

"I believe the correct response it… way," replied Ross. "I can't attack on the turn I did that, so make your move…"

Jinx looked at her deck.

_I'm only gonna have one card…_ she thought. _It had better be a good one…_

_If I ever needed some luck, it's now…_

She made a draw. She looked at the card.

She quickly set it on her Disk, and a reversed card appeared.

"Not much more you could do, huh?" asked Ross.

He made a draw.

"And now I'll activate it!" shouted Jinx, as the facedown card flipped up.

"Huh?" said Ross.

"It's called Gamble," said Jinx. "You've got six cards in your hand, and I have none. So now I get to toss a coin. If I call it wrong…

"Well, let me put it this way, I lose. But if I call it right, I might be back in this."

A coin appeared in her hand.

"It's heads!" she shouted, flipping it.

Ross watched, as the coin fell to the ground.

He cursed, as he saw that it was heads.

"That means I get to draw until I have five cards," said Jinx.

She quickly made five draws.

"Well, unless one of them is a Kuriboh, they can't help you right now," said Ross. "I summon Overdrive."

With a roar of an engine, an armored all-terrain vehicle with a machine gun turret drove onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Kinetic Soldier, attack her directly!"

The android blasted its shoulder cannon, and Jinx gasped in pain as it hit her.

"Overdrive, you too."

The tank fired its machine gun, and Jinx screamed as the bullets hit her in the chest.

She panted for breath.

"All right!" said Ross. "Science Soldier… Cyber Soldier… At ease!"

Science Soldier knelt and held its weapon in its lap. (800 DEF) Cyber Soldier of Darkworld knelt and crossed its arms. (1,200 DEF)

**(J: 3,850) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,300)**

"My move…" said Jinx, drawing a card.

"Hey, Ross…" she said. "Remember this guy? I summon X-Saber Airbellum!"

With a feral snarl, the bestial X-Saber appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Go!" she shouted. "Destroy his Kinetic Soldier!"

Airbellum pounced, and slashed at the android with both claws. Kinetic Soldier sparked, and then exploded into scrap.

"I'll set one card, and end my turn," said Jinx.

She placed a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

_Maybe I can shock him out of it,_ she thought.

**(J: 3,850) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050)**

"My draw…" said Ross.

He drew a card.

"I summon the Victory Viper XX03!" he exclaimed.

With a rush of air, a large, streamlined, silver jet plane flew out of the sky, and hovered over the field. (1,200 ATK)

"Calling in your air force now, are you?" asked Jinx.

"Quiet!" replied Ross. "I may have to sacrifice my Overdrive for it to get to you, but it will be worth it.

"Overdrive, attack X-Saber Airbellum!"

Overdrive blasted its gun at the Beast…

"Not so fast, Ross!" said Jinx, as her facedown card lifted. "I activate One Seriousness!"

"One Seriousness?" asked Ross. "What's that?"

"It's a Trap that works like an Equip Spell, and it can Equip to any X-Saber," replied Jinx. "It raises his Attack Score by 800 points!"

A large sword appeared in Airbellum's hands. He leapt over the oncoming bullets, and made a slash at the artillery. Overdrive shuddered, and then exploded.

"HUH?" gasped Ross. "I never gave you _that_ card!"

"No, you didn't," sighed Jinx. "I made a few improvements to the X-Sabers on my own…

"And One Seriousness has an added effect. When the Equipped Monster destroys a Monster, I get to draw one card."

She made a draw.

Ross scowled, and took a card from his hand.

"I toss one card facedown, and that will be all," he said, as a facedown card appeared.

(J: 3,850) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050)

Jinx quickly made a draw.

_I can't use this guy right now…_ she thought.

"Airbellum, attack his Victory Viper!" she shouted.

Airbellum lifted the sword, and made a leap at the large jet plane.

"I activate…" said Ross, "the Trap Card, Klein's Labyrinth!"

His facedown card lifted up, and the streets and buildings around them started to twist and warp.

"What's happening?" asked Jinx.

"Klein's Labyrinth activates when your Monster attacks mine," replied Ross, "switching your Monster's Attack and Defense Scores.

"Airbellum will still get the bonus from One Seriousness, but that won't be enough."

X-Saber Airbellum's Attack Score fell to 1,000. Victory Viper fired a volley of gunfire, blasting him out of the air in a shower of pixels.

"Ergh…" said Jinx.

"What's more," continued Ross, "Victory Viper XX03 has three effects, and I can activate one of them each time it defeats a Monster. I think I'll use the first one, which increases its Attack Score by 400 points."

(1,600 ATK)

"Oh, yeah?" asked Jinx. "Well, I'm gonna activate X-Saber Palomlo's effect. Since he's in my Graveyard, I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon him when you destroy one of my X-Sabers."

Palomlo appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"It's your move…"

**(J: 3,150) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050)**

"I draw!" said Ross, drawing a card.

"Victory Viper XX03, wipe out that roughneck!"

Victory Viper fired a missile from its underside, and Jinx braced herself as Palomlo was blown to particles.

"Now I think I'll activate its third effect," continued Ross, "which lets me summon an Option Token."

In a shimmering light, what looked like a drone aircraft appeared next to Victory Viper.

"And it has the same Attack and Defense Scores as the true Victory Viper."

(1,600 ATK)

"So let's continue…"

The Option Token fired a missile of its own, and this time, Jinx was the target. She was thrown backwards, and fell flat on her back.

**(J: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 4,050)**

Jinx was dizzy. Her vision was blurry. She closed her eyes for a minute.

She wanted to just pass out, give up…

As she was considering this, she saw something through the fog that obscured her mind's eyes. She concentrated…

The fog started to clear. The figure came into view…

She saw it clearly… The figure had a tentacled face and inhuman eyes, and it was reaching towards her with a cold, clammy claw…

"NO!" she screamed, sitting up.

She quickly got up.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, DaPen!" she screamed.

She caught her breath.

"You are persistent, Ms. Noriko," said Ross, in a noticeably different voice.

"I was never dueling Ross to begin with, was I?" asked Jinx, as incredible anger appeared in her eyes. "You've been controlling him like some puppet."

DaPen chuckled.

"People say to themselves, 'I'm smart, I have strong willpower, no freak with psionic powers will ever be able to control me'," replied DaPen. "How little they know about psionics.

"Let me tell you a secret, Ms. Noriko… Smart people are actually _easier_ to manipulate with psionics than dumb ones are. The more mental power an individual has, the more a psionist has to work with.

"If a creature has a weak mind, how could I possibly maintain a hold on it? There'd be very little to hold onto."

"I don't care…" said Jinx. "I'm taking you down…

"It's my move!"

She drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom!" she shouted.

She quickly played the card, and Alligator's Sword appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"Now, I play Monster Reincarnation," she said, as a second Spell Card appeared. "So, I'll toss one card…"

She discarded XX-Saber Reijigra.

"…to get back Airbellum."

The card slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now, I'll summon him…"

Airbellum appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, let's Tune them together!"

Airbellum and Alligator's Sword flew into the sky, and then faded into seven glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… X-Saber Urbellum!"

The mighty barbarian lord landed, and drew his twin swords. (2,200 ATK)

"This isn't good…" said DaPen.

"Urbellum, ground his Victory Viper!" shouted Jinx.

X-Saber Urbellum leapt at the fighter jet, and with one slash, cleaved it in half down the middle.

"Ergh!" grunted DaPen.

"And that means your Option Token goes too," continued Jinx.

The Option Token vanished into particles of light.

"But wait, there's more!" continued Jinx. "Since you have five cards in your hand, Urbellum's effect activates, sending one of them to top of your deck."

The thing with Ross's face scowled as one of the cards in his hand vanished.

"I set one card, and end my turn," said Jinx, as a facedown card appeared.

**(J: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 3,450)**

"My move!" said DaPen with a scowl.

He made a draw.

He growled, and set a card. A facedown Monster appeared.

"That's all I can do," he said. "But I have three defenses for you to break through, and more than twice as many Life Points as you have."

Jinx drew a card.

"And it's all gonna come crashing down," she said.

Her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders!" she shouted. "Now, with one X-Saber on the field, I can bring two more back from the Graveyard!"

Palomlo appeared first. (200 ATK) Then Galahad followed. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together for a second Synchro Summon."

Palomlo and Galahad dissolved into five glowing stars, and the galloping of hooves echoed through the street. In a flash of light, X-Saber Wayne appeared on the field. (2,100 ATK)

"And when he's Synchro Summoned," continued Jinx, "I can Special Summon a Warrior from my hand, like X-Saber Urz."

She played the card, and the bestial-looking, fur-clad warrior holding two scimitars appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Then…" she said, "since I have at least two X-Sabers on the field, I can Special Summon XX-Saber Faultroll!"

In a digital burst, the cybernetic X-Saber appeared, dressed in his robotic armor and holding his huge sword. (2,400 ATK)

"I'm so scared…" mocked DaPen.

"Maybe you'll be more scared once I activate his effect," continued Jinx. "I get to bring back an X-Saber from my Graveyard."

X-Saber Galahad appeared once again. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, all together, people!" she shouted. "Galahad, Wayne, Urz, take out his Monsters!"

Wayne fired his gunblade at the facedown Monster. A second Science Soldier appeared on the card and shattered. Then Galahad and Urz made a rush at the second Cyber Soldier and the first Science Soldier, and with two slashes of swords, they were cut down.

Not missing a beat, Urbellum and Faultroll leapt up. They high-fived each other in mid-air, and then both struck at their foe with their blades. The mind controlled General Ross didn't scream, but he did stumble and fall on one knee.

**(J: 1,550) - - - - - - - - - - (R: 0)**

Jinx grabbed him by the collar.

"Enough, DaPen!" she shouted. "Come out from wherever you're hiding and face me in person!"

"Why of course, Ms. Noriko," he replied. "I've had enough with General Ross anyway… It's been a struggle controlling him this whole time.

"I'll be happy to confront you in person… Although you'll have to have a word with my doorman first…

"Get past him, them we'll talk. I have to warn you though, he's no pushover. Yliaster believed he might have had the dueling skills to defeat Yusei Fudo.

"I tend to doubt he actually does… But we may never know…"

And then Ross slumped down, and was out.

Jinx felt for a pulse. She found one. It seemed that Ross was simply sleeping soundly.

_Yliaster?_ she thought. _Isn't that the secret society that Godwin belongs to?_

She snarled.

_Well, whether it is or not… I'll just get past this "doorman", and then kick DaPen's ass from here to Timbuktu__!_

As she started down the street, lightning flashed, and a cold chill rushed down her spine.

Somewhere, in another part of Satellite, another Earthbound God was about to awaken…

_**It seemed that DaPen had seen Jinx coming. From what point, we were never sure. But Shichiro's plan was working so far. Jinx had gotten further than a large force of Security likely would have been able to, and DaPen had to face her personally (albeit through a brainwashed victim) in order to make any attempt to stop her. That led us to believe at this point that, yes, DaPen's defenses in this area were far more geared for large groups than for individuals.**_

_**Now, that was not to say that DaPen wouldn't be capable of calling in some footsoldiers to patrol the area whose job would be to hunt down lone intruders. Jinx knew that he could, and she knew that she had to try her best to make this assault count.**_

_**But it would be a hard time ahead…**_

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**KC-1 CLAYTON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** This card gains 500 Attack Points for each "Tank Token" you control.

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**TANK CORP (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A parade of tanks on a city street in black and white.

**Card Description:** Activate only when you control a "KC-1 Clayton". Special Summon 3 "Tank Tokens" in Defense Position. (Machine/Earth/Level 3/ATK 800/DEF 1,200) If this card is destroyed, destroy all "Tank Tokens".

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**SOLDIER REVOLT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A circle divided into three sections, with Cyber Soldier of Darkworld in one, Science Soldier in another, and Kinetic Soldier in the third.

**Card Description:** You may only activate this card during your turn when you control 1 "Cyber Soldier of Darkworld", 1 "Science Soldier", and 1 "Kinetic Soldier". Destroy all cards your opponent controls and in your opponent's hand. You cannot declare an attack during the turn you use this card.

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**JUNK DEALER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A bald muscleman with a cybernetic eye. (Apparently, this character is Nappa from the _Dragonball Z_ series.)

**Card Description:** Special Summon up to 2 Warrior and/or Machine-Type Monsters from your Graveyard whose combined Levels add up to 6 or less in Attack Position. The ATKs of Monsters Special Summoned via this method are halved and they cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon.

_Note: "KC-1 Clayton", "Tank Corp", "Soldier Revolt", and "Junk Dealer" were first used by Amelda in the multi-part original anime episode "Flight of Fear". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**KLEIN'S LABYRINTH (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A weird series of black, winding tubes with digital circuitry on them, in a void full of colored lights.

**Card Description:** Activate only when your opponent declares an attack against one of your Monsters. Switch the base ATK and DEF of the attacking Monster until the End Phase of the next turn. During the turn this card is activated, battle damage you take is reduced to zero and your Monsters are not destroyed by battle.

_Note: "Klein's Labyrinth" was first used by Ghost (although the deck apparently belonged to Placido) in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_What duelist did Yliaster (supposedly) believe was capable of defeating Yusei? Well, Jack, more than likely, and there are doubts about this._

_As far as who DaPen's doorman goes, I'll tell you that DaPen has done some serious recruiting as far as getting duelists on his side who don't care who they work for, and in the duel that follows, each draw brings Jinx closer to defeat._

"_Mysterious Guard" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Josephine Frantisec, Queen of the Shadow Media**

There are those that say that knowledge is power. If that is the case, Frantisec Enterprises may well be the most powerful organization on the planet. This media conglomerate owns major newspapers in every major city in North America and Europe, runs fifteen different cable television networks, syndicates radio and network television in twenty different languages, and produces blockbuster movies from studios in Hollywood, Hong Kong, New Deli, and Paris. And that's just for starters. The company is also involved in several websites and online services, and employs dozens of software design houses.

It all began with Josephine Frantisec, a woman who is called the Queen of Media by the international community. They paint her as a domineering, awe-inspiring woman of incredibly beauty, charm, and ruthlessness.

In truth, Josephine is a dark elf who has been on Earth for at least one-hundred years. She quickly surmised that information was the "currency" of the coming era of her new home, and used her charm and utter lack of scruples to climb up the social ladder and gain seats on the boards of several local newspapers, the dominant media outlet of the time. As the years passed, she gained ownership of them and numerous other media companies, until it grew into the empire she commands today. Other dark elves flocked to her side during that time, and she became the undisputed matriarch of a large group, seemingly immune to the betrayal that is so common among them.

Among her many enemies, it is whispered that she has made pacts with dark powers, and has lost her soul in a web of lies and deceit. The truth is, she _is_ a dark power, and the webs are all her own spinning. Creatures of Shadow know her secret, and not all of them are pleased to see a dark elf become so successful. The ophidia despise her the most, and a secret war has gone on between her clan and numerous clans of the snake men.

Josephine knows that there is one vital rule in media – give the public what they want. And she is quite capable of using every iota of the information she has to crush anyone who prevents her from doing so…

**Story Ideas:** Not all of F.E.'s employees are Shadows, but many are. Shadowchasers who work on a case that has results that are obvious to public view will almost always attract reporters from this organization, and they might ask things that the heroes don't want to answer.

Josephine is far more approachable than most CEOs. She might approach the heroes to chat if they become a problem, and then drop a bombshell – casually mentioning something about them that they had no idea she knew, and that they don't _want_ her to know. Shadowchasers will find it very difficult to pin anything incriminating on a Shadow with this much influence, as her sources may well be just as connected as theirs. Josephine has never been known to use actual slander to defeat an enemy, but she has many other ways.

On the other hand, if the heroes somehow form an alliance with Josephine, they may gain access to a great treasure. All media organizations have something called a morgue, a place where it keeps file of reference photos, videos, archives of old stories, and significant reports and dossiers that were all never printed. The F.E. Morgue puts all others to shame. Should someone actually get into this building, he could find information on practically anything.

However, while much of this information is stored on computers, the computers in the morgue are isolated from external networks. One must actually go into the building to get anything from it. And no-one gets into the building or past the five guard checkpoints without a Frantisec Enterprises Press Pass. Even if one gets there, he has to be prepared to spend a lot of time taking notes. There are no printers in the morgue, and cameras are not allowed. But given enough time, a researcher can use it to find almost anything.

**Deck Suggestions:** Josephine has prided herself on having the most modern themes in the game. As a result, her deck is a great deal like Yusei's, consisting of low-Level Monsters that concentrate on summoning Synchro Monsters, along with various Synchro Support. Unlike Yusei, she does not use any Synchros that require a specific Tuner or type of Tuner. Her Synchros are all generic, but they get the job done.

One thing that is frustrating Josephine to no end (although she will not admit it) is that she can locate any copies of Stardust Dragon, Red Dragon Archfiend, or Black Rose Dragon. The fact that all three of them are unique and unobtainable has never occurred to her, and for someone whose business it is to know everything, not knowing where these powerful Synchros can be obtained is a pain that gnaws at her soul. If Ancient Fairy Dragon were ever used in a public setting, it would likely only make this feeling worse. Certainly, this is the one weakness of this otherwise steadfast woman.


	47. Mysterious Guard

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**CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN**

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**Mysterious Guard**

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_**When I watched the Fortune Cup, I believed at the time, like most everyone did, that the participants were invited at random, as Godwin had said. During my time with the Shadowchasers, I learned that Godwin was a liar who shouldn't be trusted, and this was one example of his dishonesty. All of the contestants were purposely selected. **_

_**Four of the contestants (Jack counted as one of these four) were individuals believed to be the Signers, and the purpose of the Fortune Cup was to make certain of it. The other five were working for Yliaster, and were supposed to test them by pushing them to their limits. **_

_**Professor Frank (who Shichiro had the "honor" of dueling) was the only one who was actually a member of Yliaster, however. Bommer was participating as part of a bargain he had made with Godwin (which, he later found out, Godwin had no intention of keeping). The other three were just hired help who likely didn't even know what a Signer was, nor would care if they were told. **_

_**That didn't make them any less dangerous, however. They were good duelists… but since they were not told how powerful their opponents would be, and were then pretty much humiliated in that contest and abandoned by their employers… well, things happen.**_

_**Jinx was about to meet one whose attempt ended before it even began…**_

Jinx slowly walked down the abandoned street. The fog got even thicker as she approached the dark factory.

What really creeped her out was, she didn't know whether this cover of fog was DaPen's doing, or something else entirely.

Eventually, the factory came into view, along with the entrance. A shadowy figure was standing in front of the doorway.

_That's the doorman,_ she thought. _Well, let's try the direct approach…_

"Hey!" she shouted.

The figure moved. Then it walked slightly, into the light.

Jinx saw him clearly. He was rather tall, and dressed in a black cloak, whose shoulders were crested with fur. He wore a hood, and Jinx couldn't see all of his face.

"Good lord…" muttered Jinx. "Shira?"

The cloaked man smiled slightly. A small smile, as if it hurt his face to smile.

"So, you've heard of me?" he asked, in a low voice.

Jinx put her hand on her hip.

"Yeah," she said. "So why are you here? I thought you worked for Godwin."

"Oh, I'll work for anyone," replied Shira. "So long as the paycheck is big enough."

"So then all you are is some mercenary?" asked Jinx.

"'Mercenary' is such an ugly word," replied Shira. "I much prefer the term 'free agent'."

"I heard your reputation took a nose dive," said Jinx, "after Mukuro Enjo beat you up."

Shira frowned.

"The jerk sucker-punched me from behind!" he shouted, angrily. "I mean, I'm not unreasonable… If he wanted to duel that Satellite so badly, I might have listened to him…"

"You mean taken a bribe?" asked Jinx. "And to think, folks envisioned you as some psychotic boogeyman… All you really are is selfish."

"So, I suppose you're here to see Mr. DaPen…" said Shira, disregarding the comment.

He drew back his robe slightly, revealing a Duel Disk on his left arm.

"Well, the door behind me is locked with a digital combination… But I might be willing to share it if you can beat me…"

"I kind of figured…" muttered Jinx, nervously.

She looked at Shira.

_Selfish or not,_ she thought, _he had quite a reputation. Folks in the underground dueling circuit called him the Shadow Reaper. It was said that some of his opponents never dueled again, out of fear…_

She paused.

_Aw, heck, the day I can't beat some hired gun of a duelist is the day I hang up my Duel Disk! Shira isn't even Aware, as far as I know…_

She waved her arm, and her Duel Disk activated. Shira quickly activated his.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Shira: 8,000)**

"I'll even give you the first move," said Shira.

Jinx frowned, and drew a card. She wasn't sure whether he was doing that to be generous, or whether it benefited him. More likely the later.

"I summon Abare Ushioni!" she shouted.

With a loud snort, the tattooed, bull-like Beast-Warrior appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Now I'm using its effect," she said, as a coin appeared in her hand.

"Heads!"

She tossed the coin. Both of them watched it.

Then she groaned as it came down tails. Abare Ushioni glowed with a red aura, and Jinx sweat as the aura spread to her.

"Should I bother taking my turn," asked Shira, "or should I just wait as you do yourself in?"

"Aw, shut up," said Jinx. "I end my turn."

**(Jinx: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Shira: 8,000)**

"My draw…" said Shira, drawing a card.

"I activate Upstart Goblin," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "Now, you gain 1,000 Life Points, and I get to draw one card."

"Huh?" said Jinx, as she glowed with golden energy.

Shira made a draw.

"Want more?" asked Shira. "I think I'll play a second Upstart Goblin."

"What are you doing?" asked Jinx, as she glowed with energy again.

"It's all part of my plan," said Shira, drawing a card.

"Next, I play the Hand Destruction Spell Card. Now, both players must discard two cards, and draw two replacements."

Jinx looked at him strangely. She chose Alligator's Sword and Baby Dragon and discarded them. Shira discarded Neko Mane King and Gear Golem the Moving Fortress. Then they both made two draws.

"Now, I'll summon Card Trooper in Attack Mode," he continued.

With a series of beeps and whirs, a cute robot on tank treads with cannons for arms rolled onto the field. (400 ATK)

"Now I use its effect. By tossing three cards from my deck…"

He discarded three cards from his deck, Marshmallon, Vortex Trooper, and The Unhappy Maiden.

"…this Machine gains 500 Attack Points for each one."

Card Trooper beeped again. (1,900 ATK)

"Now I'll attack your Abare Ushioni."

Card Trooper blasted twin missiles at the large bull, and with a deafening explosion, it was blown to shards. Jinx braced herself.

"I'll end my turn there."

Card Trooper fell back to 400 Attack Points.

**(J: 8,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 8,000)**

_This is really weird,_ thought Jinx, as she made a draw.

"I summon X-Saber Anabelera," she said.

She played the card, and the gorgeous female fighter appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Destroy Card Trooper!" she shouted.

Anabelera lashed her whip, and the small droid exploded.

"Ergh…" muttered Shira.

"Thanks to its effect, I get to draw one card," he said.

He made a draw.

Jinx sighed.

A facedown card appeared behind Anabelera with a flash.

_He tries to attack,_ she thought, _Graceful Dice will take care of it._

"I have to end my turn," she said.

**(J: 8,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,600)**

Shira quickly drew.

He placed a card on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

He nodded.

"The strong, silent type, huh?" said Jinx, making a draw.

"I'm bringing out X-Saber Urz!" she shouted.

The fiendish Warrior clad in fur, holding twin sabers, leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Anabelera, attack!" she shouted.

Anabelera cracked her whip, and lashed it towards the facedown card…

Then she was thrown backwards, as Giant Soldier of Stone appeared on the facedown card. (2,000 DEF)

Jinx considered for a minute.

"Your move…" she said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his office, DaPen was watching with Edmund.

"Dare I ask how Shira came into your employ?" he asked.

"For the reason Ms. Noriko said," replied DaPen. "Once word got out that Enjo beat him up, his reputation took a nose dive, and he couldn't scare a five-year-old duelist with his mere presence.

"But he could still duel with the best of them, and his… unique talent and rare deck theme was something that I could definitely use. The rumors that he can frighten duelists into giving up the sport are not tripe."

"You're going to make me ask, right?" asked Edmund. "Just what is the point of his strategy? He hasn't even done much yet."

"It takes time," replied DaPen. "But if he succeeds, Jinx won't know what hit her."

He opened his desk drawer, and took out a deck.

"And if he fails, I've got something special for her…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"I'll set a new Monster, and end my turn," said Shira.

_Is this going to go anywhere?_ thought Jinx, as she made a draw.

She looked at her five cards.

_Think I'll wait…_ she thought.

"Anabelera," she shouted, "attack the hidden Monster!"

Anabelera lashed her whip again. A demonic creature with horns, wings, claws, and a lolling tongue appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

"That was my Mad Reloader," said Shira. "Now, I can send two of my cards to my Graveyard…"

He quickly discarded two cards, Neo Aqua Madoor and Monster Reincarnation.

"…and then draw two replacements."

_Okay… this is getting even weirder…_ thought Jinx.

"It's your move…" she said.

Shira drew a card again.

He set two cards, and a reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared.

_A Trap Card?_ thought Jinx.

"Mmm," said Shira.

"I don't know what your game is, Shira," she said, drawing a card, "but it's not gonna work…

"Attack!"

Anabelera lashed her whip again. A man dressed in a sea diver's suit appeared crouching on the card, and shattered into bits.

"That was my Deep Diver," said Shira. "And now that you're done attacking, I can take any Monster I desire, and put it on top of my deck."

He took a card from his deck, then reshuffled, and placed it on top.

"Just move, already," said Jinx.

Shira grinned.

"Gladly," he said.

He made a draw. He added the card to his hand.

"I think for my turn, I'll simply activate this…" he said.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Limit Reverse. Now, I can bring Deep Diver back from my Graveyard in Attack Mode."

Deep Diver appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

"And it's your move."

_Okay, this is seriously wrong,_ thought Jinx. _All he's been doing all duel has been defending, and manipulating the cards in his hand and the cards he draws… If I didn't know better, I'd say…_

She gasped.

_That's it!_

"I know what you're planning!" she shouted. "Throughout this whole duel, you've slowly been assembling the pieces to something that literally can't be stopped… Exodia the Forbidden One!"

Shira chuckled.

"Congratulations," he said. "Most folks are too dense to realize that. It seems kind of obvious when you think about it… But maybe I only think so because it's my deck.

"So, what are you going to do? How can you stop me?"

"Just watch…" said Jinx.

She drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom! Now, I'm bringing back an old friend from my Graveyard…"

Alligator's Sword appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"Next, I summon X-Saber Airbellum."

With a snarl, the most savage of the X-Sabers appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune Alligator's Sword and Airbellum together…"

The two Beasts jumped up, and flew into the sky, where they faded into seven glowing stars…

With a roar, X-Saber Urbellum landed on the field. (2,200 ATK)

"Impressive," said Shira.

"Now, I activate… Graceful Dice!" exclaimed Jinx, as her facedown card lifted.

The small teddy appeared, and gave its die a toss. It hopped, and bounced, and landed on the five.

"Perfect!" said Jinx.

Urz's Attack Score increased to 2,100, Anabelera's to 2,300, and Urbellum's to 2,700.

"Anabelera, destroy Deep Diver!" she shouted.

The femme fatale lashed her whip, and Shira cringed as Deep Diver burst.

Then he grinned.

"You've lost," he said.

"Not yet," said Jinx. "You can't use its effect until my Battle Phase is over. For now…

"Urz, destroy Giant Soldier of Stone!"

Urz slashed with his sabers, and the huge statue burst into a shower of pebbles.

"Now I use Urz's effect," said Jinx. "By sacrificing him…"

Urz vanished.

"…the Monster he just destroyed goes to the top of your deck."

A card appeared on the top of Shira's deck.

"Big deal," he said. "When I use Deep Diver's effect, I'll put the card I need on top of _that_."

"We'll see," said Jinx. "Because now, Urbellum attacks you directly!"

Urbellum leapt up, and slashed the robed duelist across the chest with his longsword.

"ARGH!" screamed Shira.

**(J: 8,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,600)**

"Now, I activate his effect," said Jinx, as she pointed. "Since you have more than four cards in your hand, one of them is sent to the top of your deck."

Shira gasped as one of his cards vanished.

"Not that one!" he gasped.

"I think that was a piece of Exodia," said Jinx with a grin. "Well… I'm done attacking, so by all means, use Deep Diver's effect…

"But, after you search for a Monster, you'll have to shuffle before putting it on top, putting that other card out of reach for a while."

Shira growled. He took the card he needed from his deck, which was, ironically, the central piece of Exodia.

Then he shuffled, and put it on top.

"It's your move," said Jinx.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

DaPen was upset. In his office, he brooded. It seemed his servant was going to do even worse than Ross did.

"Okay…" he said. "Time to help Shira out…

"But this time… I'll be more careful…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shira drew a card.

He looked at the five cards in his hand, which consisted of all the pieces of Exodia except the Left Leg, and Imperial Iron Wall.

"If my hunch is right," said Jinx, "your hand now consists of four pieces of Exodia, and one other card. Unless that one other card is something that can hold all my Monsters off until you manage to draw the last piece, you're finished."

Shira paused, as if he was unsure.

Then he smirked slightly.

He reached for the Imperial Iron Wall card, and it glowed with a soft light.

"Oh, but it is," he said, in a more sinister voice.

He threw it into his Disk, and a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

Jinx stepped back in shock as a shower of glowing swords fell down around her.

"That will hold you," he said. "I end my turn…"

"I draw one card…" said Jinx.

She stared at Shira.

_Something is seriously wrong,_ she thought. _If he had Swords in his hand this whole time, he could have easily won on this round. _

_After he used Limit Reverse to summon Deep Diver, he could have attacked Anabelera with it, activating its effect. THEN he could have used the Swords, preventing me from attacking, and drawn the final piece of Exodia this turn…_

_So why didn't he?_

_I smell a rat…_

She looked at the cards in her hand. They were X-Saber Galahad, Double Spell, Roll of Fate, Dangerous Machine Type-6, Maximum Six, and Polymerization.

_Double Spell…_ she thought. _I can use this against him somehow… But how?_

_Wait…_

She quickly played it.

"I play Double Spell!" she shouted. "So I'll ditch one Spell Card…"

She discarded Polymerization.

"…and duplicate your Hand Destruction card!"

The art for Double Spell turned into Hand Destruction. Shira growled.

He discarded the Right Leg and the Right Arm. Jinx discarded Maximum Six and Dangerous Machine. Both of them made two draws.

"You won't get away with this…" he growled. "Those cards will return to me…"

"Yes, yes," said Jinx. "Any good Exodia duelist has lots of cards that can get the pieces back from the Graveyard. But at least I've slowed you down."

He discarded the Right Leg and the Right Arm. Jinx discarded Maximum Six and Dangerous Machine. Both of them made two draws.

"I end my turn," said Jinx. "Two turns left."

"I draw!" exclaimed Shira.

"And I'm getting rid of your skull-faced friend. I play Offerings to the Doomed."

He played the Spell Card, and a beam of light shot from it blowing Urbellum to shards.

He threw two cards into his Disk, and two reversed cards flashed into existence.

"I set two facedown cards, and end my turn!"

Jinx made a draw.

"You do realize that you can't draw next turn, right?" she asked.

"Then I think I'll activate this," said Shira, as one of his facedown cards lifted.

"Reckless Greed. Since I can't draw next turn, I'll make the most of it…"

He made two draws.

"Then I'll summon X-Saber Galahad," replied Jinx.

She threw the card on her Disk, and the toad-like Warrior with the bronze armor and sword appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"It's your move…"

"Then I'll skip my Draw Phase," said Shira, as he took two cards from his hand, "and set a Monster and one more facedown card."

A reversed Monster and a facedown card appeared.

"It's your move…"

Jinx made a draw.

"I summon Twinbarrel Dragon!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, the two-legged artillery shaped like a hound appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Now I can toss a coin twice," she said. "If I get two heads, I can wipe out one card. And I'm aiming for your Swords of Revealing Light."

She tossed a coin once, and it fell to the ground.

Heads.

She tossed it again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his office, DaPen watched carefully.

He concentrated slightly…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The coin fell to the ground, tails.

"Crud…" said Jinx.

She looked at Shira. Her suspicions were starting to rise again…

"I end my turn… And that means your Swords expire anyway."

The Swords of Revealing Light vanished.

"Then I'll skip my Draw Phase again," said Shira, "and activate both of these…"

His two facedown cards lifted up. They were two copies of the same Trap Card.

"Break the Seal?" asked Jinx.

"One of them does nothing," replied Shira. "Two of them let me take any Monster with the words 'Forbidden One' in its name from my deck."

The Left Leg slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

"That's all for my turn…"

Jinx drew a card.

_He's got three pieces of Exodia in his hand, and two in the Graveyard,_ she thought. _If I can just take that Monster he has out, I can beat him…_

She paused.

_I could win this duel in a heartbeat if I summoned Jalal to the field…_

_But… I'm not supposed to…_

She remembered part of the text on that card:

_Use it for no purpose except in the service of that cause._

Jinx sighed. Shira was no Shadow, and wasn't even Aware. He was only hired help. Using that card was not justified in this situation.

She took a card from her hand.

"I sacrifice Twinbarrel Dragon…" she said.

The Machine vanished.

"For Allsword Commander Gatmuz!"

With a roar, the hulking general of the X-Sabers, clad in plate armor and holding his greatsword appeared.

"And when he's on the field, all X-Sabers gain 400 more Attack Points."

Both Galahad and Anabelera rose to Attack Scores of 2,200.

"Galahad, attack!"

X-Saber Galahad leapt at the facedown Monster, and his Attack Score rose further, to 2,500…

Then his sword hit metal with a loud clank.

Jinx looked, and saw that a Spirit Reaper was parrying with its scythe. (200 DEF)

_Man, I hate that thing…_ she thought.

"I end my turn!" she shouted.

"Then it's my move," said Shira. "And I can draw again…"

He made a draw.

"And I think I'll set this Monster…"

A new defensive Monster appeared.

"…and I'll end my turn…"

_C'mon, deck, gimme some love,_ thought Jinx.

She drew a card.

_Star Blaster??_ she thought. _Just what I didn't need!_

"Galahad, attack!" she shouted.

Galahad made a swipe with his blade at the facedown Monster. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and shattered into bits.

"Are you crazy?" asked Jinx, as they both discarded their hands. "Now _all_ the pieces of Exodia are in your Graveyard!"

They both made five draws.

"Not for long…" said Shira.

Jinx glared at him. She looked at her five cards.

She took one, and fit it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"My move…" said Shira.

He drew a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," he said, playing the Spell Card. "Most people forget that the five pieces of Exodia are Monster Cards…"

The holy ankh appeared, and the disembodied head of the Forbidden One appeared in front of him, floating in mid-air. (1,000 ATK)

Jinx looked confused.

"Next, I set a new Monster…" said Shira, as a facedown Monster appeared.

"Then, the Spell Card, Book of Taiyou."

He played the Spell Card, and the facedown Monster flipped up. It was a small penguin holding a sword. (750 ATK)

"Due to Penguin Soldier's effect, I can send two Monsters back to the owners' hands. And I think I'll choose Exodia the Forbidden One, and Penguin Soldier itself."

The two Monsters vanished, and the cards appeared in Shira's hand.

He quickly played a new Spell Card.

"Next, I play A Feather of the Phoenix. So I toss one card…"

He discarded Penguin Soldier.

"…and I get to take any card in my Graveyard, and place it on the top of my deck."

Right Arm of the Forbidden One slipped out of his Graveyard slot, and he placed it on top of his deck.

Then he took the last card in his hand, and placed it in his Disk. A facedown card appeared in a burst of light.

"It's your move…"

Jinx started to sweat.

_I know what that facedown card is…_ she thought. _Backup Soldier… What else could it be? And even if I draw something that I can use to destroy it, it's chainable…_

_Damn! He'll win next turn… I could beat him if I brought out Jalal… but…_

She looked at Shira, who was smiling evilly.

Then she stopped short.

For the first time, she caught a glimpse of Shira's eyes under that hood. Only a slight view…

But those weren't human eyes… Those were the same cold, inhuman ones that she had seen in Ross.

_DaPen…_ she thought. _He's been helping Shira this whole time! That dirty…_

She drew a card.

_Well… This changes everything!_

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Wicked Rebirth!" she shouted. "Now, I can pay 800 Life Points to bring someone back who might seem familiar to you…"

In a burst of energy, X-Saber Urbellum leapt onto the field, and struck a pose. (2,200 ATK)

"Big deal," said Shira. "He can't destroy Spirit Reaper any more than the others can."

"But he'll help summon someone who can," replied Jinx.

She threw a card into the last space in her Monster Zone.

"Come on out, X-Saber Palomlo!"

The small lizard man holding his battle-axe appeared. (200 ATK)

"Urbellum… Palomlo… Let's take this duel home!"

The two X-Sabers flew into the sky, and then faded into eight shimmering stars. The night sky lit up once again…

"I Synchro Summon Jalal the Dragonborn!" shouted Jinx.

In a flourish, Jalal appeared, clad in his brilliant armor and holding his gleaming sword aloft. (2,600 ATK)

Shira growled.

"Now, I'm using his effect," continued Jinx. "I'll give up half my Life Points… And remove a Spell Card in your Graveyard from play…"

A card slipped out of Shira's discard slot. He gasped when he saw that it was Offerings to the Doomed.

Jalal's sword glowed, and the glowing rune appeared on it.

"Now, I'll use the Rune Counter to use its effect! Destroy Spirit Reaper!"

A blast of energy shot from Jalal's sword, and the ghostly Zombie shattered into shards.

"Now to end this!" shouted Jinx. "Jalal, attack directly!"

Jalal's avatar leapt into the air, and came down hard upon the possessed mercenary, slamming his sword into him. Shira screamed and collapsed.

**(J: 3,750) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

Jinx went up to the unconscious Shira and lifted up his Duel Disk. She took the cards from his discard slot.

As she expected, Swords of Revealing Light was not there.

_A trick of psionics…_ she thought. _Illusion… Or maybe altering perceptions…_

She went up to the door and pounded on it.

"DaPen!" she screamed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that cheaters only cheat themselves? You open this door and confront me to my face or I'll break it down!"

She waited.

Then the door slowly opened.

Jinx walked in. She slowly walked down the hallway, which was dark. The door slammed shut behind her, as she expected it to. Not that she intended to leave right now. She continued down the hallway until she got to DaPen's waiting room.

"Come in, come in," said DaPen's voice from his office. "The coffee in there is cold anyway…"

Jinx walked into the office, and saw DaPen sitting behind the desk, again disguised as the corpulent, bearded, middle-aged man.

"Look," said Jinx. "I know what you are. So you can drop the disguise."

DaPen looked at her. He stood up.

"As you wish," he said.

Like a ripple of light, the disguise was cast aside, and DaPen appeared before her in his true form.

"Okay…" said Jinx, nervously. "Now you can put the disguise back on…"

"Afraid?" asked DaPen.

"More like disgusted," replied Jinx.

"You just aren't used to it," said DaPen. "Maybe once I extend my influence, I'll take steps to make my image more popular… You ever hear of a little thing called merchandising?

"Heck, if it worked for Colonel Sanders, why couldn't it work for me?"

"You want to open a chain of fast food restaurants?" asked Jinx, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not?" asked DaPen. "There's a lot of money in such enterprises. You know, when Dave Thomas first opened Wendy's, he thought at first that it would have, at most, five locations… He was off by about ten-thousand…

"Maybe I can open a chain that sells takoyaki… So many humans have insulted my people by comparing us to octopi… Why not profit from it?"

"I don't get it, DaPen…" said Jinx. "What makes you tick? What motivates an illithid to try to become the next Al Capone?

"You guys are so intelligent… You could probably find a cure for cancer if you wanted to."

DaPen casually lit his cigar.

"But we don't want to, Ms. Noriko," he replied. "Such concerns are beneath us. Why should we care about the plagues that hinder mankind? Our knowledge is better used for other things."

"Right…" said Jinx. "The superiority complex that you guys have… That's why people don't like you."

"We really don't care whether people like you like us or not!" replied DaPen.

He said it with such intensity that Jinx shook a little.

Da Pen calmed down a little.

"Why did I become involved with crime, you ask?" he said. "I lost most of my memories when I arrived on Earth, but I have a few fleeting thoughts of my old life…

"You see, Ms. Noriko, illithids have tried ever since Gith's rebellion to subjugate other races and hold onto them… But our attempts to do so are pathetic at best. We've managed to conquer a few communities, but we have never come close to the empire we once had.

"In my dreams and fleeting thoughts, I remember that in my past life, I was the head of a council of illithids that ruled a subterranean empire of slave races. I don't remember the identities of these races, nor who my comrades were. They're all likely dead now, anyway.

"My assumption is that we were ruined when a resistance was formed, made up of members of our slaves who, like Gith's army, developed a resistance to psionics. I was forced to flee for my life from the angry liberators, abandoning my comrades. And I almost didn't make it. I was saved when I was snatched, and thrown into your world.

"Once here, I adapted to my situation quickly. I studied the history of this world, and I discovered something vital… I discovered that here, dictators and tyrants are hated even more than they are on other worlds.

"Wars have been fought to overthrow tyrannical regimes. Treaties and international pacts like NATO have been established among nations to prevent dictatorships. Time and again, despots who desired to conquer and subjugate others have been overthrown. The lucky ones are tried at the Hague… Ones who aren't so lucky are tried by their own people, and then hanged.

"On this world, an empire like the kind that illithids envisioned stood no chance of being created…

"But…"

He paused, and puffed on his cigar.

"There was one way I could get the power I desired… One way I could exert my will over others the way an illithid should. That way was by building a _different_ type of empire… An empire in organized crime.

"So, I got started. I never worked as any criminal's henchman, as most crime bosses did. I built my own small gang from the start. I used my psionic powers to stay one step ahead of all the other crime bosses, and keep them focused on each other. They never had a clue how some fat, middle-aged man kept anticipating their every move. They never imagined that I was some paranatural being from beyond, and that all of my lieutenants, and many of my footsoldiers, were also Shadows.

"And finally, it has come to fruition…"

"And what are your plans for the Regalia?" asked Jinx.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that…" said DaPen.

He picked up a Duel Disk.

"Unless you beat me, of course."

"Fine," said Jinx. "But I have my eye on you this time!"

"They'll be no foul play this time, Ms. Noriko," replied DaPen. "You've passed all my tests, and I consider you a worthy foe… More than I can say about most…

"But don't think your luck will hold out forever… Take it from someone who's an old gambler himself… You can only rely on luck so far…"

Both Disks activated…

_**No tricks, no illusions, no brainwashed slaves. DaPen had finally decided to confront Jinx face-to-face. Jinx hardly knew what to expect, but she knew that DaPen had not climbed to the top of the Neo Domino underworld by being stupid. She was likely facing a formidable foe at this point…**_

_**Heck, I might as well say it… She knew she was in for the fight of her life…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BREAK THE SEAL (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A hand picking up one of several ripped paper talismans from a cracked stone surface; a mysterious eye is peering out of one of the cracks.

**Card Description:** Send this card and a second face-up "Break the Seal" on your side of the field to the Graveyard to search your deck for 1 "Forbidden One" Monster and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Break the Seal" was first used by Martin (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Breaking of the Sacred Seal!" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next: Jinx versus DaPen! Need I say more? No, I guess I don't. _

_It's called "Reversal of Fate", and it's coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Dr. Astrid Kolgrim, Researcher of Shadow**

It's no secret that attempts by governments to cast the Shadowchasers aside and start their own programs to regulate Shadow activities have been abysmal at best. Even federal marshals have trouble forming a team that can investigate a crime that has been committed by a Shadowkind. They lack the resources and special touch that the Shadowchasers have in hunting down these special criminals. This has not stopped some governments from gathering information, however. In recent years, the U.S. Government has created the Commission for Research into Unexplained Phenomena, better known as C.R.U.P, and put Dr. Astrid Kolgrim as its head.

Dr. Kolgrim is an Aware who never lost her ability to see Shadows, and she has studied them all her life. She is a tall, stunning African-American woman with strong features. She has long, glossy hair (often tied back to keep it out of the way). Although not oblivious to her looks, Kolgrim has no time or patience for those interested only in her appearance.

In many ways, she follows the stereotype of a scientist: humorless, analytical, and no-nonsense. However, due to the subject matter she deals with, she keeps an open mind, realizing that science has yet to uncover many mysteries involved with Shadow.

Through C.R.U.P, Kolgrim can commandeer personnel and materials from many government agencies, including the FBI, Center for Disease Control, Office of Homeland Security, Immigration and Naturalization Services, Internal Revenue Service, and many others. She usually works with a small group of scientists and agents, but transfers them elsewhere after a few months. In truth, Kolgrim is the only truly permanent member of the Commission.

Several government organizations (including the NSA and the Departments of Justice and the Interior) are opposed to C.R.U.P, or more correctly, would like to see Dr. Kolgrim placed under their direct control instead of wandering around as a free agent. Fortunately, she has many powerful allies. Senators and Representatives, even ones who are Mundane, are interested in her work, and Jalal supports her at times, off the record. She is not his true government contact in the States, but the two are unofficial allies.

**Story Ideas:** Dr. Kolgrim can enter a story in numerous ways. It may be possible for her and a group of Shadowchasers to be working on the same case, albeit in different ways. She could be an ally in that regard, or possibly develop a personal antagonism if things go badly.

Another possibility is the simple fact that C.R.U.P. has accumulated a treasure trove of information in its short history. Of course, its archives are U.S. government property, so not just anyone can access it. It would take a lot to get Dr. Kolgrim to bend (or break) the rules and let classified information be revealed to civilians, and figuring out a way to get access to it would take a good part of the story.

**Deck Ideas:** Dr. Kolgrim is no idiot, and if she were ever forced to duel, she wouldn't go in unprepared. No one deck would ever define her strategy. Like Misawa and Kodo Kinomiya, she always studies opponents beforehand, if she can, and uses whatever strategy can best counter theirs. It may not be very sporting, but it gets the job done. She is also aware that guesswork doesn't always work, and usually has a backup plan (or two) in case there is something she didn't prepare for.


	48. Reversal of Fate

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**CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT**

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**Reversal of Fate**

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_**Let's review, shall we?**_

_**I had been inducted into the Shadowchasers, and put under the mentorship of a more experienced member named Noriko Kaede, better known as Jinx. As she started to teach me, a guy named Louis DaPen, the godfather of Neo Domino, started to give us trouble. We later found out that he was an illithid, a paranatural being known for an incredible ego and psionic powers who ate human brains. **_

_**As I learned the trade, we obtained the Regalia of the Day, an item that DaPen wanted. We tried to protect it, but DaPen had a partner named Edmund Mason, an evil wizard who had performed some unholy ritual that had turned him into a living colony of worms. He slowly stole the pieces of the Regalia until he had them all.**_

_**Then he tested them, summoning a powerful demon to this world. That caused a being of ultimate law to arrive. It slew the demon, but then it was corrupted by the presence of the Earthbound Gods. Fortunately, Shichiro convinced it to leave. Since we saw a mere hint of the power DaPen now had, we had to take action, and confront him where he lived.**_

_**So, we found out where that was, and Jinx volunteered to go after him. She was now facing the big man, uhm, Shadow, himself.**_

_**And that, in a nutshell, is where we are. Any questions?**_

Jinx and DaPen glared at each other. This likely made Jinx far more nervous than it made DaPen, seeing as his eyes were pale, white, pupiless, and utterly cold.

"I should warn you, DaPen," said Jinx. "If you think you can read my mind with those fancy psychic powers, my head is a tough nut to crack."

"Oh, please…" said DaPen with a sigh. "You've gotten this far, Ms. Noriko, so let's drop all the baloney.

"So many people credit illithids with powers we don't have… Yeah, we're telepathic… We're empathic… Our senses are acute. At times we can pretend to actually read minds…

"But actually read your thoughts? If we could do that to anyone, we'd have conquered the world a long time ago. An illithid can only do that to someone if the target lets him do it."

"And you guys manage that by turning other races into slaves," replied Jinx, "so they have no choice but to let you."

"More or less," said DaPen.

"So why agree to duel me?" asked Jinx. "Why not just cast your spell and take over my mind?"

"It's not that simple…" said DaPen.

He activated his Disk, and quickly drew five cards. Jinx did the same.

"Still, don't think I'll be a pushover… You fancy yourself a gambler… But you don't get to be a big player in the urban underworld without being somewhat of a gambler yourself… The world of organized crime is full of high rollers and card sharks. I've been to poker games where rather large fortunes were bet on single hands.

"I once witnessed one crime boss wager his soul on a roll in a blackjack game. He won the toss, although I'm not sure how the house would have collected had he lost. The whole staff of the casino were Mundanes.

"But to make wagers so large, you need to know how to play seriously…

"How did that old song by Kenny Rogers go?

"Ah, yes…

"_Son, I've made a life, out of reading people's faces,_

"_And knowing what their cards were, by the way they held their eyes…"_

"Yeah?" said Jinx. "Well, if it's a question of having a poker face, I've learned from the best…"

"And who might that be?" asked DaPen.

"General Ross!" shouted Jinx.

DaPen glared at her.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DaPen: 8,000)**

"I always consider myself a gentleman," said DaPen. "You may go first…"

Jinx made a draw.

"Come on out, Alligator's Sword!"

She played the card, and the scimitar-armed Beast leapt onto the field, landing in a flourish. (1,500 ATK)

"I'll throw two cards facedown for later," she said.

Two facedown cards appeared in two flashes of light.

"End turn."

DaPen made a draw.

"You were right," he said. "That is _quite_ a poker face.

"I'll set a Monster, and play a reversed card of my own…"

Two reversed cards, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone, appeared.

"…and my turn is complete."

"Defending, DaPen?" asked Jinx, as she drew a card. "I expected more from you."

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!"

In another burst of energy, the toad-like Warrior clad in bronze armor appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Alligator's Sword, attack his Monster!"

Alligator's Sword made a slash with his weapon. Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and shattered into shards.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you what Mystic Tomato does…" said DaPen.

A second Mystic Tomato appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Galahad, attack!" ordered Jinx.

Galahad rushed at the Tomato, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100. He cut the wicked fruit down the middle, and it shattered.

"I Special Summon a Spellcaster Monster named Mind on Air," said DaPen.

In a dark shadow, a frightening-looking female figure appeared in front of DaPen. She had blue skin, and wore a black, leather leotard and knee-length boots. Odd tubes were connected to her leotard and draped over her shoulders. Most remarkably, the top half of her skull, which had green, tangled hair, had been replaced by a semi-transparent glass dome, under which her brain was visible.

She smiled evilly at Jinx. (1,000 ATK)

"Erk!" said Jinx. "Okay… That's… very scary… But my Monsters are both stronger…"

"It's not her attack power I need," said DaPen, "it's her effect. I may not be able to read your mind, but she _can_. She's reading your mind right now, and knows just what cards you have in your hand.

"And she's quite willing to tell me…"

Mind on Air's eyes glowed, and three cards appeared above Jinx. Abare Ushioni, Gamble, and Blind Destruction.

"Say WHAT?" said Jinx.

"A powerful effect, yes," replied DaPen. "But she is a Level 6 Monster with a pathetic Attack Score. And before you end your turn, I'm activating my Trap Card…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Ominous Fortunetelling. Care to set either of those two Trap Cards?"

"I end my turn!" shouted Jinx.

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,300)**

"Careful, Ms. Noriko," said DaPen. "You're losing that poker face you were so proud of…

"I draw…"

He drew a card.

"Then, during my Standby Phase, my Ominous Fortunetelling activates. I choose one card in your hand at random, and then try to guess whether it's a Monster, Spell, or Trap. If I am correct, you take 700 points of damage."

_That crummy…_ thought Jinx. _With Mind on Air showing him my cards, he can't miss!_

"I believe that card is a Trap Card," said DaPen, pointing at Jinx's middle card, which was Gamble. "Am I right?"

"Yeah, yeah…" said Jinx, turning it around.

Then a ghostly phantom flew out of DaPen's Trap Card, and dove into Jinx's chest. It hit her harder than she thought it would. Almost like her lungs had froze solid.

"ERGH!" she shouted, holding her chest.

"Don't collapse yet," said DaPen. "First, I play Heart of Clear Water, and Equip it to Mind on Air."

He fit the card into his Disk, and a glass pendant appeared around Mind on Air's neck.

"Now, she can't be destroyed by battle or by targeting effects.

"Next, I activate the Spell Card, Secret Pass to the Treasures."

The Spell Card appeared.

"Since my Monster has only 1,000 Attack Points, this lets her attack directly."

Mind on Air glared at Jinx, and her cranium dome glowed with energy.

"I activate Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards shot up.

"Typical," said DaPen. "So, let's see who's luck is better…"

Jinx tossed the coin.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin fell. Unfortunately, it was tails.

"Crud!" she shouted.

Then she screamed as a bolt of energy from Mind on Air struck her in the forehead.

"That… That hurt!" she cried.

"I'm not done…" said DaPen, as he played another Spell Card. "I play Mind Monster. Now I get to name any Monster I can think of, and if you have one, you lose Life Points equal to half its Attack Score.

"Think I'll name Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth."

The slot for the chamber that held Jinx's Extra Deck opened, and Gaia's card slipped out. Then a blob of black energy started to form in front of her.

"Seems I was right…" said DaPen.

The blob formed into a likeness of Gaia, and Jinx screamed again as it stabbed her with its lance.

She fell to her knees as it vanished.

**(J: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,300)**

She glared at DaPen.

"This isn't a hologram, is it…" she whispered. "This is some sort of Shadow Game…"

DaPen chuckled.

"No, not a Shadow Game, Ms. Noriko," replied DaPen. "Shadow Games are created using dark sorcery, and as you know by now, I am incapable of personally using magic.

"I am, however, capable of a little trick called Psychic Dueling."

"Psychic Dueling?" asked Jinx.

"That idiotic snob Divine thought that he and his students in the Arcadia Movement were the only ones who could do it," said DaPen. "I can do it even easier than any human can…

"A Psychic Duelist can materialize the Monsters and card effects using pure thought, making the damage they do seem real. You might say that it's a recreation of a Shadow Game using mental power instead of magic."

He took a car from his hand, and placed it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"But have no fear, Ms. Noriko… Neither your life nor your soul is in danger…

"Still… Everything else you have isn't looking too good…

"It's your move…"

Jinx got up. She slowly drew a card.

"X-Saber Passiul, hmm?" said DaPen, looking at the card. "Don't think he can help you too much…"

"Oh, shut up!" shouted Jinx. "I'll pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box…

"Then I summon Abare Ushioni!"

She played a card, and the large, tattooed bull appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Let's see who's luck is better this time, shall we?"

She tossed the coin.

"Heads!"

The coin fell. It was indeed head.

DaPen groaned as the beam from the Beast-Warrior's eyes struck him in the chest.

"Next," said Jinx, "Alligator's Sword will attack Mind on Air!"

The Beast lifted his scimitar.

"Forget?" asked DaPen. "She's protected by her Equip Spell."

"But you'll still take damage!" replied Jinx.

Alligator's Sword struck Mind on Air in the torso. The Spellcaster groaned, and DaPen flinched.

"Galahad, you too!" continued Jinx.

Galahad's Attack Score rose to 2,100 again, and he struck the telepath with his blade.

"Ergh…" groaned the illithid.

"Abare Ushioni, attack the facedown Monster!" shouted Jinx. "Pamplona pound!"

Abare Ushioni snorted, and charged. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and was crushed.

DaPen's eyes narrowed, as he drew one card.

"I end my turn…" said Jinx.

**(J: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,700)**

DaPen made another draw, and looked at it.

"Not bad," he said. "But now it's my turn… Which means my Ominous Fortunetelling activates…"

"I believe that the card on the right is a Monster."

Jinx growled, and flipped the card, which was X-Saber Passiul, around. The phantom flew into her again, and she groaned.

"I set one Monster," said DaPen, "and then move Mind on Air into Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared, and then the telepath knelt and crossed her arms over her chest. (1,600 DEF)

**(J: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,700)**

"My move…" said Jinx, drawing a card.

She looked at the card, which was XX-Saber Reijigra.

_I could use this guy to recover an X-Saber from my Graveyard,_ she thought, _if I had any there!_

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

"Then I use Abare Ushioni's effect!"

She tossed the coin.

"Tails this time!"

The coin fell. It was tails.

"Curse that infernal bull!" exclaimed DaPen.

Then he groaned as its beam hit him again.

"Now, I'll move the 'infernal bull' to Defense Mode," said Jinx with a grin.

Abare Ushioni sat on its hindquarters. (1,200 DEF)

"Then, Galahad will attack your facedown Monster!"

Galahad flew at the reversed Monster. A silly-looking clown dressed in green and yellow with a cavalier's hat with a plume appeared on the card, and shattered under the blow of the sword.

"That was Peten the Dark Clown," said DaPen. "And when it goes to the Graveyard, I can remove it from play to summon another one…"

A second Peten appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"Alligator's Sword, wipe that grin off his face!" shouted Jinx.

The Beast slashed with his blade, and the second Peten shattered.

DaPen waved his hand, and a third Peten appeared. (1,200 DEF)

"I end my turn…" muttered Jinx.

**(J: 3,300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,700)**

DaPen made a draw.

"Time to tell your fortune again," he said as the Ominous Fortunetelling card glowed. "I believe that the card on the far left is a Trap."

Jinx frowned, and flipped the card around, which was Blind Destruction. She groaned again as the phantom flew into her.

"I'll set one more Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared.

**(J: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,700)**

Jinx drew a card.

"I see you've drawn Roll of Fate," chuckled DaPen. "A powerful card if the roll comes up right…"

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," said Jinx, "then I play Roll of Fate!"

She played the card, and the dice appeared. It skipped and bounced, and came up a two.

She drew two cards. Then she took the next two, and pocketed them.

"Oh…" said DaPen. "I see you've drawn Mystical Space Typhoon… You could use that to destroy Heart of Clear Water…

"Ah, well… Guess it's time to say goodbye to Mind on Air…"

_That's what he'd want me to do,_ thought Jinx. _But once my turn was over, he'd still have a very good chance of guessing right with Ominous Fortunetelling…_

"I use Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted.

She played the Spell Card, and the cyclone hit Ominous Fortunetelling, blowing it to pieces.

"Now, I use the effect of Abare Ushioni!" she shouted.

She tossed the coin.

"Heads!"

DaPen's tentacles lashed in frustration as he saw the coin come up heads. He groaned again.

"Now, I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" shouted Jinx.

She played the card, and the feral X-Saber appeared.

"Now, I Tune him and Alligator's Sword! Go!"

The two Monsters flew to the ceiling, and split into seven glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… X-Saber Urbellum!"

With a roar, Urbellum landed on the floor in front of her.

"Destroy the last Peten!" she shouted.

X-Saber Urbellum made a slash with his sword, and the final Clown shattered.

"Galahad, the facedown Monster!"

Galahad rushed at the Monster. Giant Germ appeared on the card, and as it was struck with the blade, it burst into a cloud of gas. Jinx coughed and choked.

"Now, you lose 500 Life Points," said DaPen. "And I get two more Germs."

Two more of the huge, ugly, amoeboid creatures appeared. (1,000 ATK x2)

Jinx sighed.

"I end my turn…" she said.

**(J: 1,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,700)**

DaPen made a draw. He looked at the card closely.

"Its time to show my more aggressive side, Ms. Noriko," he said.

"I sacrifice all three of my Monsters…"

Mind on Air and both Giant Germs vanished.

_A triple sacrifice??_ thought Jinx. _What in the world…_

A dark shadow fell across the field…

"I summon the Mad Profiler," said DaPen.

The shadow formed into a diabolical-looking figure. It was a fiendish, humanlike creature, with an insane look on his face, dressed in sorcerer's robes, casually sitting on a chair and reading a book. (2,600 ATK)

"That's… unpleasant…" said Jinx.

"Don't be so quick to judge my Mad Profiler," said DaPen, looking at the two cards in his hand. "He, much like my people, is an individual dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. And he can use the knowledge he gains to find dark secrets…

"That leads to his effect. You see, by sending a card in my hand to the Graveyard, he can remove a card of the same type from play."

He discarded Divine Wrath from his hand, and it appeared in Mad Profiler's hand. The Fiend looked at it, and made a low chuckle. Then Jinx's Fairy Box faded into ripples of light.

"It works on more than Traps, by the way," continued DaPen.

He discarded Spirit Reaper, and Mad Profiler repeated the trick. X-Saber Urbellum vanished into nothing.

"I've been stoic for long enough," said DaPen. "Mad Profiler, attack X-Saber Galahad! Mad dash of destruction!"

Mad Profiler leapt off of his chair, and charged at the X-Saber. Galahad's Attack Score fell to 1,300, right before the Fiend clobbered him with his book, blowing him to pieces, and knocking Jinx down.

"It's your move…" said DaPen.

**(J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,700)**

Jinx slowly got up. Her hand shook as she drew a card.

_At least Mind on Air is gone…_ she thought. _She was really creeping me out…_

"I play Magical Mallet!" she shouted, as the Spell Card appeared. "Now, I'll send my four cards back to my deck, and start over…"

DaPen's eyes widened as she shuffled her deck.

Jinx made four new draws.

_Curses!_ thought DaPen. _Those four cards could be anything…_

"Care to use Abare Ushioni's effect Ms. Noriko?" he asked.

"I'm not _that_ reckless," said Jinx. "I'll just set a Monster, and end my turn."

A facedown Monster appeared.

DaPen drew a card.

"Well, you're in luck," he said. "I didn't draw a Monster, so Mad Profiler can't use his effect on Abare Ushioni.

"But he can still attack."

Mad Profiler leapt up, and slammed his book into Abare Ushioni. The Beast-Warrior shattered.

DaPen placed the card he had drawn into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"Turn end," he said.

Jinx quickly made a draw.

_Sweet…_ she thought.

"I Flip-Summon Baby Dragon into Attack Mode," she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Baby Dragon appeared with a squeak. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I play Polymerization, to fuse it with Time Wizard…"

Time Wizard appeared on the field, and both it and Baby Dragon spun into a vortex…

Thousand Dragon appeared with a loud roar. (2,400 ATK)

"That's no match for Mad Profiler," said DaPen.

"Oh?" asked Jinx. "See this?"

She pointed down.

"This facedown card I set on my first turn of the duel? Ever wonder what it was?"

DaPen realized something. She had set that card before he had summoned Mind on Air.

The facedown card lifted. It was Graceful Dice.

The teddy bear with its die appeared.

"According to my math, Thousand Dragon needs more than a two to defeat Mad Profiler. So let's give it a toss…"

The teddy bear tossed the die. It skipped and rolled…

And it came up six.

"And six is greater than two!" laughed Jinx, as Thousand Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 3,000.

"Attack! Noxious nostrils gust!"

Thousand Dragon blasted a gust of toxic gas from its nose, and Mad Profiler groaned. DaPen shielded himself as his Monster exploded into dark smoke.

"I'll set one facedown card," said Jinx, "and I end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared behind Thousand Dragon.

**(J: 300) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,300)**

DaPen glared at her.

"My draw…" he said.

He drew one card.

"I play The Beginning of the End," he said, as he played it. "Since I have at least seven Dark Monsters in my Graveyard, I can remove five of them from play to draw three cards…"

Mad Profiler, Peten, and all three Giant Germs slipped out of his discard slot, and he placed them in his jacket. He made three draws.

"Very well, Ms. Noriko…" he said. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this… But it seems I have no choice…"

He played another Spell Card.

"I play Emergency Teleport. Now, I get to Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Psychic Monster from my deck."

_Huh??_ thought Jinx. _Psychic Monster?_

"I choose to summon Krebons…" continued DaPen.

Laughter echoed over the field, and a weird, comical Monster appeared. It looked sort of like a harlequin that had been created in cyberspace. It was dressed in purple and orange, with binary symbols all over its clothing. Its limbs were not actually connected to its torso. It had "greater than/less than or equal to" symbols on its visor, and odd geometric shapes floated around it. (1,200 ATK)

"What is THAT?" exclaimed Jinx.

"It's a Monster with a useful effect," said DaPen. "But I only need it now because it's a Tuner.

"I play Monster Reborn to bring back Mind on Air…"

The glowing ankh appeared, and Mind on Air appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both my Monsters together to call forth my ultimate beast!"

Mind on Air and Krebons faded into eight glowing stars. The whole room turned dark, and two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Come forth…" shouted DaPen. "Thought Ruler Archfiend!"

The whole creature showed itself. It at first looked similar to the Summoned Skull, but seemed to have a plated exoskeleton on most of its body, and a more sinister look. Like Summoned Skull, it was surrounded by an energy field, but this didn't seem like lightning… (2,700 ATK)

"Destroy Thousand Dragon!" shouted DaPen. "Psionic Crush!"

Thought Ruler Archfiend's eyes glowed, and it blasted a wave of pure thought at Thousand Dragon.

"I activate… Skull Dice!" screamed Jinx, as her facedown card lifted.

The little imp with its die appeared, and tossed it. It bounced on the floor, and came up a five.

Thought Ruler Archfiend fell to an Attack Score of 2,200…

"I did it!" cheered Jinx. "I beat you!"

"Not yet you haven't…" said DaPen.

His own facedown card shot up.

"I activate Lost Pride. Now, I simply have to toss a Spell Card…"

He discarded the last card in his hand, Dark Eruption.

"…and I get to take a Spell Card from _your_ Graveyard!"

Jinx gasped as her discard slot glowed. Then her Graceful Dice appeared in DaPen's hand.

"And since Graceful Dice is a Quickplay," continued DaPen, "I can activate it as part of the same chain."

He played the card.

"I lose 1,000 Life Points for playing it… An additional cost of using Lost Pride… But let's see whose luck is better one final time…"

The teddy bear appeared again, and gave its die a toss.

It landed on the six, and Thought Ruler Archfiend's Attack Score rose to 2,800, even more than it was to begin with.

Jinx screamed as its bolt hit Thousand Dragon, and she was knocked over.

**(J: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,700)**

"I… I lost…" she muttered.

"Mmm…" said DaPen. "Still, if it makes you feel better, I haven't had a duel that intense in years…"

Then Jinx screamed louder than she ever remembered having done… She clutched her head…

There are many reasons why illithids are so feared by humans and Shadows alike. One reason is that they feed on brains. Another is their ability to dominate the minds of others.

But perhaps their most feared trait is their Mind Blast, a psionic ability unique to illithids. By using this technique, they can focus their mental power into a cone-shaped destructive blast of energy that they can use to incapacitate foes, and cause incredible pain. Survivors of this attack do not soon forget feeling the force of such an evil use of mental power.

Jinx clearly wouldn't forget it any time soon.

DaPen walked up to Jinx, who was lying on the floor, seemingly out cold.

"Take it from an old gambler, Ms. Noriko," he said. "You gamble too much, and the house eventually wins…"

He looked at Jinx.

_Lovely…_ he thought. _I'm talking to myself…_

He bent down and took Jinx's Duel Disk off of her arm.

_Got to watch that… I can't afford to lose touch with reality…_

_Especially now that I have the power to truly accomplish something…_

He sat down at his desk and hit a small button. He started to tap his fingers.

After about two minutes, Albert walked in.

"Yeah, boss?" he asked. "Wow, you really clobbered her…"

"Don't concern yourself with her," said DaPen. "We have to prepare… If Ms. Noriko found us, her two allies will be here shortly.

"Let's see the deck…"

Albert handed him his deck, and DaPen looked through it.

"Ugh…" growled DaPen. "This is just like your idiot brother's… Full of Beast Monsters…"

"I like Beasts," said Albert.

"I suppose there's no changing that…" muttered DaPen. "You can take the savage out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the savage…

"Still, if you go up against Gears or Shichiro, you aren't going to show them anything that Vincent didn't already show them…"

He opened his desk drawer, and took out a deck case.

"Use this instead… It contains Beasts of a different… nationality. And it should be quite lethal."

Albert looked at the cards.

"Heh… They're actually kind of cute…" he said.

"Start learning how to use them," said DaPen. "We must prepare…"

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As thunder rumbled over the city, Shichiro, Gears, and Ember watched the clock.

Eventually, the hands turned to seven o'clock.

Gears got up.

"That's it," he said. "I'm going after her."

"Gears, I don't know," said Shichiro. "Maybe I should go… I'm the better duelist."

"Shichiro, I'm older and I'm wiser," said Gears. "And besides, I've got seniority."

"We don't know what happened to Jinx," said Shichiro. "She could be hurt, or captured, or even…"

"She's not dead…" interrupted Ember. "If Jinx were dead, I'd feel it in my gut…"

She sighed.

"But that doesn't mean she isn't in danger of dying…"

"Shichiro, we don't have time to argue," said Gears. "If Edmund is waiting…"

"Gears," said Shichiro, "do you want to duel Edmund because you want to stop him, or do you want to duel him out of some sort of obsession?"

Gears sighed.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Shichiro…" he said. "That first worm that walks hurt me a lot…"

He sighed again.

"He killed someone close to me… Before I met Mistle… I loved her… We would have been married… But the first worm murdered her. And at first, I couldn't find her body. All I found were signs of a struggle and a lot of blood in her apartment.

"A week after she had been killed, I found it. The fiend had used necromantic magic to turn it into a zombie, along with several more of his victims."

"Good lord…" said Ember.

"If I'm obsessed with taking down Edmund," continued Gears, "it's only because I know firsthand the evil of a creature like this…

"And I still outrank you. I'm going after DaPen next, before the same thing happens to Jinx!

"I'm going to try to save her… If you don't hear from me by ten, then you can come after me…"

He grabbed his helmet, and rushed to the garage.

_**Jinx's luck had finally run out. There was nothing more she could do, and whatever plans DaPen had for her, they likely were not pleasant. Still, DaPen would find Gears a far more powerful force than Jinx was. Not only was he more experienced, but he didn't depend on luck. His strategy was more solid, and his Monsters were hard metal, able to resist the wounds that hindered most creatures.**_

_**Still, we didn't know it, but with each passing minute, DaPen was getting stronger. And so was the strange force behind him, that we still had no idea was even there. DaPen may have played a card called The Beginning of the End, but we had not reached that point just yet. We were about in the middle, right after the end of the beginning, and right before the beginning of the end.**_

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**MIND MONSTER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A panicking man in a dark, swirling fog.

**Card Description:** Declare 1 Monster Card name. If that Monster is in your opponent's deck or Extra Deck, your opponent takes damage equal to half that Monster's ATK.

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**MAD PROFILER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Fiend/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,600  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned by Tributing 3 Monsters you control. By discarding a card from your hand during your turn, you can remove from play a face-up card on the field of the same type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) as the card you discarded. This effect can be used multiple times per turn.

_Note: "Mind Monster" and "Mad Profiler" were first used by Kodo Kinomiya in an episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**LOST PRIDE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A boxer staggering from a blow from his opponent. His right glove is transparent, revealing that a brass knuckle is concealed in it. (The boxer looks a great deal like Ryo Marufuji.)

**Card Description:** Send 1 Spell Card in your hand to the Graveyard to activate this card. Select 1 Spell Card in your opponent's Graveyard and add it to your hand. If you activate this Spell Card, inflict 1,000 points of damage to your Life Points.

_Note: "Lost Pride" was first used by Ryo in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Schooling the Master". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next: _

_Gears comes face to face with an old foe, whom you may remember from earlier in the fanfic. However, this Shadow is not the same as it was before, due to what happened in that earlier chapter. A duel becomes truly black and white, as an ancient wager is recreated as a battle of Duel Monsters. _

"_Falling Down" is coming next._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Atropus, The World Born Dead**

In the Shadowchasers' millennia-long history, they have prevented many disasters. One that both Jalal and Maskent remember with a sense of dread is Atropus, known to some as the World Born Dead.

No-one knows Atropus's origins. A Shadowkind of titanic proportions, it is roughly the size of a small moon, and drifts through the cosmos, seemingly on a random course. Some say that it was the child of a Shadowkind deity, but was born stillborn, becoming a horrid, undead thing with godlike powers.

Another theory states that "World Born Dead" may not describe Atropus at all. Supporters of this theory state that nothing can be dead without first having life; even a stillborn infant is alive in its mother's womb before she miscarries. These theorists state that Atropus was once a living star, much like Neth (who will be described in a later chapter), and like the Light of Ruin, was a source of powerful Light energy. But it gained the enmity of the Light of Ruin, and somehow, it was drained of its energy by that evil entity, turning into a much smaller, burned-out husk, a dead shell of its former self. Where it was once Light, it became consuming Darkness, existing only to drain the life out of the living.

Some even hint that Atropus may be a reflection of the "prime mover" that created all the creator gods who, in turn, created the races of Shadowkind. In order to fulfill this act of creation, a sacrifice had to be made, so the prime mover sacrificed part of itself. Atropus is, in effect, a cast-off leftover of creation. Not even the prime mover could have anticipated that this cast-off part would have become sentient and turn into an engine of destruction, the opposite of its intentions.

At any rate, Atropus may well be the most powerful undead creature in existence, and it seeks nothing less than to kill all that lives. Possibly, its reasons for doing so are motivated by revenge for whatever happened to it, but that is only a conjecture.

Atropus wanders the universe until it finds an inhabited planet. Once it enters the planet's gravity, it slowly enters a descending orbit. During this time, its wicked aura causes plagues of zombies and other undead run amuck on the planet, attacking the living. In addition, its presence amplifies all necromantic magic, although any living necromancers are not safe from the ultimate result. Eventually, Atropus drains the life from the planet, leaving it not only without life, but incapable of sustaining it. It then leaves to find a new target.

Atropus targeted Earth roughly five-hundred years ago, shortly after the Great Treaty was signed. Fortunately, both Jalal and Maskent detected its presence early. Aided by no less than five wizards who were able to cast epic level spells, they were able to cast a mighty ritual which caused the World Born Dead such pain that it was forced to flee. It has not been seen since.

The Shadowchasers are well aware that their efforts did not kill Atropus (if it is even possible for it to die), and that it may return one day. Astronomers who are allied with Jalal continually scan the heavens for any sign of the World Born Dead, in case it ever returns. If it did, Jalal would go to great lengths to do away with it for good. The Shadowchasers have no access to nuclear weapons, but as that may be the only thing capable of destroying Atropus, he may look into it.

**Story Ideas:** If Atropus is to be featured in a story, it should clearly be the main focus of it. The sight of this celestial body in the sky is a sign of the apocalypse, and every Shadowchaser in the world would have to be involved in stopping it. The Shadowchasers may find unlikely allies in this battle – former enemies of the Shadowchasers might lend their aid, knowing that even they won't survive if their enemies fail.

Atropus may well have servants, possibly ones who helped lead it back to Earth. Death is the only reward for service to a creature like this, but nihilists, madmen, and other villains who despise everything are willing to serve such beings. Intelligent undead like liches might find reason to serve the World Born Dead, but only ones who are certain that living creatures have absolutely no use to them, and this is rare. Whatever their identities, these would be the rank-and-file villains of the story. Shadowkind in their ranks might include illithids, dark elves, and ophidia who all have turned their backs on their respective races.

A possible way to combat Atropus would be to attempt to land on the undead moon itself, to destroy it with a bomb or some type of magic. (A similar plan was enacted in the Bruce Willis film _Armageddon_.) Atropus is as much a place as it is a being, and it is not uninhabited. Undead of the most powerful kind populate the moon. Atropus may even have a focus of itself lurking on its surface that serves as an avatar; any Shadowchaser astronauts would have to be prepared for the fight of their lives.

**Deck Suggestions:** Clearly, Atropus does not duel, unless it sends some sort of aspect of itself to Earth. Any cultists who serve it would clearly use a Zombie Deck, but they would clearly _not_ use Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower or any type of deck that doesn't involve attacking. When you serve Atropus, you play aggressively. A deck that used Plaguespreader Zombie's three Synchro Monsters is more likely, possibly with the addition of Zombie World to make the most out of Doomkaiser Dragon's ability.


	49. Falling Down

_Author's note: This chapter occurs shortly after Yusei's first duel with Rudger, the leader of the Dark Signers. I will not ruin the details for anyone who does not watch the original version, but suffice to say, both Signer and Dark Signer have survived the encounter. Each Signer now knows what foe he or she must face, and what task is before him or her, and they have decided to set forth in the morning to face the enemy. Tensions are high among Shadowkind, as they await the ultimate outcome of this battle between Good and Evil._

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**CHAPTER FORTY-NINE**

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**Falling Down**

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Gears drove through the portal, exiting on the same street in Satellite that Jinx had emerged on.

He slowly drove down the street, looking from side to side.

Then he saw it. Jinx's D-Wheel was parked by the side of the road.

He dismounted and ran up to it. The security system light was still on.

_DaPen hasn't tried to steal it yet…_ he thought. _Neither have any street punks…_

He looked up at the sky. Lightning flashed.

_Yeah, right. What street punks? There aren't even any cats and dogs out tonight, no-one would be nuts enough to be out._

_And I gotta be some brand of pistachio, because I'm not only out, I'm going after a tentacled aberration with psionic powers… Yeah, I have to be…_

"WATCH OUT!"

He said this as the youth came running out of the alley, barreling right in to him. His deck fell out of his Duel Disk, and the cards scattered on the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said the kid, as they both got up.

"That's okay, I…" said Gears.

He looked at the kid. He wasn't sure if this was a girl or a very effeminate boy. He (assuming) was dressed in the usual old clothes of a Satellite resident, and they seemed designed to protect him from the cold, consisting of an overcoat and hat.

Indeed, he seemed to be somewhat sickly. He was so pale that Gears wasn't sure if he ever came out in the daylight.

"Oh, look at your deck…" said the strange boy.

He started to gather the cards.

"Where did you come from?" asked Gears.

Were his eyes deceiving him? Did this kid look translucent for a brief second?

"I'm not sure," came the reply. "I… I remember dueling someone... Someone I was very close to… There was this big Monster…

"Then I blacked out…"

He handed Gears his deck.

"I think I got all the cards…" he said. "Guess I have to look where I'm going next time…"

Then they both heard a girlish laughter.

Gears looked down the alley. Standing there was a shadowy, female shape, dressed in a dress with a short skirt, and a very recognizable hat…

"Dark Magician Girl?" said Gears, in disbelief.

Then the figure giggled again, and ran off.

"Kid, you'd better…" he said.

Gears turned to look. The kid was gone.

_I'll figure it out later,_ he thought.

He ran in the direction that the figure had gone. He saw her run into the garage of a condemned building.

Gears considered letting her go. It could be some girl in a Dark Magician Girl costume, but he had heard stories of Duel Spirits, and knew how dangerous they could be. And while he never thought she could work for someone like DaPen, stranger things had happened.

He ran into the garage. As he did, the light went on.

He gasped.

Dark Magician Girl was in front of him. Sort of.

Gears had heard the story of Pandora, Yugi Mouto's opponent in the preliminary rounds of Battle City, and one of the Rare Hunters. Pandora claimed to be a master of the Dark Magician, and had at least two (possibly three) copies of the incredibly rare card in his deck. But it was a different variant than the one used by the King of Games. Rather than dressed in royal purple with a kind, gentle face, Pandora's Dark Magician was dressed in crimson, and had the expression of a madman.

And Pandora was clearly not the master of the Dark Magician that he had claimed. He had a few accessories for the card, and even a Trap used to counter an opponent who used one. But he was completely oblivious to Dark Magician Girl's existence, and when he dueled Yugi, his ignorance of her effect caused him to lose.

What Gears was seeing right now was a strange "What if?" scenario, what Yugi might have seen if Pandora did indeed own a Dark Magician Girl. The female in front of him was Dark Magician Girl, but dressed in a crimson dress, one which made her look more like a harlot than the gentle beauty of Yugi's card. She also had sinister, dark eyebrows, and wore a Duel Disk.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You don't remember me?" she asked.

"Should I?" he replied.

She frowned. She held up a card.

"Does THIS jog your memory?!" she shouted, as she threw it at him.

He caught it, and looked at it.

It was Alice the Wandering Doll.

"You thought you'd never see me, again, did you?" she asked.

"No… way…" said Gears. "You're that Unseelie that possessed Elsie…

"How? You were destroyed…"

"By all rights, I should have been," muttered the Unseelie. "I may have mocked you after you destroyed Alice, but I knew I was in big trouble. You see, we Unseelie had been using the Eoshee for hosts for so long, we can't survive outside of them."

"And you expect us to cry over that?" asked Gears. "You should have thought of that before you cheated to gain those hosts."

"As I was forced out," continued the Unseelie, "I had only seconds to somehow find a new host. As I felt the endless void pulling at me, I made a desperate grab, hoping to find an anchor to save myself from oblivion. All I managed to latch onto was one of the many Dark Magician Girl toys in that card store, so it had to do.

"Fortunately, the owner was so attached to those toys, he didn't sell them to just anyone, so I was safe. Still, I didn't know what to do. I was trapped in an inanimate plastic figurine, most of my power drained. But I was invigorated when two of the Earthbound Gods were summoned simultaneously, and incredible hatred radiated from them and their two pawns. I was empowered, and managed to turn my inanimate body into a life sized, mobile one.

"So now I have a body… Lucky me… I have the body of the most shameless, exhibitionist bimbo in the game of Duel Monsters! My power was able to give myself some cosmetic changes that suit me, but not much dignity. Do you have any idea how many catcalls I get whenever I walk into any public place? How many times I've been slapped on the ass??

"I had to come to Satellite where no-one would care about what I did to the idiots who can't keep their hands to themselves."

"And now I suppose it's payback time…" said Gears.

"I have no way of ever taking Elsie back…" said the Unseelie. "I can't get a new host either, I'm more or less stuck with this one. I'll have to settle for revenge against the one who drove me out of her. Do you know the exact details of the wager that we made with them so long ago?"

"Yeah…" replied Gears. "It was some chess tournament… But you still cheated…"

"Yes," said the Unseelie, "and I've always thought that Duel Monsters is so much like chess when you compare the two. You'll see what I mean shortly…"

_Chess?_ thought Gears. _What does she mean? Archfiends?_

The Unseelie activated her Disk. Gears activated his.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Unseelie: 8,000)**

"In a game of chess," said the Unseelie, "white always moves first. Your Monsters are all Dark, so they certainly aren't white…"

She made her first draw.

"So the honor is mine."

"Fine…" said Gears.

_If that means her Monsters are Light,_ he thought, _this will be easy…_

"I play a Field Spell," she continued. "The powerful Dark Chessboard!"

She quickly placed the card in her Field Slot, and the whole garage changed…

Gears looked around. They appeared to be in a large, outdoor courtyard, where the ground had a black and white checkerboard pattern. The borders of this huge chessboard were four castle walls, with a tower in each corner. A beacon burned at the top of each tower.

"What the…" said Gears.

"Next," said the Unseelie, "I summon my Puppet Rook."

An odd Monster materialized in front of her. It looked like a chess rook (white, naturally) with arms and a stern face. It looked bulky and muscular. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, I move it to Defense Mode," said the Unseelie.

Puppet Rook glowed with golden energy, and it knelt, shielding itself with its arms. (1,800 DEF)

"Now wait just a minute!" shouted Gears. "You can't change a Monster's battle position on the round it's summoned!"

"My Field Spell says I can," replied the Unseelie. "On Dark Chessboard, a Warrior-Type Monster can be changed to Defense Mode even on a round where it's summoned in Attack Mode or one where it attacks."

_You gotta be kidding,_ thought Gears.

"And it's your move…" she said.

Gears drew a card.

_Nuts,_ he thought. _I don't have anything that can beat that Rook's Defense._

_Even worse, it's an Earth Monster, not Light. Until I can draw DNA Transplant, my Allies of Justice aren't going to be able to use their effects._

"I summon Ally of Justice Researcher," he said.

With a rumble, the small all-terrain vehicle rolled onto Dark Chessboard. (1,400 ATK)

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared.

The Unseelie grinned and made a draw.

"I move Puppet Rook to Attack Mode…" she said.

Puppet Rook stood up. (1,200 ATK)

"Then I summon Puppet Knight!"

A new chess Warrior appeared. This one was dressed in blocky, white armor, with a helmet shaped like a horse's head, holding a shield and a longsword. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy his Researcher!" she shouted.

Puppet Knight slashed at the Machine with its sword, and the vehicle blew up. Gears shielded himself.

"Puppet Rook, direct attack! Castle crash!"

Puppet Rook bull-rushed Gears, slamming into him with its shoulder, knocking him over.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 8,000)**

"Just imagine if chess was always this exciting," chuckled the Unseelie. "It might encourage more kids to play it."

"Har, har," said Gears.

"I use the effect of Dark Chessboard to move my rook to Defense Mode," said the Unseelie."

Puppet Rook knelt again. (1,200 DEF)

"…and it's your move…"

Gears made a draw.

"I set a Monster and a facedown card," he said, "and that will be all."

Two facedown cards, one a Monster and one a new Spell or Trap, appeared.

"My move again?" asked the Unseelie, making a draw.

"I summon Puppet Pawn."

A third living chess piece appeared. This one looked like a blocky, faceless footsoldier, dressed in armor with a checkerboard design, holding a short sword and a round shield. (800 DEF)

"I should tell you that defending doesn't work against Puppet Knight. When it destroys a Monster that's in Defense Mode, you lose Life Points equal to your destroyed Monster's Defense Score.

"Puppet Knight, attack!"

The Knight rushed at the facedown Monster…

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Gears.

One of his facedown cards shot up, and Puppet Knight's sword slammed into an invisible shield.

"In that case," said the Unseelie, "I'll use Dark Chessboard to move my Pawn to Defense Mode…"

Puppet Pawn held its sword down, and crouched behind its shield. (1,200 DEF)

"…and I'll end my turn."

Gears quickly made a draw.

"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car!" he shouted.

In a burst of darkness, the fiendish-looking freight car appeared. (500 ATK)

"Next," he said, as he played a Spell Card, "I play Machine Duplication to summon two more Bokoichis."

Two more of the Freightening Cars appeared. (500 DEF x2)

"That means your reversed Monster could only be…" said the Unseelie.

"That's right," said Gears, as his facedown Monster flipped up. "Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!"

The diabolical steam locomotive appeared in a blast of dark energy. (1,400 ATK)

"Thanks to its effect, I get to draw a total of four cards…"

He made four draws. He looked them over.

"All right, Dekoichi! Attack Puppet Pawn! Loco motion!"

Dekoichi chugged forward, and slammed into the Pawn, crushing it.

"Fortunately, it was in Defense Mode," said the Unseelie.

"Yeah, but you aren't allowed to have eight Pawns in this game," said Gears.

"But I _can_ have three queens," replied the Unseelie.

"Touché," said Gears. "I end my turn."

_He's – She's? – right,_ he thought. _There are six different chess pieces, so these Puppet chess Warriors could conceivably represent all of them. And I'm willing to bet that the more powerful a piece is in chess, the more powerful its equivalent is here._

_That would make the Puppet Queen a pretty powerful Monster…_

_The king is the weakest piece in chess… But I have a feeling it isn't a lightweight in this situation._

The Unseelie drew a card. Then she played a Spell Card.

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive," she said.

Puppet Pawn slipped out of her discard slot.

"Now I get my Pawn back from my Graveyard. Now I'll summon it again."

Puppet Pawn appeared again. (800 ATK)

"Next, I move my Rook to Attack Mode."

Puppet Rook stood up. (1,200 ATK)

"Now, my Rook attacks the Bokoichi in Attack Mode!"

Puppet Rook charged into the freight card, hitting it with its shoulder and smashing it into shards.

"Now my Pawn attacks another of your Bokoichis…"

Puppet Pawn slashed at a second Bokoichi. Its eyes bugged out, and then it exploded.

"Puppet Knight, take the last one!"

Puppet Knight's sword cleaved the last Bokoichi in half. Gears winced a little as a red aura surrounded him.

"I set a facedown card of my own," said the Unseelie, as a facedown card appeared. "Then I move my Rook and Pawn to Defense Mode with my Chessboard's effect."

Puppet Rook knelt again. (1,800 DEF) Puppet Pawn did the same. (1,200 DEF)

"…and I end my turn."

**(G: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 8,000)**

Gears growled, and drew a card.

"I sacrifice Dekoichi…" he shouted.

Dekoichi vanished into a dark shadow.

"…for Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!"

In a blast of dark energy, the mechanical condor appeared with a screech. (2,300/1,200)

"So…" said the Unseelie, "you're finally fighting back…"

"You bet I am!" shouted Gears. "Destroy her Puppet Knight!"

Claíomh Solais fired lightning bolts from its talons, striking the armored chess piece. Puppet Knight was incinerated, its sword and shield falling to the ground, charred.

**(G: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 7,400)**

"Having fun, Gears?" asked the Unseelie.

"Aside from the sarcasm, I'm having a ball," replied Gears. "It's your move…"

The Unseelie made a draw.

"Question…" she said. "What happens when a player moves a pawn to the eighth square?"

"Easy," said Gears. "He gets to exchange it for a queen."

"Actually, he gets to exchange it for any piece he desires," replied the Unseelie. "Most choose a queen unless there's a good reason to choose another piece, because the queen is the most powerful piece. This is called promotion.

"And that's exactly the name of the Spell Card I'm playing, Promotion!

"By sacrificing my Puppet Pawn…"

Puppet Pawn vanished.

"…I get to bring any of my Puppet chess pieces to the field from my deck. So meet my Puppet Queen!"

Another blocky chess Warrior appeared, but this one was much taller and much more intimidating than the previous three. It was seven feet tall and feminine shaped, resembling a game piece shaped like a dress, with a faceless head topped by a crown. It wore a cape and held a scepter and a shield with a crown design. (2,200 ATK)

"Nice," said Gears. "But Claíomh Solais is stronger."

"I'll get to him in a minute," replied the Unseelie. "Next, I'll summon Puppet Bishop."

She played another card, and a new Monster appeared. It was another blocky Warrior, wearing a bishop's miter and a cape, with the same blank expression. It held a crooked staff. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I activate Limit Reverse," she said, as her facedown card lifted up. "I'll bring Puppet Pawn back again."

Puppet Pawn appeared again. (800 ATK)

"Next, I'll move Puppet Rook to Attack Mode…"

Puppet Rook stood up again. (1,200 ATK)

_I don't get it,_ thought Gears. _Her Monsters may outnumber mine, but how are they going to defeat Claíomh Solais?_

"Puppet Pawn," said the Unseelie, "attack Claíomh Solais."

Puppet Pawn rushed at the much bigger Monster.

"_Are you nuts?!"_ shouted Gears. "Claíomh Solais has almost three times as many Attack Points!"

"But I have a Spell Card," replied the Unseelie.

She quickly activated a Quickplay Spell from her hand.

"It's called En Passent Capture," she said. "When I use this Spell, a Puppet Pawn can win a battle with any foe."

Puppet Pawn slashed at Claíomh Solais with its blade. The Machine sparked with energy, and then exploded into scrap.

**(G: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 5,900)**

"I notice you're the one who's Life Points took a hit," said Gears.

"Maybe so," replied the Unseelie, "but you're about to take three hits."

Puppet Rook, Puppet Bishop, and Puppet Queen started to make a rush for Gears…

"Trap activate!" shouted Gears. "Birthright!"

His facedown card shot up, and Claíomh Solais appeared again. (2,300 ATK)

The Unseelie snarled in rage.

"Whoa…" said Gears. "You are ugly when you're angry."

Puppet Rook glowed, and moved to Defense Mode one more time. (1,800 DEF)

"Make your move!" she shouted.

Gears drew a card.

_That's the one,_ he thought.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser!" he shouted.

In a flash, the Machine soldier appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Destroy her Puppet Rook!" he ordered.

Mechanicalchaser rushed at Puppet Rook blades first, and the castle was blown to pieces.

"Knight takes rook," said Gears. "Claíomh Solais, attack Puppet Pawn!"

The Ally's lightning bolts flashed, and the Pawn was blown to white shards.

"Ergh…" muttered the Unseelie.

"Heh, heh…" said Gears. "Check…"

**(G: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 4,400)**

"Very funny," said the Unseelie, making a draw.

"Puppet Queen, destroy Mechanicalchaser!"

Puppet Queen rushed up, and whacked the Machine with her scepter. It fell to the ground, dented, and the dissolved into light.

"Now I move Puppet Bishop to Defense Mode…"

Puppet Bishop crouched down, and shielded itself with its crook. (1,000 DEF)

"…and then I use the effect of Dark Chessboard to move my Queen to Defense Mode as well."

Puppet Queen knelt, held its scepter in its lap, and held up its shield. (2,500 DEF)

"It's your move…"

**(G: 4,950) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 4,400)**

Gears made a draw. He looked at the card and the other six cards in his hand.

_All right…_ he thought. _I have what I need to inflict some serious damage here…_

"I summon Dark Tinker!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the spider-like Fiend with an old woman's head and tools in four of its hands appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Next, I Tune together Dark Tinker and Claíomh Solais…"

The Machine and the Fiend glowed, and then dissolved into eight glowing stars. They flew into the air above Dark Chessboard.

"Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Light Gazer!"

With a series of beeps and whirs, Light Gazer flew down from the sky, its optic sensors glowing. (2,400 ATK)

"Next, I use Dark Tinker's effect. I get to check the top card on my deck, and then decide whether to keep it on top, or put it on the bottom."

He took the card, and looked at it. It was Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer.

"Eh… Fat lot of good _that_ will do me…" he said.

He placed it on the bottom of his deck.

He looked back at the field, and then back at his hand.

_All right now…_ he thought. _I can take out either Monster… But which one? The Bishop or the Queen?_

_I could do more damage by attacking the Puppet Bishop…_

_But maybe what I should do is what this creature has been doing… Look at this whole thing like a chess game… In a chess game, if I had a choice, I would naturally take the queen, as it's the most powerful piece…_

_Okay, sounds like a plan…_

"I play Enemy Controller!" he shouted, as he played a Spell Card. "I'm moving your Queen to Attack Mode!"

The Unseelie lifted an eyebrow as Puppet Queen stood up. (2,200 ATK)

"Next, I play Double Summon!" shouted Gears. "Now I'm allowed a second Normal Summon.

"I choose to summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter!"

The small, drone-like Machine appeared. (600 ATK)

"Now, by sacrificing it, I can double Light Gazer's Attack Score for one round!"

Unlimiter vanished, and Light Gazer rose to an Attack Score of 4,800.

"Destroy Puppet Queen! Photon cannons!"

Light Gazer aimed its cannons at Puppet Queen. It fired… There was an explosion at the point of impact, and the Unseelie was knocked off her feet…

**(G: 4,950) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 1,800)**

Then she got up, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

Gears saw why she was so happy. Puppet Queen was apparently unharmed.

"HOW?" shouted Gears. "Wait… Where'd your Bishop go?"

"I used Puppet Bishop's effect," replied the Unseelie. "By sacrificing it, I can protect any other Puppet chess piece from being destroyed."

_She must have wanted to keep Puppet Queen pretty badly,_ thought Gears. _Just what is its effect, anyway?_

"I end my turn…" he said.

The Unseelie made a draw.

"Time to stop fooling around," he said. "First, I'll summon a second Puppet Rook."

Another of the blocky castles appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Next, I use Puppet Queen's effect. By sacrificing it, I can summon the liege of the chess army…"

Puppet Queen vanished, and a burst of radiant energy shot up from where she had stood.

"I summon Puppet King!"

Gears stepped back in fright as the biggest Warrior yet loomed over the field. It was fully ten feet tall, and broad, still resembling a game piece, but exuding an aura of pure strength. It wore a crown that was more masculine than Puppet Queen's, wore a long, scarlet cape, and held a two-handed sword. (2,800 ATK)

"Terrific…" said Gears.

"Now, your majesty…" said the Unseelie, "destroy Light Gazer with Majestic Checker!"

Puppet King roared, and flew at the Machine Synchro, slashing down the center with its blade. Gears braced himself as his Monster was blown to bits.

Unfortunately, he had no time to brace himself as Puppet Rook slammed into him, knocking him down again.

"Are you beginning to get the picture, Gears?" she asked, with a sinister smile. "I knew you would use Light Gazer. I saw most of your deck in your duel with Elsie, remember?

"Not much you have can surprise me… But I have plenty of surprises for you.

"Think I'll move my Rook to Defense Mode, the set one facedown card, and that will be enough for this turn."

Puppet Rook crouched and shielded itself again. (1,800 DEF) A facedown card materialized.

**(G: 3,350) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 1,800)**

_Damn this Field Spell!_ thought Gears, as he got up.

He drew a card.

"I play Silent Doom," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "Now I can bring back Claíomh Solais."

Claíomh Solais appeared, shielding itself in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and that will be all."

Two facedown cards appeared, perpendicular to each other.

"My move!" shouted the Unseelie.

She drew a card.

"Eh…" she said, looking at it.

Puppet Rook moved into Attack Mode again. (1,200 ATK)

"Puppet King, destroy that bucket of bolts!"

Puppet King slashed with its sword, cutting Claíomh Solais cleanly in half.

"Rook, destroy his last Monster!"

Puppet Rook charged. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, just in time to be crushed.

"Well, that's certainly helpful…"

They both discarded the one card they had, and made five draws. The Unseelie looked at her new hand.

She placed one in her Disk, and a second facedown card appeared. Then Puppet Rook moved to Defense Mode again. (1,800 DEF)

"It's your move…"

Gears whipped a card off his deck.

"Here's someone I'm sure you'll remember!" he shouted.

He played a card, and Nanobreaker appeared in a flash of light. (1,600 ATK)

The Unseelie snarled.

"So, you do remember her…" said Gears.

"She can't help you this time," growled the Unseelie. "Puppet Rook is Level 4, and I'm sure you can tell that her effect won't work on Puppet King."

Gears didn't say anything. He simply played a card, and a second facedown card appeared on his side of the field.

"Mmm!" he said.

"I draw!" shouted the Unseelie.

"Puppet King…"

Then the facedown card Gears had most recently set shot up, and was revealed to be Threatening Roar. A loud bellow echoed over the field.

"In that case," said the Unseelie, "I'll summon another Puppet Bishop."

A second Bishop appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"And then I'll use my Field Spell to move it into Defense Mode…"

Puppet Bishop crouched in Defense Mode. (1,000 DEF)

"And the same goes for Puppet Rook."

Puppet Rook knelt too. (1,800 DEF)

"My move!" shouted Gears.

He quickly made a draw.

"I play Limiter Removal!" he shouted.

He played the Spell Card, and Nanobreaker let out a battlecry as she glowed with an aura of energy. (3,200 ATK)

"Attack her Puppet King!" he commanded.

Nanobreaker lifted her sword high, and leapt towards the chess monarch…

But to Gears's surprise, her sword came down Puppet Rook, smashing it to pieces.

"WHAT?" shouted Gears.

Then he noticed that the Unseelie had activated a facedown card.

"It's called King's Castling," she said. "This can draw an attack or the targeting effect of a card away from Puppet King, and towards Puppet Rook. So your Nanobreaker was wasted."

"Not yet…" said Gears. "She can still help me…"

His other facedown card lifted up.

"It's a Spell called Mind Trust. Now, I can sacrifice Nanobreaker…"

Nanobreaker vanished into grains of light.

"…and in return, I can take a Tuner Monster from my Graveyard whose Level is no more than half her Level."

Dark Tinker slipped out of his discard slot, and he took it.

"Next, I summon Machine King Prototype…"

The humanoid, man-sized robot appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)

"And finally, set one card facedown."

A new facedown card appeared.

"Then it's my draw," said the Unseelie, drawing a card.

Puppet Bishop moved to Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK)

"Puppet King, flatten his Prototype!"

Puppet King lifted its sword.

"I activate… Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears.

His facedown card lifted up, and Judge Man loomed over the field, holding his two axes.

"Now…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" snarled the Unseelie. "I choose to end my Battle Phase…

"And I also choose to activate this…"

Her facedown card lifted up.

"Rivalry of Warlords. Now, both players are only allowed to control one Type of Monster."

Gears paused.

He looked at the field, and then looked at his hand.

_That means I can't summon Dark Tinker,_ he thought. _It's a Fiend, and I already have a Machine on the field. And without it, I can't summon Catastor… I'm running out of ways to keep that thing at bay… Unless I draw something really good, this duel isn't going to last much longer…_

He made a draw.

Then he smiled.

"Sorry, pal…" he said, "but I'm ending this now!"

The Rivalry of Warlords card vanished, and Trap Eater appeared on Gears's side of the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, as I was planning to do, I summon Dark Tinker."

The fiendish spider appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I Tune it and Machine King Prototype together!"

The two Monsters faded into five glowing stars. They flew over Dark Chessboard, and were consumed in a blinding light.

Then Ally of Justice Catastor landed in front of him. (2,200 ATK)

"This isn't good!" gasped the Unseelie.

"More than you know!" said Gears, taking a card from his hand. "I play Monster Reborn!"

The glowing ankh appeared, and Claíomh Solais appeared again. (2,300 ATK)

"Trap Eater, destroy Puppet Bishop!"

Trap Eater breathed flames from its huge mouth, and Puppet Bishop was burned to a crisp.

"Now that it's gone… Catastor, obliterate Puppet King with platinum prism blast!"

Catastor fired its scintillating beam of energy, and Puppet King burst into gibbets.

"And I'm afraid that's checkmate…" said Gears. "Claíomh Solais, attack her directly!"

The evil Dark Magician Girl screamed as the Ally's lightning bolts struck her. Smoke started to rise from her body, and she started to shrink…

**(G: 3,350) - - - - - - - - - - (U: 0)**

Gears walked up to where the evil imposter had been. Lying on the floor was its Duel Disk, minus the deck, and a small, plastic figurine of Dark Magician Girl.

He picked it up, looked at it for a minute, and then placed it in his satchel. He didn't know whether the Unseelie was still trapped inside it or not, but if it was, taking it would benefit the Shadowchasers greatly. Actually being able to study one of the creatures would help them immensely in their long, time-consuming project to free every Eoshee that had been scammed in that rigged contest so long ago.

Gears unfortunately didn't know that in a dark corner of the garage, three small worms were watching his every move…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In DaPen's office, Edmund was sitting on the couch, looking through a leather-bound journal.

"Hmm…" he said, not looking up from it. "Seems that Gears just got through dealing with that little distraction that held him up…"

"And I suppose your new hireling is ready to deal with him?" asked DaPen.

"Trust me, Louis," said Edmund, "this duelist will prove much more efficient than Shira ever was, especially with the special card I gave him. Gears will never make it to your door the way Jinx did…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

As Gears exited the garage, he saw a man in the center of the street, out of breath.

"You there!" called the man to him.

Gears looked up. It was General Ross.

"Hey…" said Gears. "I know you… You're that friend of Jinx's father."

"Jinx?" asked Ross. "Oh… You mean Kaede… Look, do you know where she is?"

"I kind of hoped you could tell me," replied Gears.

Ross sighed.

"I met her earlier…" he said, somewhat ashamed. "I… wasn't myself…"

"It happens to the best of us, pal," said Gears. "It's hard to explain. I just hope what happened to you hasn't happened to her yet.

"You'd better find a safe place while I try to find her."

"Look… Son…" said Ross.

He looked through his deck.

"If you're a duelist, maybe this card will help if she sees it… She knows it's my card…"

He held up a Spell Card.

"It might be useful if you use the right kind of Monsters… Maybe…"

Gears read the description of the card.

"Well…" he said. "Maybe I could find some use for it…"

"If you see her…" sighed Ross. "Tell her I'm sorry… Tell her I didn't mean it… Tell her I was weak to let that kind of thing happen to me…

"Better yet, just tell her 'Rats!' She'll understand."

Gears watched Ross walk away, and then looked at the Spell Card. He slowly shuffled it into his deck.

He looked in the direction of the factory…

_**Thus far, Gears was holding out, and we could bet that was one Unseelie who would never threaten humans again. It was too bad that her deck seemed to disappear when she was defeated… I later looked up the Puppet Chess cards, and found out that they were a group of rare promotional cards.**_

_**Anyway, Gears continued his way to DaPen's lair, not knowing that a new threat awaited him. Edmund's new hireling was not evil, nor would I truly say that he was actually crazy. But he was clearly very eccentric. Of course, my cousin once told me that you have to be pretty eccentric to make it as a pro duelist… I didn't disagree with Shichiro when he said that Jack Atlas was loud, both in his speech and style of clothing. **_

_**And this duelist was pretty loud… But with the special card he had in his deck, he was even deadlier than his outward appearance suggested…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PUPPET PAWN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Flavor Text: **_A footsoldier in the service of the Puppet King. His small size hides great potential…_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PUPPET ROOK (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Flavor Text:** _The bodyguard of the Puppet King. He defends his liege at all costs._

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**PUPPET QUEEN (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** You can Tribute this card to Special Summon 1 "Puppet King" from your hand.

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**PROMOTION (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A hand moving a white pawn to the eighth square on a chessboard.

**Card Description:** Offer one "Puppet Pawn" as a Tribute. Special Summon 1 "Puppet Rook", "Puppet Knight", "Puppet Bishop", or "Puppet Queen" from your hand or deck.

_Note: "Puppet Pawn", "Puppet Rook", "Puppet Queen" and "Promotion" were used by Reiko Kitamori in the "Yu-Gi-Oh R" Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**PUPPET KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 900

**Card Description:** When this card battles a Monster that is in Defense Position whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, destroy that Monster without applying damage calculation, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed Monster's DEF.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PUPPET BISHOP (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** If a face-up "Puppet Pawn", "Puppet Knight", "Puppet Rook", "Puppet Queen", or "Puppet King" would be destroyed by battle or by a card effect, you can Tribute this card to prevent it from being destroyed.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**DARK CHESSBOARD (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image:** Puppet King, Puppet Queen, and Puppet Knight facing a Luster Dragon on a chessboard.

**Card Description:** Warrior-Type Monsters may be manually switched to Defense Position on a round in which they are Summoned in Attack Position or on a round in which they attack.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**EN PASSENT CAPTURE (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** Two white Puppet Pawns facing a red Puppet Queen.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when a "Puppet Pawn" battles a Monster that is in Attack Position with a higher ATK. That "Puppet Pawn" is not destroyed, and the opposing Monster is destroyed. (Calculate battle damage normally.) The opposing Monster is considered destroyed by battle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KING'S CASTLING (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A hand moving a red rook next to a red king on a chessboard.

**Card Description:** Activate when you control 1 "Puppet King" and at least 1 "Puppet Rook" and your "Puppet King" is targeted by an attack or a card effect. Redirect the attack or card effect to a "Puppet Rook" that you control.

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_Coming up next:_

_Some say that weapons are not inherently evil. Weapons are mindless objects, and have the capacity to do good or evil, depending on who uses them. Thus, a weapon wielded with evil intent could be described as evil, when used by an evil man._

_But what if a weapon is designed from the start to do nothing but things that can be interpreted as dishonest and unfair? Like a Duel Monsters card designed to let a player cheat? No good could ever come from this weapon, so is that not inherently evil?_

_Next chapter, Gears comes face to face with an individual who wants to maintain his heroic legacy, but in doing so, has made the wrong choices, and has become little more now than a "Fake Hero". And you may remember him. It's coming soon._

**Shadowchaser Files**

**Darien Silverpick, Worshipper of the Lord of Avarice**

Dwarves love to tell stories, mostly about themselves. When they tell myths and legends about their gods, most of them center on the many divine craftsmen and powerful warriors in their pantheon. One god that they usually leave out, however, is Abbathor. He is an embarrassment to most dwarves.

Abbathor represents Greed, a concept that is perhaps the biggest weakness of the dwarven race. The worst part is, unlike most evil gods, Abbathor is not depicted as an enemy of the other gods of his pantheon. He has sided with them in epic battles against the gods of the orcs and other enemies, so they tolerate him. Because the dwarven gods accept the embodiment of Greed as one of their own, it is a dark stain on the race that most dwarves don't talk about. Unless they happen to actually worship Abbathor.

Darien Silverpick never started out thinking that he would worship the god of avarice. An enterprising dwarf of the Silverpick Clan (who has now disowned him, and does not approve of him using the clan name) he invested the money he made selling his family's recycling center in South African diamond holdings. Little did the previous Mundane owners of these properties know, while these diamond quarries yielded only mediocre amounts of diamonds, they were brimming with rich deposits of adamantine. Darien knew that he could only sell these gems to other Shadows, but when he did so, he could practically name his price.

Unfortunately, becoming a billionaire almost overnight hit Darien the wrong way. He couldn't handle sudden and nearly endless riches being suddenly trust upon him. He became drunk with the power he held, and thought it made him superior to all others. Chasing away the hordes of charity organizations that approached them like they were common beggars, he decided that no-one would take what was his. Eventually, someone told him that Abbathor would keep the undeserving from taking his property – those who worshipped Abbathor only had to share with the god himself.

Today, Darien Silverpick, who doesn't care one whit whether his former clan disapproves of him keeping his name, is one of the richest dwarves in Europe, and commands almost the entire market of adamantine. He even conducts his business from Switzerland, one of the biggest tax havens in the world, where he doesn't have to give its government much of his profits. A lot of his material wealth is sacrificed to his god, but he is still incredibly wealthy, and like the dwarven gods' arrangement with Abbathor, Shadows are forced to tolerate him no matter how much they don't like him; you want adamantine, you have to deal with him. Even Jalal has been forced to deal with this dwarf to get the precious mineral, even though Jalal has said in private that Dairen "makes Ebenezer Scrooge look like Santa Claus at a kindergarten class." Clearly, many Shadowchasers would love to catch him in an illegal act, but they have not done so, at least not yet. Of course, he's so rich, he may just be good at hiring people to cover his tracks.

**Story Ideas:** When a guy like Darien has a problem, his usual solution is to throw money at it until it goes away. He may be a miser, but he knows that a rich man who dies gets a big funeral, but little else. And what good is having a fortune when you can't use it to protect yourself? He likely has lots of important people in Europe on the take; law enforcement, executives, possibly even members of several government bodies. In any story where he is featured, heroes will have to deal with these people before they can even get to his bodyguards.

Any scheme that Darien is involved in will involve trying to make money. He likely won't even consider a project unless it promises at least a one-hundred percent return on the investment.

To give a comparison, he'd never agree to help a group that has goals like the Dark Signers' goals. What profit is there in destroying the world? If anything, it would _hurt_ his profits! This, in fact, might cause a major flip-side in his actions. If a villain's scheme is so destructive that his profits might suffer, he might decide to actually help the heroes. But they must be wary. They should know that he's only thinking of himself.

**Deck Suggestions:** Darien uses a deck that lets him draw lots of cards, and benefit from doing so. A deck that uses Muka Muka is likely the best idea. On the other hand, he wouldn't use a deck that forces his opponent to draw and then inflict damage from doing so, like one that uses the Trap Card Greed or a Mill Deck. Such a deck emphasizes that the concept of greed is a bad thing, which goes against his beliefs.


	50. Fake Hero

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**CHAPTER FIFTY**

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**Fake Hero**

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_**You ever work in a place where someone has put up one of those gag signs that says, "You don't have to be crazy to work here, but it helps"? It's an old joke, but when your career happens to be dueling, it's close to the truth. **_

_**In the history of the Pro League, as my cousin can attest, there have been duelists who have actually been insane, like Doctor Collector (and the one responsible for killing him, if Edo Phoenix's story can be believed) and plenty of others who are simply eccentric. **_

_**Take Mathmatica, one guy I read about. Claiming to be a mathematical genius, he wore a red suit covered with numbers, and while dueling, compared every move to percentages and equations. If his goal was to drive his opponents nuts, maybe he had something. It was all very odd, but seeing as he was the 10**__**th**__** ranked duelist in the League at the time, he must have been doing something right. **_

_**Even more eccentric was another pro named Kabukid. A master of "performance dueling", he dueled dressed in full kabuki costume (it's a mystery to me how anyone can duel wearing something that bulky) and his strategy made the whole duel follow the plot of a dramatic production. Maybe he was more interested in pleasing crowds than working his way up to serious levels of competition, but it was still strange. **_

_**To this day, the dueling world is full of oddballs. And Gears was about to be challenged by one of the most eccentric of the lot. **_

_**Problem was, I doubt anyone who wasn't as strong or as skilled as Gears would call this guy an "oddball" to his face…**_

As Gears strode towards the factory, the fog started to get thicker. Like Jinx, he wasn't sure if this was the work of DaPen or the work of the other villains who had made Satellite their home.

He knew he couldn't worry about the latter right now, and frankly, he didn't _want_ to worry about them. He didn't know if he had the courage to face a duelist who had a Monster in his deck the size of Tokyo Tower.

Then he stopped short. His eyes slowly moved from side to side.

He spun around, and drew his sword, just in time to block a blow from another sword.

He traded blows with the swordsman for a few seconds, but Gears had been trained better, and after those few seconds, the assailant's sword flew from his hand. He backed up with a sneer on his face.

Gears looked at the bizarre figure. He was a man dressed in medieval-style plate armor, gold plated (armor couldn't be made of solid gold, it was far too soft and far too heavy) complete with a helmet with a red plume. He had grey hair and a bushy moustache.

Gears's expression turned to one of disgust.

"Well, well, well," he said. "If it isn't Jill deLauncebeaux, the biggest fool to wear a knight's armor since Sir Percival."

"I would not say such things if I were thou…" growled the man. "Thine venomous words would cause thee to choke!"

"Yeah, yeah, right," said Gears. "If that's your way of calling me a liar, prove it! You claim knighthood runs in your family, but working for Godwin was clearly violating several aspects of the code of chivalry.

"And now you're working for DaPen? Your ancestors would _so_ proud…"

"I know of no DaPen!" replied Jill. "Thou words speaketh true… Godwin is little more than a tyrant.

"My new liege is one whose goals are to overthrow him and bring harmony to Neo Domino… I couldn't be prouder to help him do so."

"This new liege…" said Gears. "Does he wear a black cloak and go by the name Edmund?"

Jill nodded.

Gears sighed.

"I hate to tell you this," he said, "but while I don't doubt he might be trying to overthrow Godwin, his plans once he does so will be even worse. Just because he wears a black robe doesn't make him a priest, Jill."

"I don't trust anyone blindly," replied Jill. "But Edmund showed me proof. He chanted, and beings of radiant light in golden armor descended from the sky."

He held up his shield, which Gears knew was actually a custom-made Duel Disk.

"They gaveth me a powerful card as proof of their sincerity, and then showed me a vision of the future… One of beauty… One of harmony and peace…"

"Look, pal…" said Gears. "If I have to duel you to show you that the card they gave you is nothing special and that Edmund is a liar, I will!"

"Very well!" shouted Jill. "Have at thee, then!"

The shield changed shape, revealing slots for the Monster Zone, Spell/Trap Zone, and a discard slot. Gears activated his own Disk.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Jill: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Gears, making his first draw.

He looked at his six cards.

_Wow…_ he thought. _I couldn't have asked for better!_

"I'll set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I'll toss two facedown cards."

Two reversed cards appeared in two flashes of light.

_As soon as he attacks,_ he thought, _my DNA Transplant will change his Monster to Light. _

_Then, when he destroys my Ally Bomb… Boom. And then I'll get a free shot at him._

"Your move…"

"Then I draw," exclaimed Jill, as he whipped a card off of his Disk.

"And I calleth my Warrior to the field, Masked Knight, Level the Third!"

With a sparkle of light, an armored knight appeared in front of him – sort of. It more looked like a child dressed in armor. It held a small sword, and like its name suggested, its helmet included a golden mask that covered its face. (1,500 ATK)

"Now," continued Jill, "my Masked Knight can use its effect most special. By foregoing its attack, it can smite thee for 400 points of damage."

Masked Knight's helmet glowed, and a bolt of energy shot at Gears, hitting him in the face.

"Okay, that was unpleasant…" he muttered.

Jill played a card, and a Spell Card appeared.

"Next, I cast a Spell… my Level Up! Now my Warrior evolves, into Masked Knight Level the Fifth."

Masked Knight glowed with golden energy, and grew taller and broader, becoming an adult version of itself. (2,300 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect as well, and smite thee for a further 1,000 points of damage!"

An even more intense bolt of energy shot at Gears and he cringed.

"I placeth one card facedown," said Jill, as a reversed card appeared, and "my turn is done."

**(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 8,000)**

_I don't know what's worse…_ thought Gears. _The burn damage or listening to his dumb accent…_

_All right… Next round, he's probably gonna evolve that guy into the LV 7 form… And that can use its effect and attack on the same turn. _

_I could just wait and let my Ally Bomb do its job…_

He drew a card.

_I hate waiting…_

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I activate Dust Tornado!" he shouted.

The Tornado tore across the field, and Jill's Sakuretsu Armor was blown to pieces.

Then Gears's other facedown card lifted.

"Next, DNA Transplant. Now I can turn all Monsters on the field into Light.

"Then I sacrifice my Monster…"

His facedown Monster vanished.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Rudra."

In a blast of shadow, the metal wolf bounded onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Humph," said Jill. "Thine metal mongrel is no match for my Knight."

"Look, buddy…" said Gears, through his teeth, "it's taking me a _lot_ of willpower not to say anything to you about how ridiculous you look in that outfit you're wearing, so do me a favor and don't insult my Monsters, okay?"

Jill didn't respond. He simply looked at Gears, rather taken aback.

"And furthermore, you're wrong," continued Gears. "Due to my Trap Card, your Masked Knight is Light, and Rudra gains 700 Attack Points when fighting a Light Monster.

"Attack!"

Rudra pounced, tackling the Masked Knight, and blowing it to shards.

"That oughta do it…"

**(G: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,700)**

"I draw…" said Jill, making a draw.

"Then, I cast the powerful Level Modulation!"

A new Spell Card appeared.

"Now, you draweth two cards, and I calleth my Masked Knight back from the grave."

Gears sighed. He made two draws, and Masked Knight LV5 reappeared in front of Jill. (2,300 ATK)

"Yeah, well…" said Gears. "I happen to know that your Knight can't attack or use its effect on the round it's summoned with that card."

"Well then…" said Jill. "I'll play one card facedown then, and thou can taketh thine turn."

Gears frowned as he drew a card.

_You need a Shakespearean scholar to understand this guy…_ he thought.

_That facedown card is a concern… But I gotta try to take out that Knight before the next form shows up!_

"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg," he said.

In another burst of shadow, the metallic fox with the glowing mane leapt onto the field. (1,600 ATK)

"Rudra, destroy his Knight!"

Rudra leapt towards the Masked Knight, and its Attack Score rose to 2,600.

"Yield, foul beast!" shouted Jill, as his facedown card shot up. "I reveal my Martyr's Flag!"

He quickly discarded Mystic Swordsman LV2 from his hand.

"I send one card to the grave, and my Monster's power doubles!"

_Ho boy…_ thought Gears.

Masked Knight shot up to an Attack Score of 4,600. Gears shielded himself as it swung its sword, blowing Rudra to scrap metal.

Gears took a card from his hand and fit it into his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

_I've got to hope he doesn't draw that Glory Shield card of his,_ he thought. _If he does, I don't know what I'm gonna do…_

"Your move…"

**(G: 4,600) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,700)**

"My move!" shouted Jill, making a draw. "And now, my Masked Knight grows into its final form. Behold, Masked Knight Level the Seventh!"

Masked Knight glowed with brilliant energy, and grew even taller and broader. It now stood seven feet tall, and held and even nastier sword. (2,900 ATK)

"Now Masked Knight," he continued, "smite the knave with your full power!"

Masked Knight roared, and its helmet glowed with energy. Gears howled in pain as the energy bolt struck him right in the forehead.

"Now, sunder his Monster!"

Masked Knight lifted its blade, and leapt at the small Machine.

"Not so fast!" shouted Gears. "I have a Trap! My Draining Shield!"

His facedown card shot up, and the Knight's sword slammed against an invisible shield.

"So be it," said Jill. "I endeth my turn…"

**(G: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,700)**

_I gotta do something before that thing makes me into a shish-ka-bob,_ thought Gears.

He drew a card.

He set it on his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

_This should hold him off for one more round… Maybe then I'll be able to think of something…_

He nodded.

Jill drew a card.

_Huh?_ thought Gears. _When he drew that card… I felt a surge of great power…_

"Prepare to meet thine fate, insolent fool!" exclaimed Jill. "I hold in my hand a card of incredible might…"

He opened his Field Slot, and placed the card in it.

There was a rumble, and a huge structure started to rise behind him.

_It can't be…_ thought Gears, as he opened his eyes in disbelief.

Before his unbelieving eyes, the impossible was happening. The card that Jill had played was causing a giant castle to form, one made out of solid gold, with buttresses, towers, and parapets. It glowed with a radiance that illuminated the whole block.

"Tremble before the might of… _Golden Castle of Stromberg_!"

"Okay…" said Gears. "Time out… I'm only gonna ask you this once, Jill…"

He took a deep breath.

"_Where the devil did you get THAT?_ Are you out of your ever-loving mind?!"

"Didst I not tell you?" asked Jill. "My liege summoned a host of angelic beings who formed this card out of pure radiance. They gave it to me, and…"

"Jill, this is insane!" shouted Gears. "One, that card wasn't made by angels, it was made by a jealous computer hacker who wanted to ruin KaibaCorp! I have no idea where Edmund got it… I would have thought Leon burned it. Second, that card is _llegal_! Using it is breaking the rules of the game!"

He calmed down a little.

"But you know something? I realize now that it isn't your fault. Clearly, Edmund put a curse on that card before he even showed it to you. And guess what? Lucky you, since I took a vow to protect humans from evil Shadows, I gotta help you shake off the curse, meaning I can't abandon this duel.

"Lucky me…"

"Don't try to deceive me with lies," said Jill. "I activate Masked Knight's effect!"

Gears cringed as the bolt hit him again.

"Then, my Monster attacks!"

Masked Knight charged again.

"I activate Half or Nothing!" shouted Gears.

His facedown card lifted up, and Judge Man appeared.

"What be this?" asked Jill.

"Now, you can either end your Battle Phase, or keep attacking," said Gears. "But if you do, your Knight's score is cut in half."

"Then I end it," replied Jill. "And I set a card facedown."

A facedown card appeared.

"And my Castle has numerous effects. On your turn, all Monsters thou possesses in Attack Mode have no choice but to attack."

"Lucky me…" said Gears again.

**(G: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,700)**

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In his office, DaPen was watching with Edmund close by.

"Okay, Edmund, spill it," said DaPen. "How _did_ you get that card? Why _didn't_ Leon destroy it after the Grand Prix?"

"It's a long story, but I do have the time…" said Edmund.

"Leon von Schroeder had every intention of throwing that card into a furnace after the Grand Prix was over. But only an hour after his duel with Yugi ended, the elder von Schroeder received a call from Maximillion Pegasus himself. Surprisingly, he didn't seem angry at all at Ziegfried about his card being altered and made into that broken monstrosity. Pegasus was willing to make a business offer that involved both of the brothers, and it was too good to turn down… But an important part of it was that Leon turn over the Stromberg card, unharmed, with no questions asked.

"Why did Pegasus want it? As angry as he might have been at Ziegfried, Pegasus had one fear that continually plagued him… The fear of the power of the three Egyptian God Cards, likely the biggest mistake he had made in his entire career. Even though all three were in Yugi's hands, he could never be too safe, and he was always looking for weapons that had the potential to defeat them. He figured this Field Spell might be powerful enough to do so.

"But the card remained locked in a vault for years, until one fateful day, a greedy employee purloined it after using his hacking skills to discover how to bypass the system. But he quickly found that it was too hot to fence on any standard black market. And very few duelists wanted a card that was so well-known for being illegal.

"So the Golden Castle of Stromberg was passed from hand to hand among the underworld, until… someone I associate with obtained it.

"Of course, since it is illegal, I had to alter the card slightly so that Mr. deLauncebeaux's Disk would recognize it… But seeing as I was altering it anyway…"

"So you did put a curse of some sort on it?" asked DaPen.

"Mmm… yes…" said Edmund. "But that wasn't the only card…"

DaPen looked a little confused.

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"Jill…" said Gears. "I'll say it one more time… Edmund put a curse on that card. It's controlling you."

"Don't be absurd," said Jill, "I feel fine! And I have something I wanted for years… A castle of solid gold! A monument to the family of noble, iron-blooded knights who were once proud of the name deLauncebeaux."

"Didn't you hear me when I told you that the card was illegal?" asked Gears. "What would your family say if they knew their lineage had produced a cheater?"

He drew a card.

_This is bad,_ he thought. _Golden Castle of Stromberg is almost indestructible. It can't be destroyed by Spells, Traps, or Monster Effects, even ones controlled by its user. And with its numerous powers, it's likely the most broken Field Spell ever conceived._

"I move Garadholg to Defense Mode…" he said.

Garadholg shielded itself in defense. (400 DEF)

"And my Trap activates!" shouted Jill. "My Final Attack Orders!"

His facedown card lifted up, and Garadholg leapt back up into Attack Mode.

"Well…" said Gears. "If I gotta attack… I might as well make it good…"

He threw a card onto his Disk.

"I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter."

The small, metal drone appeared. (600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it, to double Garadholg's Attack Score."

Unlimiter vanished, and Garadholg glowed with shadowy energy. (3,200 ATK)

"Attack his Knight!"

Garadholg pounced, its Attack Score rising further, to 3,400, and Masked Knight screamed. It shattered into shards.

"Insolent rogue!" shouted Jill. "I activate my Castle's effect most special! Any Monster you control that attacks is smote, and you take damage equal to half its Attack Score!"

Lightning flashed, and Garadholg was blown to pieces. Gears cringed.

"Okay…" he muttered. "I kinda forgot about that…"

He looked at the cards in his hand.

"I have to end my turn…" he said.

**(G: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,200)**

"It be my turn," said Jill, drawing a card.

"It now be my Standby Phase, and now thou shalt pay the cost of my Field Spell!"

"I know…" growled Gears. "I have to discard half my deck…"

A command on his Duel Disk flashed, saying, **"Discard 15 cards."**

_Fifteen?_ thought Gears. _Wait…_

He paused for a minute.

_Let me think, here… I started with a hand of five cards… Had five turns… Drew two cards due to Level Modulation… That's twelve cards… Now my Disk makes me discard fifteen, which is supposedly half of what I have left… _

_That can mean one of two things… Either Golden Castle of Stromberg rounds up… And I'm pretty sure it doesn't… _

_Or…_

…_I had forty-two cards in my deck when I started!_

"Well?" demanded Jill.

"Just give me a minute!" shouted Gears.

_I got that card from Ross…_ thought Gears. _That was forty-one… Where the heck did I get a forty-second one?_

He took fifteen cards, and discarded them.

"Now…" said Jill, "I activate another effect of my Castle… I can Special Summon a Level 4 or less Monster from my deck every round."

Masked Knight LV3 appeared, apparently the second one from his deck. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack him directly!"

Gears screamed as the Warrior slashed at him with its sword.

**(G: 1,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 7,200)**

"Turn end…"

_This is just getting worse…_ thought Gears. _If I remember correctly, Yugi defeated that card by reducing the size of his deck to only a single card, thus making the cost impossible to pay._

_But if that final card hadn't been Monster Reborn, he would have lost the duel anyway. I really don't think that I have the luck he has to destroy that thing the same way…_

He drew a card.

_Maybe I can trick him into hurting himself… And if I simply don't summon a Monster on my turn, I can't attack, and won't hurt myself._

"I throw three cards facedown, and end my turn!" he shouted.

Three facedown cards flashed into existence.

"My move!" exclaimed Jill, drawing a card.

He looked at the card and shuddered. This Monster scared even him.

"Once again," he said, "thou shalt discard half of thine deck."

"Yeah, yeah…" said Gears.

He discarded seven cards.

"Now, I evolve my Knight into its Level 5 form…" said Jill.

Masked Knight glowed, and grew into Masked Knight LV5. (2,300 ATK)

"Then, I use my Castle to summon the third of my Level 3 Knights!"

Masked Knight LV3 appeared again. (1,500 ATK)

"You're as bound by that Castle's effect as I am," said Gears. "Your Monsters must attack."

"So be it!" shouted Jill. "Masked Knights… Slay him!"

Masked Knight LV5 charged at Gears…

"I activate… Birthright!" shouted Gears.

One of his facedown cards shot up, and Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais appeared in front of Gears. (2,300 ATK)

"It's too late!" shouted Jill. "E'en by mutual kill, I'll slay Claíomh Solais!"

The Masked Knight charged at the Machine…

"Go, Limiter Removal!" shouted Gears.

Another of his facedown cards shot up. Claíomh Solais's Attack Score rose to 4,600. Jill gasped.

"Then, Emergency Provisions!" shouted Gears. "I'll sacrifice both Limiter Removal and DNA Surgery to gain 2,000 Life Points!"

The Spell and Trap Card vanished, but Masked Knight LV5 was blown to pieces by Claíomh Solais's lightning bolts. Then Masked Knight LV3 charged at the Machine, and was vaporized by a second attack.

**(G: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 1,800)**

Jill nervously looked at the Monster in his hand. He slowly set it on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"So be it…" he said. "You'll run out of cards soon anyway…"

Claíomh Solais shattered into pixels.

_Maybe, maybe not…_ thought Gears. _That odd card in my deck… What could it be?_

_All I know is, I gotta do something fast or I'm a gonner… And more than likely, so is Jill, even though he doesn't know it._

He made a draw.

It was Pot of Avarice.

_Hmm…_ he thought.

"Give me a minute, Jill," he said. "I'm gonna take a look at my Graveyard."

He hit a button on his Disk, and all the cards in his Graveyard appeared in front of him.

_Most of my deck is in my Graveyard,_ he thought. _The "intruder" is likely in here somewhere…_

Then he saw it. A card that he had never put in his deck.

_AHA! There's the stinker! N__ow let's take a closer look…_

He looked at the card.

He couldn't believe it. This card could actually help him!

_But how?_ he thought.

Then he realized it.

_That kid…_ he thought. _The kid who barreled into me… He helped me pick up my deck…_

_Did he know the threat I'd be facing?_

He looked at Pot of Avarice.

_I just gotta hope I draw the right card…_

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

He took five Monsters from his Graveyard, and combined them with his six remaining cards. He shuffled them, and drew twice.

He grinned.

"I send Final Attack Orders to the Graveyard to Special Summon Trap Eater in Defense Mode!" he shouted.

The Trap Card vanished, and Trap Eater appeared. (1,600 DEF)

"Next, I set a Monster…"

A reversed Monster appeared.

"Now, Jill…" he said, taking a card from his hand, "I'm going to summon a castle of my own… And it's even more powerful than yours!"

"Thy wicked tongue lieth!" shouted Jill.

"I play Monster Reborn!" exclaimed Gears.

The ankh appeared, and a huge Machine materialized. Roughly pyramidal in shape, it was made of iron and steel, with two large arms, and tank treads on the bottom. It had several exhaust pipes, which spewed out smoke.

It shielded itself with its arms. (200 DEF)

"Meet Dimension Fortress Weapon."

"You dare compare my castle of gold to that ugly abomination?" shouted Jill. "You'll pay for that vile insult!"

"It's your move," said Gears, quietly.

"I draw!" exclaimed Jill, drawing a card.

"And thou shalt pay the cost for my Field Spell once again!"

"Sorry, Jill," said Gears, "not this time."

"Thou must!" replied Jill.

"No," said Gears. "When I said that Dimension Fortress Weapon was stronger than your Castle, I meant it.

"You see… When it's on the field, both players are forbidden from sending cards directly from their decks to the Graveyards."

Jill gasped.

"But that means…" he said.

"I can't pay Golden Castle of Stromberg's cost," replied Gears. "My Monster prevents me from doing so. And you know what that means…"

Cracks started to appear all over Golden Castle of Stromberg. Jill could only stare as his castle of gold collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Then Jill looked at Gears. His eyes glowed red, and an aura of dark flames surrounded him.

"Jill?" said Gears. "What's the matter, Jill?"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Uh oh…" said Edmund.

"Uh oh?" said DaPen. "What uh oh? I don't like uh ohs…"

"Uhm…" said Edmund. "This is gonna make you laugh…"

"It takes a LOT to make ME laugh," replied DaPen.

"See, Golden Castle of Stromberg wasn't the only card I put a curse on," explained Edmund. "The curse on Golden Castle was actually a catalyst for a more powerful curse I put on another card in Jill's deck. And the more powerful curse was going to be triggered by Golden Castle being destroyed.

"But… uh… I kinda expected Gears to destroy it the same way Yugi did… By reducing his deck down to one card, making it impossible to discard half the number that way… It was a pretty desperate move on Yugi's part, and at that point, only Yugi would likely manage to win.

"But… Gears managed to defeat it another way… A pretty _smart_ way, I might add, rather than one done out of desperation."

"What are you saying, you walking pile of vermin?" shouted DaPen. "Your spell was released too soon?!"

"Uhm… In a nutshell, yes…" replied Edmund. "So the effect it may have on Jill now… Uhm, I really don't know what effect it may have."

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"Uh, Jill?" said Gears.

Jill didn't respond at first.

"Earth to Jill," said Gears. "Hello?"

Then Gears spoke, now in a haunting, demonic voice.

"Prepare to die, Shadowchaser…" he said.

"My Monster moves to Attack Mode… Reveal… Doomcaliber Knight!"

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing a fiendish knight in black armor, on a coal-black horse, holding a sharp lance and a shield shaped like a skull. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy his Trap Eater!" shouted the now-possessed duelist.

Doomcaliber Knight charged on its steed, and with one swipe of its lance, sliced the Tuner in half.

"I set a facedown card, and end my turn," he said.

A facedown card materialized.

_Good lord…_ thought Gears. _Destroying the Golden Castle only made Edmund's spell worse!_

_Blast! If I'd had known this would happen, I wouldn't have bothered destroying the Castle! I could have won last turn if I had simply attacked! My Monsters would have finished him off before the Castle finished me off!_

_Okay, I can do this…_

_Doomcaliber Knight is a tough Monster… If I activate a Monster's effect, he'll be forced to sacrifice it to use its effect, and destroy my Monster…_

_But the two Monsters I have on the field are Dimension Fortress Weapon and Dark Resonator. Both of them have Continuous Effects, which Doomcaliber Knight can't use its effect on._

_Even worse, he suddenly got smart. He purposely attacked the Monster that could have defeated it._

He looked at his deck, which now had only nine cards left. He looked at the one card left in his hand, Mind Trust.

_Come one… There's gotta be a card left in this deck that can help…_

He made a draw.

_That'll do!_

"I sacrifice both my Monsters…"

Dimension Fortress Weapon and his facedown Dark Resonator vanished.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Thunder Armor!"

In a glowing aura, the huge, intimidating, armored robot, with a cockpit in the center and two bladed arms, rose in front of him. (2,700 ATK)

"Destroy Doomcaliber Knight!" he shouted.

Thunder Armor made a slash with its energy blade, and the Fiend knight groaned before it shattered into pixels.

**(G: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 1,000)**

"Trap Card, activate," said Jill.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Flat Level 4," he continued. "Since my Monster was destroyed, both players can summon a Level 4 Monster from their decks.

"And I choose to summon Mystic Swordsman LV4."

A new Warrior appeared, this one wearing silvery robes and a helmet, and holding two blades. (1,900 ATK)

Gears looked through his deck. Fortunately, all of the Monsters he had sent back to his deck using Pot of Avarice were Level 4.

"I summon Nanobreaker in Defense Mode," he said.

The female cyborg appeared, kneeling and holding her sword down. (1,800 DEF)

_He's likely going to attack Nanobreaker in order to Level up that guy into its Level 6 version,_ he thought. _But even if he does, Thunder Armor is stronger._

Gear's eyebrows narrowed.

"Your move…" he said.

The possessed Jill drew a card.

"I summon Tune Warrior," he said.

He played the card, and a Monster appeared that looked more like a robot than a Warrior. It was covered with dials and antennae, and it had port plugs instead of arms. (1,600 ATK)

"A Tuner Monster?" gasped Gears.

"Yes…" said Jill, "and now I Tune both my Monsters together…"

Tune Warrior and Mystic Swordsman LV4 both faded, and turned into seven glowing stars.

"…I Synchro Summon… Mordred the Black Knight!"

With a roar, a new knight-Warrior appeared in front of Jill. It was dressed entirely in pitch-black armor; no flesh showed through. Its helmet covered its entire face. It held a glowing sword, and carried a black shield with a red dragon painted on it. (2,800 ATK)

_Mordred?_ thought Gears. _As in King Arthur's evil son, fathered via an incestuous relationship with his sister? The son who eventually killed him?_

"Crush Thunder Armor!" shouted Jill.

Mordred roared, and brought his sword down on Thunder Armor, slicing it clean in half. What remained exploded.

"Now, Mordred's special effect activates," said Jill. "You lose 200 Life Points for each Level your destroyed Monster had."

Mordred glared at Gears, and Gears winced in pain.

**(G: 1,700) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 1,000)**

_Man, and I thought the Golden Castle was bad!_ thought Gears. _No doubt about it… This is the card that holds the true curse…_

He looked back at his deck.

_Only one card can help now…_

"Turn end…" said Jill.

Gears paused.

He drew a card.

_Got it!_

"I summon Flamvell Magical!" he shouted.

In a burst of flame, the fiery Spellcaster appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune my two Monsters together…"

Nanobreaker and Flamvell Magical flew towards the sky. They formed into eight glowing stars…

"…to summon a knight who's _deserving_ of the title! I summon Jalal the Dragonborn!"

In a flash of lightning, Jalal appeared on the field, brandishing his gleaming sword. (2,600 ATK)

The two knights, one of utter darkness, and one of heroic light, glared at each other…

"Now, I activate Jalal's effect," continued Gears. "I pay half my Life Points, to remove Battle-Tuned from my Graveyard."

The Spell Card slipped out of Gears's discard slot, and Jalal's sword glowed, as the Rune Counter appeared.

"Now, I'll use its effect. I can remove a Tuner Monster in my Graveyard from play, and increase Jalal's Attack Score by an amount equal to its Attack Score."

Another card slipped out of his discard slot.

"The Tuner I'm removing is Ally Mind, which has 1,800 Attack Points!"

Jalal glowed with energy… (4,400 ATK)

"Attack! Destroy Mordred!"

Jalal charged, and his blade went straight through the evil knight. Jill deLauncebeaux, the would-be knight, screamed as the curse was forcibly ripped out of him…

**(G: 850) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

To say that Louis DaPen was now angry was an understatement.

"I guess I put too much faith in how powerful Golden Castle of Stromberg was," said Edmund.

"You _guess_?" said DaPen, angrily. "Mr. Poston will be here any minute, and we're hardly prepared to handle him! All because you promised Mr. deLauncebeaux would be able to finish him using that Field Spell."

"Well…"said Edmund. "I guess I could duel him myself…"

"Get out of my sight, Edmund," said DaPen. "Your Worm Monsters against his Monsters-specifically-designed-to-fight-Worm-Monsters? I don't think so.

"I'll handle him myself, and while I'm doing so, I'll think over this partnership of ours very carefully."

Edmund didn't say anything. He walked through the door behind DaPen's desk.

DaPen picked up a briefcase. It was a finely crafted leather case with a bronze handle and hinges, and a digital lock.

Of course, the digital lock was a ruse. Trying to use it to open the case would trigger a trap consisting of two stored psionic attacks: it would hit whoever was trying to do it with a programmed Ego Whip, guaranteed to make him drop it, followed by a Psionic Suggestion that he make himself scarce fast.

The real lock was contained in fingerprint readers built into the handle. To open the briefcase, DaPen had to squeeze a specific pressure sequence, and the case would open.

The inside of the briefcase was like a Bag of Holding, only bigger than most. It could hold up to a hundred cubic feet of material inside its extradimensional space, and always weighed only ten pounds, regardless of what was put inside it. Even better, whenever he reached inside, whatever he wanted was always on top, allowing him to get it immediately.

He now wanted a deck of cards that he always kept in there.

He took out the deck case and looked at it.

_No time to construct a special deck for Mr. Poston,_ he thought. _I'll have to use my real deck…_

_Of course… Getting back to basics might be interesting…_

He closed the briefcase and turned on his laptop.

After about a minute, _Viva la Vida_ started to play again.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Jill was out cold. Gears sighed, and looked at Golden Castle of Stromberg.

He placed the illegal card in a pouch on his side.

_Jalal will know what to do with it,_ he thought. _He'll make sure no-one ever uses that accursed card again._

He looked towards the factory.

_For now… I have an appointment with someone… And I think he's expecting me…_

_**We wouldn't find out for several weeks just who that kid was who gave Gears the Dimension Fortress Weapon. When we finally identified him and tried to return it, he didn't remember running into Gears, and he didn't know how he had lost the card. It was a mystery that we never really figured out, but then again, everything happening those two days in Satellite were causing things that couldn't be explained. **_

_**Whatever the case, the card had been a godsend. Jill was defeated, and Gears was now able to make the same attempt that Jinx had made…**_

_**What results that would bring, at this point, were anyone's guess…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MASKED KNIGHT LV3 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can inflict 400 points of direct damage to your opponent. If you use this effect, this card cannot attack during the same turn. During your Standby Phase, you may send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Masked Knight LV5" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MASKED KNIGHT LV5 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you can inflict 1,000 points of direct damage to your opponent. If you use this effect, this card cannot attack during the same turn. During your Standby Phase, you may send this card to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Masked Knight LV7" from your hand or deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MASKED KNIGHT LV7 (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,900  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned via the effect of "Masked Knight LV5". Once per turn, you can inflict 1,500 points of direct damage to your opponent.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MARTYR'S FLAG (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **A footsoldier planting a red flag, as Masked Knight LV7 stands behind.

**Card Description: **Activate only during your opponent's Battle Phase. Tribute one Monster you control OR discard one card from your hand to double the ATK of all Warrior-Type Monsters you control until the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: The Masked Knights and "Martyr's Flag" were first used by Jill in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Battle with the Black Rose". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GOLDEN CASTLE OF STROMBERG (Spell Card)**

**Field Spell**

**Image: **A medieval palace made of pure gold.

**Card Description:** Once per turn, you may Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from your deck. This card cannot be destroyed by Spell, Trap, or Monster effects except its own effect. All Monsters in Attack Position must attack if they are able to; when your opponent's Monsters attack, they are destroyed at the end of the damage step, and your opponent takes damage equal to half the ATK of the destroyed Monsters. During your Standby Phase, your opponent sends half the cards in his/her deck to the Graveyard. (This is not optional. If he/she cannot, destroy this card.)

_Note: "Golden Castle of Stromberg" was first used by Leon in the original anime episode "Sinister Secrets (Part 2)". Of special note, this was a ceremonial card meant only to be given as a trophy, and only the first effect was original. The rest was all added by Ziegfried, making this an illegal card even via anime rules._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAT LEVEL 4 (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Axe Raider in a heroic pose. Above him are the words "LV1, LV2, LV3" in small letters and "LV4" in big letters.

**Card Description:** Activate when a Monster you control is destroyed by battle. Both players may Special Summon a Level 4 Monster from their hands or decks.

_Note: "Flat Level 4" was first used by Kaiba in the original anime episode "One Step Ahead (Part 1)" Creative credit goes to the writers._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MORDRED, THE BLACK KNIGHT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,800  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** _Warrior-Type Tuner + 1 or more Warrior-Type non-Tuner Monsters_

When this card destroys an opposing Monster and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict 200 points of direct damage to your opponent for each Level of the destroyed Monster.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_Will Gears have any more luck than Jinx did? He's better, because now DaPen is breaking out his true deck, one far more deadly than the one he used against Jinx. Gears enters a battle against a force unlike any he has faced before, and he may have to bust out a secret weapon of his own before it's over. And just what card did Ross give him, anyway? _

"_Psi-Station" is coming soon._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Shadowchaser Files**

**The Rat Lord, Agent of the Whispered One**

Some secrets neither man nor Shadow was meant to delve into. The case of the Rat Lord is testament to that.

The hobos and bums of New York City all swear they've seen the Rat Lord prowl among the sewers and the subways. They say he's some sort of monster who can control the vermin who live there. Shadowchasers think he might be a wererat, but the truth is more terrible.

A few years ago, the Rat Lord (who used a different name then, but it has been forgotten) was a Sensitive scholar who liked to study the occult in his spare time. In his studies, he discovered references to an entity named Vecna. This name intrigued him, and he searched for any information on Vecna that he could. He didn't know that Vecna was a Shadowkind deity associated with liches, secrets, and magic. Known by many names, including the Master of the Spider Throne, the Whispered One, and the Maimed Lord, Vecna was once one of the most evil of wizards, who became one of the darkest of liches, who later ascended to become one of the most dreaded deities.

Eventually, the scholar's research brought him to a dusty, old tome. He started to read the book, and was compelled to keep reading it. Little did he know, Vecna was not just the subject of this book, he was the _author_.

The scholar kept reading, forgetting to eat, drink, or sleep. The book was cursed, of course, but he didn't realize it. He eventually read until he died of starvation, but he passed onto undeath, still reading the cursed words.

Eventually, he finished, and had become a creature called a vitreous drinker, a type of undead monster used by Vecna on the homeworld of Shadow as spies and information gatherers. This, of course, was the purpose of the book; it was used as a recruiting arm for the Whispered One. Now serving the Lich God, the former scholar used his new powers to see through the eyes of the rats and mice in the underground of New York, using them to learn secrets that his master could use.

The Rat Lord has become legendary among the vagrants of New York, but he has not become a major threat yet to the citizens of the city. His power is growing, however, and soon, he may acquire enough power to cast spells himself, and see through the eyes of other creatures.

**Story Ideas:** Any plot dealing with the Rat Lord should also involve Vecna. His cult is small, but any who worship him worship incredible evil. Only the darkest of sorcerers worship this being, hoping to learn the forbidden secrets he has at his disposal.

A story that sets the Rat Lord up as an enemy will take the heroes into the underbelly of the city, where they will encounter wererats, zombies, and ooze-like Shadowkind. This might be a hard task, because while they are hunting the Rat Lord, he will be hunting them. The _Predator_ and _Alien _movies are good sources to find the right tone for such a story.

**Deck Suggestions:** The Rat Lord might use a Zombie Deck, but might use an unorthodox strategy. He might use Lich Lord, King of the Underworld, a Monster that resembles Vecna, and combo it with Ectoplasmer. Alternatively, he might construct a deck that uses Fushioh Richie, another Monster that resembles Vecna. It can be done if one works hard enough.


	51. Psi Station

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE**

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**Psi Station**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

_**Article Two, Section Three of the Great Treaty begins with the following passage, and I quote:**_

"_**In any conflict between a Shadowchaser and a member of a race of Shadowkind, the Shadowchaser in question must make certain that neither he nor his opponent has a clear advantage over the other in terms of medium, resources, or nature of said conflict."**_

_**This is the infamous "fair fight clause" that caused Shadowchasers and Shadowkind alike to adopt Duel Monsters as their way of settling disputes. **_

_**Both Jinx and Gears, however, had learned that they were facing foes who thought they were above this law. DaPen was willing to use his psionic powers to try to demoralize Jinx by controlling a trusted friend, and then actually cheat in a second duel. Edmund was no better, giving a minion, whom he had deceived just as badly, a card that was clearly illegal, and also cursed. **_

_**At this point, even based on what he alone knew, Gears had every legal right to put away his Duel Disk and arrest DaPen forcibly. However, he wasn't certain he could successfully do that. DaPen was a master of psychic powers, after all. Gears had never actually met an illithid, but he had read enough stories about them to know that they were best handled with caution…**_

_**DaPen would now prove more dangerous than he ever had…**_

DaPen leaned back in his chair as the music on his laptop played.

He saw a light on his desk flash. His outer perimeter security system had been shut down, as he knew it would be. He was aware that Gears could likely bypass any system.

He didn't react. He simply waited. He watched as the shadow approached his office.

"Come in," he said. "Come in, Mr. Poston…"

"Don't call me that…" growled Gears, as he walked in.

DaPen turned off the music.

"Sorry…" he said. "I forgot how much you hated your name…"

"Would you?" growled Gears. "Would you like going through life with the name Maurice Poston?"

He sighed.

"How did you get such a name anyway?" asked DaPen.

"It's my grandfather's name!" answered Gears. "The Honorable Judge Maurice Poston… In his day, the name sounded formal and dignified. My parents thought it was a good idea at the time…"

"But when you grew into boyhood, it sounded like a name only a nerd would have, and the other kids made fun of you," replied DaPen. "Such a pity… My people never have that problem… We don't use proper names at all. We identify ourselves using psionic imprints.

"Even the word 'illithid' was originally a made-up word that someone thought up in order to help us deal with other races…"

"Where's Jinx?!" shouted Gears.

DaPen put his arms around his head.

"What if I told you she was dead?" he asked. "What if I told you I had ripped the grey matter out of her head and ate it, like illithids are wont to do to humans?"

Gears closed his eyes.

"Then I would likely forget all about the oath I took," he said, "and tie your tentacles in knots and cave your skull in against the wall until it was a bloody pulp."

DaPen suddenly looked a little nervous.

"I mean, would anyone convict me for it?" asked Gears. "Would I even be disciplined for it? I don't think so. Who would represent you if I killed you? No-one likes you folks, DaPen. No-one would even file a complaint at Shadowchaser Headquarters if I violated protocol when dealing with you. They'd say you got what you deserved, and sweep it under the carpet.

"I would never say anything about a race of Shadows like, 'the only good one was a dead one', but I have yet to even _hear_ about an illithid who wasn't a scoundrel."

DaPen looked at him.

"You know…" he said, standing up. "I've made a point of not believing most of the threats that were thrown my way… Gears. But you know, I kind of believe yours…

"Well, I'll be honest with you… She isn't dead… Not yet, at least… She's just resting comfortably somewhere…"

"You'd better not be lying," said Gears. "And by the way, I heard that song you were listening to. _Viva la Vida_? Quite a selection. You ever listen to the lyrics? The narrator is suggesting that he knows that what he did was wrong.

"Is that the same case with you?"

DaPen sat back down.

"Well…" he said. "I've broken many laws of both Neo Domino and your organization during my rise to the top. I guess then, I can't deny that I am a criminal…

"I've also done several things that are perceived as immoral by most civilized races. If that means I am an immoral person, then maybe I am…

"But I have a question for you, Gears… How is morality determined? Does God decide what is moral and what is not? Or does he dictate what is moral because it is right to do so?"

Gears looked at him.

"I… I assume he dictates what is moral because it is right to do so…" he said.

DaPen nodded slightly.

"But that would suggest that there is a higher authority than God, wouldn't it?" he asked. "And if you believe the first option, it would suggest that God creates morals, which makes Him a being without them."

"Nice try, DaPen, but I've heard about that paradox before," said Gears, with a frown. "Plato posed it while quoting Socrates. I did go to school, you know.

"What do you care about what God intends, anyway? You illithids worship nothing but knowledge."

"Perhaps," replied DaPen. "But knowledge isn't a thing to us. It's a living being…"

His voice sank to a whisper.

"You humans often wonder about the Illsensine, that mysterious name that comes up in so many stories about my people… Well, let me share the secret with you… Illsensine is the embodiment of knowledge… A being of pure thought and godlike power. It is the source of our psionic abilities, it is what enables us to dominate others…"

"So it's your god?" asked Gears.

"More or less," replied DaPen, "although if it created the illithid race, we know of no stories of how it happened."

He paused.

"Some say that the first illithids actually created Illsensine…"

"Your race created your god??" gasped Gears.

DaPen chuckled.

"Not how it usually goes, is it?" he asked. "Some illithids believe that Illsensine is the collective knowledge of the forerunners of our race, given sentience and life! We created our own god through the power of thought!

"Now do you understand an inkling of how powerful we are, Gears?"

He placed his Duel Disk on his arm.

"Why don't you duel me, and I'll show you just how powerful thought can be when harnessed the right way…"

Gears looked at the monster in front of him.

_What have I gotten into?_ he thought. _This is gonna be seriously bad…_

He activated his Disk.

_But I've gotta try… This is my only way to get past him and save Jinx…_

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DaPen: 8,000)**

"The first move is yours," said DaPen.

Gears drew a card.

"I'll set this Monster," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared in front of him.

"…and I'll leave it at that."

DaPen made his first draw.

"I'll also set a Monster," he said. "And a facedown card."

He set two cards, and two facedown cards appeared, one in his Monster Zone, and one in his Spell Zone.

Gears drew a card again.

_Whoa…_ he said. _It couldn't be this easy…_

_Never look a gift horse in the mouth…_

"I sacrifice my Monster…"

His facedown Monster vanished.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Enemy Catcher!"

In a flash, the huge, robotic squid appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect… Since you have a reversed Monster, I get to take it for one round!"

DaPen's eyes narrowed as Enemy Catcher fired a tractor beam, and pulled the Monster over to Gears's side.

"Now, let's see what this is…" said Gears.

The Monster flipped up. Gears was a little surprised at the sight of it. It looked like a nutty mad scientist wearing a lab coat, with an oversized head, wearing a helmet covered with light bulbs. (100 ATK)

"Sorry, Gears," said DaPen, "But Doctor Cranium has no Flip-Effect."

"Yeah, well…" said Gears. "Not like it matters… Enemy Catcher, attack him directly! Retro rockets!"

Enemy Catcher fired two blasts of flames from its rockets, and DaPen groaned as he was struck by them.

"Hmm…" said Gears, looking at Doctor Cranium. "Attacking with this guy would be pretty pointless… Ah, but every little bit helps…"

A small spark shot from Doctor Cranium's helmet, and struck DaPen.

"Are you quite done?" asked the illithid.

"Yeah," said Gears.

"Then your Enemy Catcher's effect on Doctor Cranium now expires," replied DaPen.

The weird scientist was pulled back to his side of the field.

**(G: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,100)**

DaPen made a draw.

"I summon Mind Master," he said.

In an aura of light, a small creature appeared. It looked like a brain in a metal container, with a face in front, and two long tubes with hands attached to them. (100 ATK)

"Tell me, are all your Monsters this weak?" asked Gears.

"Far from it," replied DaPen. "I now activate Mind Master's effect. By paying 800 Life Points, I can sacrifice a Psychic Monster, other than itself, to Special Summon another low-Level Psychic Monster from my deck."

_Psychic Monsters?_ thought Gears.

"So, I'll pay 800 Life Points, and get rid of Doctor Cranium…" said DaPen.

Doctor Cranium shattered into shards.

"…to bring out Psychic Snail."

A far uglier creature appeared. As the name implied, it looked like a snail, with a humanoid upper body that glistened with slime. Its shell was carried on its lower body behind it. (1,900 ATK)

"And now…" said DaPen, "since Mind Master is also a Tuner, I'll Tune these two Monsters together…"

Mind Master and Psychic Snail faded away, turning into five glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Magical Android!"

In a burst of light, a far more beautiful and exotic-looking creature appeared in front of DaPen. She (it was clearly female) was dressed in a multicolored robe, which seemed to be covered with circuitry. The same circuitry was also on parts of her face. She carried an oddly-shaped staff and something that looked sort of like a shield; it was difficult to tell the purpose of either of these two items. (2,400 ATK)

"Destroy his Enemy Catcher," commander DaPen. "Pyrokinetic blast."

Moving only her arm and standing still as a statue otherwise, Magical Android aimed her staff and fired a volley of fireballs at the Machine. Gears shielded himself as it exploded into scrap.

"I set a card, and my turn is over," said DaPen, as another facedown card appeared. "That means Magical Android's effect kicks in, and I gain 600 Life Points for each Psychic Monster I have. I only have one, Magical Android herself, but hopefully, that will change soon."

Magical Android glowed with a pulsating light, and DaPen glowed with the same light.

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,900)**

"All right…" said Gears. "Here goes…"

He drew a card.

"I set a Monster, and throw two cards facedown," he said.

A reversed Monster and two facedown cards appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

"But first I activate this," said DaPen, as one of his facedown cards lifted up.

"Life-Absorbing Machine. And now, it's my draw…"

He drew a card.

"Due to the Trap I just activated, I gain half of the Life Points back that I paid last turn…"

_Fine…_ thought Gears. _Summon another Monster… I dare you…_

"Next, I activate another Trap Card," said DaPen, as his other facedown card lifted. "It's called Psychic Overload.

"Now, I get to take three Psychics from my Graveyard, and return them to my deck…"

He took Doctor Cranium, Psychic Snail, and Mind Master from his discard slot.

"Then I reshuffle…"

He shuffled them into his deck.

"…and then draw twice."

He made two draws.

"Next, I summon Krebons."

He played a card, and the same weird digital harlequin that he had used against Jinx appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Magical Android, take out his Monster."

Magical Android shot her flames again. Dekoichi appeared on the card, and exploded.

Gears frowned, and drew a card.

"Humph," said DaPen. "Krebons, attack him directly."

Krebons cackled, and threw its arms forward, shooting a stream of binary symbols at Gears.

"ERGH!" he shouted as they his him.

He gasped for breath.

_That… that really stung…_ he thought. _This isn't your typical duel…_

"I end my turn," said DaPen, "and once again, Magical Android's effect activates."

Magical Android and DaPen glowed once again.

**(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)**

Gears smirked a little.

"You did just what I wanted you to do, DaPen…" he said.

He quickly drew a card.

"Since you control two Monsters, and one of them is Light, I can Special Summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer!"

He played the card, and the odd mechanical device with the portal in the center appeared in front of him. (2,400 ATK)

"Is that a portal to another dimension," asked DaPen, "or an alien washing machine?"

"Har, har," said Gears. "Well, if it's a washing Machine, it's gonna clean your Monster's clock. But first, I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg."

He played another card, and the metal fox with the glowing mane appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, my Trap Cards," he said. "First, Miniaturize."

One of his Trap Cards lifted up.

"It shrinks Magical Android down to size."

Magical Android shrank to half her size, and her Attack Score fell to 1,400.

"Next, DNA Transplant!" he shouted, as his second facedown card lifted. "It turns all your Monsters Light!

"Now, Cosmic Closer, annihilate Magical Android!"

A blast shot out of the portal, and the Psychic Synchro was obliterated.

"Ergh…" grumbled DaPen.

"Garadholg, take out Krebons!" ordered Gears.

The Ally of Justice leapt at the cyber jester, and its Attack Score went up to 1,800…

"Not so fast, Gears," said DaPen. "I activate Krebons' effect. When it's the target of an attack, I can pay 800 Life Points to negate that attack."

Garadholg bounced off an invisible shield.

"You don't say," said Gears. "Then I end my turn…"

**(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,700)**

DaPen made a draw. He looked at the card, and chose another one.

"I summon Grapple Blocker," he said.

He played a new card, and a new Monster materialized. It looked like a muscular man with yellow skin in a purple wrestling costume, complete with a mask, with four octopus-like tentacles on its back. (1,200 ATK)

"By Normal Summoning Grapple Blocker, I get to use its effect," continued DaPen. "I get to choose one Monster, and that Monster can neither attack or be used as a sacrifice until Grapple Blocker is gone.

"I choose Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer."

Gears gasped as his Monster was surrounded by a sickly, green aura.

"I set a facedown, and end my turn," said DaPen, as a facedown card appeared in front of him. "That means I have to pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."

**(G: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,200)**

"Seems a lot of your Monsters require you to pay Life Points, DaPen," said Gears.

"That's the nature of psionics," said DaPen. "It isn't like magic at all.

"You see, sorcery is used by harnessing outside forces. Elemental forces, natural forces, and extradimensional beings. A wizard does not use his own personal power to do works of magic, because magic cannot be generated inside a mortal body.

"For a psychic, it is very different. The energy to use psychic powers is indeed generated inside the psychic himself. A psychic learns how to do that, through inborn ability and training. Thus, when using psychic powers, he is actually using his own power. For this reason, it can be very exhausting to use psychic powers for a great length of time.

"In Duel Monsters, this is represented by the fact that Psychic Monsters require you to pay Life Points to use their effects. Most of the time, anyway."

"Yeah, well…" said Gears. "It's my move!"

He drew a card. It was Ally of Justice Cycle Leader, which was a Tuner.

_I have a Tuner, _he thought, _but it's Level 3, and Cosmic Closer is Level 8. There's no such thing as a Level 11 Synchro. My Monster is dead weight until I can get rid of Grapple Blocker._

_Oh, that facedown card worries me, but I gotta take a chance…_

"I summon Machine King Prototype," he said.

He played the card, and the first series of the Machine Kings appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)

"And with two other Machines on the field, it gains 200 more Attack Points."

(1,800 ATK)

"Garadholg… Attack Grapple Blocker!"

Garadholg leapt at the Psychic. Its Attack Score increased to 1,800.

"I activate… Rush Recklessly!" exclaimed DaPen, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, Grapple Blocker gains 700 more Attack Points!"

Grapple Blocker shot up to 1,900 Attack Points. Its tentacles reached forward, and crushed Garadholg.

"Oh yeah?" asked Gears. "Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons!"

Prototype's eyes glowed.

"I pay 800 Life Points to use its effect again," said DaPen.

The invisible shield appeared again, and the blast bounced off.

"I end my turn," said Gears.

**(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,400)**

"I draw," said DaPen, making a draw. "And I gain 250 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine.

"Next, I summon Destructotron."

The creature that appeared next looked more like a Machine. It had four spindly, mechanical legs, a thin, metal torso, and a head that looked like a computer monitor. On the monitor's screen was a fiendish face. (1,600 DEF)

"With Destructotron on the field, I can pay 1,000 Life Points to destroy a facedown Spell or Trap Card."

"You're nuts," said Gears. "I don't _have_ any facedown Spell or Trap Cards."

"Then let's fix that," replied DaPen. "I Equip Grapple Blocker with Eternal Reverse."

He played a card, and Grapple Blocker became shrouded with a dark aura.

"Eternal Reverse lets me revert one of your Spells of Traps to facedown position."

Gears's DNA Transplant vanished, and appeared facedown in front of him.

"So… I pay 1,000 Life Points so that Destructotron can live up to its name."

A blast of energy fired from Destructotron's screen, and DNA Transplant was incinerated.

"I move Grapple Blocker to Defense Mode…"

Grapple Blocker knelt, and shielded itself with its tentacles. (2,000 DEF)

"By the way, Gears," he continued, "Eternal Reverse has another effect. If Grapple Blocker would be destroyed by battle, it can survive by getting rid of the Equip Spell.

"So… I end my turn, and I pay 500 Life Points to keep Grapple Blocker."

**(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,150)**

Gears made a scowl. He drew a card.

Then he grinned.

"I summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car!" he shouted.

In a burst of shadow, Bokoichi appeared. (500 ATK)

"Then I play, Double Summon," he said, playing a Spell Card. "Now, I also get to summon Ally of Justice Cycle Leader!"

The Monster that appeared looked like a mechanical spider, made of white, black, and red metal. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I Tune it and Bokoichi together!"

Bokoichi and Cycle Leader faded, forming into five glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Ally of Justice Catastor!"

Catastor appeared in a flash of light. (2,200 ATK)

"By the way, DaPen," he continued, "Grapple Blocker is an Earth Monster. And when Catastor destroys a Monster using its effect, that Monster is not considered destroyed by battle."

"But that means…" said DaPen.

His eyes widened.

"It means your Eternal Reverse can't protect it!" laughed Gears. "Catastor, wipe out that thing!"

Catastor fired its platinum prism blast, and Grapple Blocker groaned before being reduced to ash.

"And that means my Cosmic Closer is free!" laughed Gears. "Which means your Destructotron is in big trouble!"

Cosmic Closer blasted a bolt of energy from its portal, and Destructotron exploded into pieces of scrap metal.

"Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons again!"

The Prototype fired its beam.

"I pay 800 Life Points again!" shouted DaPen.

The beam bounced off once again.

"Well, fine and dandy," said Gears. "I end my turn…"

**(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,550)**

_The time to play is past…_ thought DaPen.

He drew a card.

"I gain 750 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine…" he said.

"Then I move Krebons to Defense Mode…"

Krebons knelt, and covered itself with its arms. (400 DEF)

"And then I set two cards facedown."

Two facedown cards appeared in flashes of light.

"It's your move."

**(G: 6,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,300)**

Gears made a draw.

_He doesn't have enough Life Points to use Krebons' effect three times!_ he thought. _Now I can finally destroy it… I might even be able to win the duel!_

"Machine King Prototype, attack Krebons!"

The Machine fired its blast, and Krebons burst into an explosion of oddly-shaped blocks.

_Huh?_ thought Gears. _He didn't even try to use its effect once?_

_His problem…_

"Catastor, attack him directly!"

Catastor's gemstone glowed. It fired its laser at DaPen.

"I activate… Negate Attack!" shouted DaPen.

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a dome of energy halted the blast.

"Not the most modern Trap Card, but sometimes the simple ones can do the job better."

_What?_ thought Gears. _He could have used that to protect Krebons… But for some reason… He waited. What's his game?_

"I end my turn…" he said.

DaPen drew a card.

His other facedown card lifted, which was a second Psychic Overload.

"I'm sure you remember how this works," he said.

He took Magical Android, Krebons, and Grapple Blocker from his Graveyard, shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.

"I play the Continuous Spell Card Teleport," he said. "Now, if I have no Monsters on my side of the field, and you have at least one, I can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic Monster from my hand."

_THAT'S why he let Krebons be destroyed!_ thought Gears.

"I choose to summon Storm Caller," continued DaPen.

A tornado erupted on DaPen's side of the field, and another strange Monster appeared in the midst of it. It was a squat, muscular creature wearing a large, mechanical harness that had a satellite dish that extended over its head. (2,300 ATK)

"Nice try, DaPen," said Gears, "but that's a Wind Monster. It can't defeat Catastor."

"But I'll use it to summon something that can," replied DaPen, as he played a new Spell Card. "I play Emergency Teleport. Now I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Psychic from my deck. And since I used Psychic Overload to send Krebons back to my deck, I'll summon it again."

Krebons appeared again. (1,200 ATK)

"Did I mention that Krebons was a Tuner?"

Krebons and Storm Caller flew to the ceiling, and turned into eight glowing stars. The room went dark.

"Appear before me…" chanted DaPen, as his eyes started to glow. "Thought Ruler Archfiend!"

With a roar, the same Monster that had sealed Jinx's fate appeared in front of Gears and his three Monsters. Gears stepped back in fear. (2,700 ATK)

"By the way, Gears," he continued. "In case you didn't realize just by looking at it, my Thought Ruler is a Dark Monster. That means it's exactly the right type of Monster that can defeat Catastor.

"Attack! Psionic Crush!"

Gears screamed as Thought Ruler Archfiend blasted its bolt of destructive mental energy, and Catastor was blown to slag.

"Now my Thought Ruler's effect activates," continued DaPen. "I gain Life Points equal to your destroyed Monster's base Attack Score.

"Interesting enough, this is the only Archfiend that allows you to gain Life Points, rather than require you to pay them. Adding to the irony is the fact that it's a Psychic Monster, and most of them require you to pay Life Points to activate their effects.

"But it does have another effect that requires me to pay Life Points… If you use a Spell or Trap Card that targets _any_ of my Psychics, I can pay 1,000 Life Points for it to negate it.

"And it's your move…"

**(G: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,700)**

Gears's hand trembled as he drew a card.

_This must be what defeated Jinx…_ he thought. _I'd bet my deck on it…_

_Okay… Can't panic…_

He looked at the three cards in his hand, which were Ally of Justice Rudra, Kill-Switch, and the card he had just drawn, Flamvell Magical.

Somehow, drawing the card that Ember had given him was the only thing that gave him the courage to continue, even though it wasn't of any use right now.

He turned the cards on his Disk. Machine King Prototype crouched in Defense Mode. (1,500 DEF) The light in Cosmic Closer's portal dimmed. (1,200 DEF)

"Your move…"

DaPen made a draw.

"I gain 400 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.

"Next, I Equip my Monster with Junk Barrage."

He quickly played an Equip Spell.

"Now, whenever it crushes a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to half that Monster's Attack Score.

"And I'm going to deal with Cosmic Closer the way I should have in the first place…"

Thought Ruler Archfiend blasted its psionic crush, and Cosmic Closer exploded. Gears screamed in pain.

**(G: 4,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,500)**

"Your move…" said DaPen.

Gears drew a card.

It was Ally of Justice Unlimiter.

Gears mouthed an obscenity as he cursed his luck. Why couldn't he have drawn this last turn?

"Pass…" he said.

"Your funeral," said DaPen, drawing a card.

"You remember Psychic Snail, right?"

He played another card, and Psychic Snail appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

"Now I activate my Snail's effect… If I pay 800 Life Points, another Psychic, like my Archfiend, gets to attack twice this round."

"You gotta be kidding…" said Gears.

"Oh, I never kid…" said DaPen.

The Archfiend blasted its bolt, and Machine King Prototype was incinerated. Gears screamed as the effect of Junk Barrage burned him.

Then he screamed at the top of his lungs as the Archfiend attacked again, hitting him directly and seemingly shocking every nerve ending in his body.

He fell to his knees.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,300)**

_No…_ he thought. _I've lost… His Snail…_

"There's a piece of fine print on Psychic Snail's effect," said DaPen. "If it uses its effect, it isn't allowed to attack in the same round. Thus, I'm ending my turn. Any time you would like to give up is fine with me."

Gears closed his eyes.

He drew a card.

He looked at it.

_Heh, heh…_ he thought. _Thanks for the card, Ross…_

He threw a card on his Disk.

"I summon Flamvell Magical!" he shouted.

The fiery sorcerer appeared in a burst of flame. (1,400 ATK)

"So, that was the best you could do, huh?" asked DaPen.

"And then I play… Junk Dealer!" shouted Gears.

"Eh?" asked DaPen. "Junk Dealer?"

"Now, I can summon two Machines from my Graveyard," said Gears, "with their Attack Scores halved…"

Machine King Prototype appeared first. (1,600 ATK) –) (800 ATK) Then Bokoichi appeared. (500 ATK) –) (250 ATK)

"Now…" exclaimed Gears. "I Tune all three of my Monsters together!"

"Wait a minute!" gasped DaPen. "That means you're summoning a… _Level 9_ Synchro??"

The three Monsters formed into nine glowing stars.

"That's right!" said Gears, angrily. "I didn't want to do this, DaPen, but you've forced me to break out someone I was saving for a special occasion!

"Meet the commander of the Ally army! I Synchro Summon… _Ally of Justice Field Marshall_!"

An explosion erupted behind him, and a twelve-foot tall robot loomed over him. It was a giant, shining droid, its flawless metal body shaped like a man in an officer's uniform with a helmet, made of silver, gold, and platinum. (2,900 ATK)

For the first time, a look of fear appeared on DaPen's face…

"Okay, Marshall," said Gears. "Full battle mode!"

"**Roger, roger,"** said the Machine.

Field Marshall pointed its arms, and guns, missiles, and cannons sprouted from them, its chest, its waist, and other parts of its body.

"Ballistic barrage!" shouted Gears.

All of Field Marshall's weapons fired at once, and Thought Ruler Archfiend let out an unholy howl. DaPen was thrown backwards as his Monster was blown to smithereens.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)**

Gears placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn…" snarled Gears.

DaPen paused. He drew a card.

"Once again, I gain 400 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.

Psychic Snail curled up in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

"Just move…" he said.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,500)**

Gears drew a card.

He smirked. This was more like it.

"I play Enemy Controller!" he shouted.

He played the Spell Card, and Psychic Snail moved back to Attack Mode. (1,900 ATK)

"Next, I summon Ally of Justice Unlimiter."

He played the card, and the small drone appeared. (600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice it, to double Field Marshall's Attack Score!"

Unlimiter vanished. Field Marshall assumed full assault mode again. (5,800 ATK)

Once again, the huge Machine opened fire. Psychic Snail was burned to a cinder, and DaPen was thrown backwards again, this time slamming into his desk.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,600)**

Gears looked at his facedown card, and at the one card in his hand, Ally of Justice Rudra.

_DaPen is likely going to try to destroy Field Marshall with a card effect…_ he thought. _Well, let him try… My Kill-Switch will make him sorry if he does._

He watched as DaPen slowly got up.

"It's your move, DaPen…" he said.

Field Marshall's Attack Score returned to 2,900.

DaPen took some deep breaths, and then drew a card.

"I use the effect of Teleport again," he said. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon Telekinetic Shocker."

A weird creature appeared on the field. It looked like a guy wearing a red suit with lighting bolts on the chest, and a silver, spherical helmet. Bolts of energy surrounded him. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I'll Normal Summon a new Tuner… Psychic Commander."

Another Psychic appeared. This one wore a military uniform, had a robotic, metal face with a strong jaw and a four-eyed visor, and in place of a lower body, had a saucer-shaped contraption with a cannon in front. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune my Monsters together one more time…"

Psychic Commander saluted, and both it and Telekinetic Shocker split into seven glowing stars.

_Five Synchros in one duel?_ thought Gears. _That has to be a record of some sort… But I don't see how a Level 7 Monster can beat my Level 9 one…_

"Synchro Summon," said DaPen, "Psychic Lifetrancer!"

The stars coalesced into a female form. It looked like a young girl, far less exotic than Magical Android, but her left arm, leg, and left half of her face were cybernetic. She was dressed in a blue bodysuit. (2,400 ATK)

"And how is she supposed to beat Field Marshall?" asked Gears.

DaPen didn't say anything. He simply placed the last two cards in his hand in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

He glared at Gears.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,800)**

Gears drew a card.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted, playing the card.

He played it, and reshuffled Catastor, Machine King Prototype, Cycle Leader, Cosmic Closer, and Flamvell Magical. He made two draws.

He looked at them. They were Limiter Removal and Robotic Knight. He looked at the other card in his hand, Rudra.

"You may have more Life Points, DaPen," he said, "but I have the better Monster.

"Field Marshall… Attack!"

Field Marshall aimed its weapons at Lifetrancer…

"Not so fast," said DaPen, as one of his facedown cards lifted. "I activate the Spell Card, Psychic Assimilation.

"Now, I just have to remove one Psychic in my Graveyard from play, and for this round only, Lifetrancer gains its effect."

A card fell out of his discard slot. He held it up.

"And since the Psychic I'm removing is Krebons, that means I can pay 800 Life Points to block your attack."

Field Marshall fired, but its artillery was halted by an invisible shield.

"Hmm…" said Gears.

_Good thing I saved my Limiter Removal,_ he thought.

He set it and Robotic Knight, and the two cards appeared facedown.

"Your move…" he said.

**(G: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

_Next round,_ he thought,_ I'll hit him with all I've got…_

DaPen made a draw. He sighed. Life-Absorbing Machine glowed again, and his Life Points went up by 400.

"You're right, you know that, Gears?" asked DaPen. "You have the better Monster… I don't have a single Monster in my deck right now that can beat Field Marshall…

"And I'm pretty sure that one of your facedown cards is Limiter Removal. Even if I summoned a stronger Monster, you'd use that to defeat it…"

"Then do you yield?" asked Gears.

"No…" said DaPen. "Lifetrancer can still defeat you, thanks to this…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"It's called Battle Teleportation. Since Lifetrancer is the only Monster I have, and she's a Psychic, this lets her get right by your Monsters and attack directly."

"Say WHAT?" shouted Gears.

Lifetrancer lifted her hand, and an orb of dark, crackling energy formed in it.

"There is a downside to this Trap, of course," said DaPen. "Once she did that, Lifetrancer would shift to your control.

"But then… that doesn't really matter, does it?"

Gears screamed as Psychic Lifetrancer hurled the orb, and it struck him in the chest. He staggered back eight feet, and fell over.

**(G: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,400)**

Gears couldn't believe it… He had brought out the best Monster in his deck, and even it couldn't do the job…

Then he screamed as DaPen's Mind Blast ripped through his skull. He collapsed.

DaPen sat down at his desk. Once again, he opened his briefcase.

"I know you're watching, Edmund," he said. "Get your ass in here…"

Edmund walked in, casually reading his leather-bound journal. He sat on the couch.

"Oh, sorry," muttered DaPen. "You don't _have_ an ass, right?"

"So, you beat him, huh?" asked Edmund, ignoring the wisecrack.

"Yes, I beat him," said DaPen. "No thanks to you. I wouldn't have had to duel him at all if weren't for your plan screwing up.

"My patience with you is running thin. First you attract a platonic to Earth with your careless summoning spell. Then that botched curse on Jill could have cost us more than it did. Shichiro is bound to be here soon. Albert is going to challenge him, and if he fails, you are going to duel him."

Edmund chuckled.

"And how are you going to make me?" he asked. "These things happen, Louis. You'll have to live with disappointments."

DaPen looked at Edmund with incredible anger.

"Edmund," he said. "You have long assumed that I cannot kill you… Well… Let's put that fiction to rest right now."

He took something out of the briefcase and pointed it at Edmund. The evil wizard got up in shock.

It was a simple wooden rod with a black gemstone on its tip. But Edmund knew its incredible power.

"A Rod of Cancellation!" he shouted.

"Oh, so you've heard of them," said DaPen. "Then you know that it's a one-use item, but it can cancel any magical enchantment, permanently. Even the one which sustains the necromantic spell that holds a worm that walks together.

"I've had it for some time, you fool. Do you really think I'd work with you if I didn't have a way of dealing with you? If I used this on you, Edmund, you'd collapse into a pile of inert and very dead worms."

"Listen, Louis…" said Edmund, nervously.

"You will not call me by my first name anymore, understood?!" shouted DaPen, pointing the Rod menacingly.

"Now, let's try this again… Shichiro will be coming soon. Albert is going to duel him. If he fails, you WILL handle him personally. Do I make myself clear?"

Edmund looked at him. Then he looked at the Rod.

"Yes…" he said, "Mr. DaPen…"

"Now go…" said DaPen.

Edmund stormed out of the room.

As he did, DaPen raised an eyebrow. He had left the book behind.

Edmund was always glued to that journal. It held some secret that he wasn't willing to share. It contained something important that he knew, that DaPen wanted to know.

DaPen slowly moved towards the couch where the book lay… He reached for it.

Then the book flew from his grasp. He turned, and saw Edmund standing in the door, holding it.

"Sorry, Mr. DaPen…" he said, sarcastically, with a hint of anger. "You can threaten me with that Rod all you like… You can threaten me with a Sphere of Annihilation, if you can find one… You could even obtain the Codex of Infinite Planes, risk using its terrible power, and threaten me with the forbidden spell that was used to dismember Tzunk…

"But no threat you make would ever convince me to let a member of your accursed race look upon the words in this journal…"

He turned and stormed out again.

DaPen sat back down at his desk.

Now he wanted to read what was in that journal even more.

He looked at Gears.

_That was a closer call than I'd have liked,_ he thought. _In case all else fails, I'd best improve my deck a little before Shichiro gets here… And I know just how to do it._

He opened the briefcase again.

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Back at the townhouse, Shichiro nervously watched the clock with Ember. Between them they had eaten three bags of potato chips and a whole bag of Oreos, they were so nervous.

Finally, the clock hit ten PM.

"Still no word from Gears," said Shichiro.

He stood up.

"Ember…" he said. "If I don't come back either, call Jalal… Tell him we failed, and he'll know what to do.

"And if that happens, it was nice knowing you…"

"No way!" said Ember. "I think the mistake that Jinx and Gears made in the first place was going alone.

"Shichiro… I'm going with you."

"What?" said Shichiro. "Ember… It… You can't…"

"Why not?" asked Ember. "Haven't I passed all the tests? Haven't I earned the title of Shadowchaser?

"Are you going to treat me like I'm still some student simply because I haven't gone through some dumb initiation ceremony?"

Shichiro sighed. Ember was right. She _was_ a Shadowchaser now, in all but official name.

And maybe she had something. Maybe going alone was indeed a mistake.

"Okay, Ember, we'll both go," he said. "But promise me something…

"If it looks like I'm in big trouble, promise me you'll run the other way and not stop until you find a safe place."

"I promise…" she said.

Shichiro nodded.

They both ran out to the garage.

_**Jinx's luck didn't hold out. Gears summoned his ultimate Monster, and it didn't cut it. And little did we know, it was about to get even harder for us, because DaPen was saving his best for last. **_

_**This time, I was going too, putting faith in the theory that there was strength in numbers. But the welcoming committee this time wouldn't consist of rank and file hired help. DaPen was not going to take any chances with any flunkies this time. One way or another, this attempt on his headquarters was going to be the last attempt.**_

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**ETERNAL REVERSE (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Two rubbery, green hands hovering over a facedown Duel Monsters card, with strings connecting the fingers to the card.

**Card Description:** Once per turn, the controller of the Equipped Monster can place a face-up Spell or Trap Card in set position. The controller of the set Spell or Trap Card cannot activate it in the same turn. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed as a result of battle, you can negate the destruction by destroying this card.

_Note: "Eternal Reverse" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**ALLY OF JUSTICE FIELD MARSHALL (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 9  
**ATK:** 2,900  
**DEF:** 2,600

**Card Description: **_Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner Monsters_

This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Synchro Summon. When this card destroys a facedown Defense Position Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, draw 1 card from your deck.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Field Marshall" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**ALLY OF JUSTICE CYCLE LEADER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description: **Activate by discarding this card from your hand. Remove from play up to 2 LIGHT Monsters in your opponent's Graveyard. This effect can be used during your opponent's turn.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Cycle Leader" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 6: Dragunity of the Hurricane" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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**PSYCHIC ASSIMILATION (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** Psychic Snail hooked up to electrodes and suspended in a tank of liquid, as Doctor Cranium works the controls to a console in the foreground.

**Card Description:** Select one Psychic-Type Monster you control and remove from play one Psychic-Type Monster in your Graveyard. The selected Monster gains the effect(s) of the removed Monster until the End Phase of the turn. Any Life Point payments associated with the effect(s) of the removed Monster must also be paid when they are activated as the selected Monster's effect(s).

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KILL-SWITCH (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image: **Ally of Justice Catastor in the foreground facing Worm Queen, with a digital countdown in the forefront at 0:15.

**Card Description:** ??

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_Coming up next:_

_Shichiro is challenged by Albert, who breaks out a deck full of Beasts of a different variety than his brother challenged Mistle with. A duel quickly turns into a strange trip to a distant shore, as Shichiro fights off some of the strangest members of the animal kingdom. "The Big March of Animals" is next, emphasis on big. Be there._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Luto, Ogre Crusader**

One type of Shadowkind that Shadowchasers dislike dealing with is ogres. Not because they are difficult to deal with, but because entering an ogre's lair is a disgusting experience, and usually requires them to get shots later because of the filth they are exposed to.

Ogres are smaller relatives of giants. Known for being dumb, crude, and simple-minded, they regard smaller races as having no use except as protein. Shadowchasers often say that if there's one thing dumber than an ogre, it's two of them together. This is often true, unfortunately. Many unscrupulous Shadowkind have discovered that recruiting groups of ogres as servants never works. They never cooperate, and never follow orders the way they're supposed to.

In order to be covered by the Great Treaty, a race of Shadowkind must be sentient, sapient, and civilized. Ogres fit the first two qualifications, but have never fit _any_ definition of civilized. Thus, they are not included in the Treaty. Not that they care; most of them, anyway.

Enter one ogre named Luto. Originally from Germany, where ogres have always been a problem, Luto was born bigger and stronger than most ogres. Possibly, he has the blood of true giants in him somewhere in his family. He was recruited by a covey of three hags as a bodyguard. The hags' ultimate goal was to perfect an elixir which would make them beautiful, but in their spare time, they experimented on Luto as a strange hobby, thinking they might be able to make him smarter. They succeeded admirably. Luto secretly not only developed common sense and a few street smarts, he taught himself to read using their books, and learned things that most ogres don't care to learn.

Luto later participated in what was to be the final part of the hags' plan. To give themselves beauty, they had to offer as a sacrifice someone who had it. So they attempted to kidnap an elf princess who fit the bill; unfortunately for them, their plan was leaked, and a team of Shadowchasers was waiting for them. Luto tried to defend his employers, but a sock to the eye from one of the lawmen sent him to the floor. Since he now had more sense than most ogres, he knew enough to stay down. Unfortunately, the three hags were quickly defeated.

Becoming smarter had taught Luto something most ogres don't have: self-preservation. Knowing he was no match for the three humans, Luto surrendered, and the three Shadowchasers did not know what to do with him. They had never met an ogre who did not fight to the death. Since there was no point in arresting him (he couldn't be brought to trial, as ogres weren't part of the formal system) they simply told him to leave, saying that if he ever caused trouble again, they'd lock him up in the zoo.

Most Shadowkind would have been overjoyed to get a get out of jail free ticket, but Luto was downright insulted. Why should he have been excluded from their system? As of that night, he had a goal which he has not strayed from since: He would change the system, and prove that his people deserved to be covered by the Treaty.

Unfortunately, his attempts so far have been difficult to say the least. Convincing other ogres that they would benefit from it has been almost impossible. Luto has yet to meet another ogre that can even read the Treaty, and none of them have the patience to listen to him read it. Most other ogres think that Luto's obsession is a form of madness, but fortunately, he is still stronger than most of them, and if they ever get violent, he's still better with a club than any of them.

Learning how to duel has been the hardest part of Luto's crusade. Eventually, he was able to find a fire giant (the smartest type of evil giant who regularly works with ogres) who liked working with machines, and convinced him to build a Duel Disk made for his size. Luto has made a deck to his liking, and is waiting for a chance to use it against a Shadowchaser who will accept his challenge. Even if he loses, it might help his cause dramatically. It may be a hard sell, but he's determined not to give up.

**Story Ideas:** Luto might seem like the typical advocate for an oppressed race, if it weren't for the fact that the race in question was not deserving of sympathy. Ogres eat the flesh of sentient beings, and steal whatever they want as if it already belonged to them. They are also technophobic to the extreme, and destroy any technology they come across, as offerings to their bestial gods. These and many other reasons are why they are regarded as uncivilized, and the Shadowchasers do not even have plans to change that label in the immediate future.

Luto is hardly an angel himself. It is important to remember that he had every intention of helping his employers kidnap the princess. He has regulated himself to a diet of deer, sheep, and beef since becoming a Zionist for his cause, and his speech is incredibly articulate for an ogre, but he still comes across as gruff and unfriendly to anyone he talks to. Sometimes, he cannot hold back the true savagery of his kind, and he resorts to his club when someone makes him angry. He regrets doing so later, but there's no guarantee that it won't happen again.

In fact, Luto likely might try to do something illegal on purpose, simply to try to get a Shadowchaser to investigate, so that he can goad that Shadowchaser into dueling him. He knows that the Fair Fight Clause does not apply to him, but he hopes that some have enough honor as duelists to accept such a challenge. Even better, he hopes that he'll be arrested as a result of it. The idea of finally being able to argue his case in front a Shadowchaser court is one of the most vital parts of his plans.

**Deck Suggestions:** Luto's deck is unsubtle, much like ogres are. He uses cards like Giant Orc, Goblin Attack Force, and Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei to pound his opponent senseless with superior Attack Points. He's smart enough to include support cards such as Second Goblin and Final Attack Orders to give these Monsters an advantage. His rarest card at this point is the tricky Ogre of the Bloody Tears, a Monster also owned by Jack Atlas, that can provide a nasty surprise for anyone who attacks him directly.


	52. The Big March of Animals

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO**

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**The Big March of Animals**

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_**When one thinks of heroes of Duel Monsters, they usually think of great duelists. People like Yugi Mouto, Seto Kaiba, later on Judai Yuki, and most recently, Jack Atlas.**_

_**No-one ever thinks of unsung heroes, who make the game possible. The cards that these great duelists use have to come from somewhere. They don't simply appear in stores. I2 has owned the copyright to the game since its inception, and they still create the cards. They are the ones who go through the lengthy process of designing them.**_

_**But aside from Pegasus himself, who painted as a hobby, and personally designed some of the most famous cards (including the Egyptian God Cards) most of the designers on his staff are content to remain in obscurity. They spend their time submitting ideas and sketches, and maybe for every ten ideas they submit, one gets past the drawing board. Not many of a single designer's yearly ideas get made into actual cards, but they aren't paid by commission. And while they don't get credit when they design a card that becomes popular, they also don't get blamed for designing one that turns out to be a dud. Whoever designed Marauding Captain likely didn't get a bigger Christmas bonus than whoever designed Throwstone Unit.**_

_**Of course, there are some who say that card designers have a type of second sight about their designs. Their cards are mirrors of living creatures, the Duel Spirits that folks like Judai encountered in the other dimensions. Are Duel Spirits born when these cards are approved for production? Or do they somehow cause their images to be planted in the minds of those who would design the cards? It's a mystery, and one that is very hard to answer.**_

_**I only bring this up because Shichiro was about to face someone who would mention one card designer… One who found that designing cards was, for him, much easier than using them…**_

On the same street in Satellite, the portal opened for the third time. Shichiro's bike sped out, with him at wheel, and Ember holding on behind.

The storm had stopped. Clearly, the pandemonium that had been occurring earlier elsewhere in Satellite had past. Stars were shining in the sky, and the fog was gone, but there was still a sense of uneasiness in the air.

Jinx and Gears's D-Wheels were missing. Someone had moved them.

Shichiro got off his D-Wheel and removed his helmet.

"Stay close to me, Ember," he said. "DaPen won't be caught by surprise this time…"

"You think he…" asked Ember.

Then her face turned sour.

"Yuck!" she said, covering her nose. "What's that awful smell?!"

Shichiro drew his sword.

"Something very dangerous…" he replied. "I recognize that smell… Get behind me…"

"What is it?" asked Ember.

"Something that has never taken a bath in its life…" replied Shichiro. "But its odor is the least of our problems…"

Shadowy shapes started to appear out of the alleyways. Low moans and growls followed.

Then, six large creatures lumbered out onto the street. Each one was about nine feet tall, but looked somewhat shorter, as they were hunched over. They were thin, almost to the point of being gaunt, with sickly green, rubbery skin, large claws, and faces with long noses, sunken eyes, and sharp teeth. They had iron grey hair.

The six Shadows drooled and snarled as they eyed the two humans.

"Okay, six things…" replied Shichiro, nervously.

"What are they?" shouted Ember.

"Trolls," replied Shichiro.

Ember backed up slightly.

"I think they look hungry…" she said, nervously.

"Ember, I have yet to meet a troll who _wasn't_ hungry!" shouted Shichiro.

He waved his sword menacingly at the six beasts, and they hesitated.

"Well?" shouted Shichiro.

"Well what?" gasped Ember.

"Remember our deal?" he shouted. "No way I can beat six trolls! You promised to run the other way if I was in big trouble!

"Maybe I can take out two or three of them before they take _me_ out…"

Ember was about to do just that, but then she remembered something.

She quickly activated her Disk.

"All right, you brainless sacks of leather…" said Shichiro. "Come and… Huh?"

There was a burst like an orange flare behind him, and the trolls' expressions turned to looks of fear. Shichiro turned around, and saw Ember standing next to Infernal Flame Emperor, who was holding a fireball in each hand.

The trolls screamed. Then they turned tail and fled in the other direction.

Shichiro held his chest.

"Okay, heart," he said. "Resume beating…"

He turned to Ember.

"How'd you know that would work?"

Infernal Flame Emperor vanished.

"Well," she said, "Jinx told me that trolls were pretty stupid, so I figured they might think a Disk-created hologram was real.

"And she also told me that fire was one of the few things that could truly hurt them. So I figured it might also be one of the few things they were afraid of.

"Seems I was right on both counts…"

Shichiro sighed again.

"Good going, Ember…" he said.

He stopped for a minute.

"Strange…" he said. "With the trolls gone, I smelling something different now… Smells kind of like…

"…garlic salami?"

Then they heard a match strike. They turned around, and saw a big guy in front of them leaning against the wall light a cigarette.

It was Albert.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the minotaur, sarcastically. "I didn't have time to gargle."

"Shichiro, I know this guy…" said Ember. "He's Vincent's brother…"

"I suppose you brought the trolls?" asked Shichiro.

"Nah," said Albert. "Satellite had a lot of those guys scattered around. DaPen did something that brought them all together in one place. It wasn't easy. His powers hardly work on guys like that. They're so dumb."

"Is that why he hasn't brainwashed _you_?" asked Ember.

Albert frowned.

"I suppose you're looking for your two friends," he said. "Well, the boss has them, and he's not letting them go. Serves you right for throwing my brother in the slammer."

"Where's Jinx and Gears?" demanded Shichiro.

"Where you can't find them," replied Albert. "I don't know why you even came. You think you're gonna do any better?

"But, if you insist on trying…"

He lifted up a Duel Disk, and placed a deck in the holder.

"Stand back, Ember," said Shichiro. "This won't take long…"

"Whoa, whoa," said Albert. "I want to ask you a question, bub… You ever hear of a guy named Hayato Maeda?"

"No," replied Shichiro. "Should I have?"

Albert chuckled.

"Hayato was a young man who dreamed of being a great duelist, like so many others," replied Albert. "He even enrolled in the first Duel Academy.

"But he had a problem… He couldn't duel! He was downright terrible at it. As you might expect, he didn't do well at the Academy. He flunked his promotion exam twice."

"And you're saying you could do any better?" asked Shichiro.

Albert frowned again, but then he went on.

"But, fortunes would change for him," he continued. "You see, he had another talent that he was good at: art."

"Art?" asked Shichiro.

"Art," replied Albert. "He could paint much better than he could duel. And he tried his hand at card design. He was so good at this, that Pegasus himself recognized his work, and hired him as a card designer for I2."

"So I guess he lived happily ever after, even though it wasn't as a duelist," replied Shichiro. "Does this story go anywhere?"

"Course it does!" laughed Albert, lifting his Disk. "DaPen managed to recreate his deck. I'm going to… try something."

"Try something?" asked Shichiro, rather annoyed.

"Yeah, just for fun," said Albert. "What's more important, the duelist or the deck?"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

"I mean, think about it…" continued Albert. "Seto Kaiba used a deck full of rare and powerful cards, and he was a great duelist. But Yusei Fudo's deck doesn't have cards that nearly as rare, other than that Dragon of his. His deck is makeshift at best. But due to his skill, he's still a great duelist."

Shichiro looked at him with a frown.

"Compare it to horse racing!" exclaimed Albert. "Is the jockey or the horse more important? There have been jockeys who have had great records riding several horses over their careers. But there have also been horses that have had great records while having many different jockeys."

"I guess you have a point," said Shichiro.

"Well, we're going to see what was the case with Hayato," said Albert. "We're going to see if Hayato's problem was a bad deck, or if he truly was someone who couldn't duel to save his life."

Shichiro glared at him.

"Jinx and Gears are being held hostage…" he snarled, "and you want to 'try something just for fun'?? Buddy, the judge is _not_ gonna accept this as an insanity defense, I hope you realize!"

"And there's no such thing as a stupidity defense," added Ember. "How can you be certain that it _wasn't_ poor deck construction that was to blame for Hayato's failure as a duelist?"

"Let me put it this way," said Albert. "As of right now, the only door into the factory is locked with a padlock that you are never gonna be able to break or pick…"

He held up a small, iron key.

"And if you want the way to open it, you're gonna have to beat me."

"Fine!" shouted Shichiro. "Have it your way…"

Both Disks activated.

"Duel!" they shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Albert: 8,000)**

"I'll start!" laughed Albert, making a draw.

He looked at the six cards in his hand, and then chose one. He threw it on his Disk.

"I'll set a Monster," he said, as a hidden Monster appeared. "And I think I'll leave it at that."

"Going defensive, huh?" asked Shichiro, making a draw. "Well, I always say that the best defense is a good offense.

"Come on out, Warrior Dai Grepher!"

Grepher materialized, holding his broadsword. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack!" ordered Shichiro.

Grepher lunged sword-first. The Monster that appeared on the card didn't look very intimidating. It was a cute, furry, chubby koala. (1,800 DEF)

Grepher's sword glanced off its thick coat.

"Now you're gonna get it!" laughed Albert. "Not only is Des Koala too strong for your Warrior, but you activated its Flip-Effect! You lose 400 Life Points for each card in your hand!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro, looking at his hand.

He had five cards…

"Crap…" he said.

Then he screamed as five bolts of lightning struck him in quick succession. He fell on one knee.

**(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,000)**

_Man…_ thought Ember. _Shichiro lost 2,100 Life Points, and Albert hasn't even attacked yet!_

Shichiro got up, panting for breath.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he shouted. "An engraved invitation?"

Albert chuckled, and drew a card.

He placed another card on his Disk, and another set Monster appeared.

"You cannot tell me that that's another Des Koala…" growled Shichiro.

"Okay, it's not another Des Koala," said Albert. "Your move…"

Shichiro drew a card.

_I sure hope it isn't,_ he thought. _Cause if it is, I'm going to get blasted again._

"I summon Command Knight," he said.

In a burst of fire, Command Knight appeared on the field. (1,200 ATK)

Her Attack Score rose to 1,600, while Grepher's rose to 2,100.

"Grepher, destroy Des Koala!" he shouted.

Grepher made a slash with his blade, and the marsupial cringed before shattering.

Shichiro hesitated for a minute.

_Aw, spit…_ he thought.

"Command Knight, attack!"

Command Knight rushed at the facedown Monster. This time, the Monster that appeared looked like a small hedgehog with a mane of green leaves down its back and tail. Command Knight's sword cleaved it in half.

"Told the truth," chuckled Albert. "That wasn't a Des Koala. But it was a Eucalyptus Mole, and since you destroyed it, I get to Special Summon any Monster from my deck with the word 'Koala' in its name.

"So… I'm bringing out Des Koala's big brother… Big Koala!"

The Monster that appeared in front of Shichiro was certainly a koala, and it was certainly _big_. It stood almost twenty feet tall. Other than its size, it didn't seem any different than the typical koala. (2,700 ATK)

"Okay, that's certainly… interesting…" said Shichiro. "Uhm, strange that someone like you should be using these Monsters… You do know that koalas are herbivores, right?"

"So are elephants," said Albert.

He made a draw.

"But if one of them was angry and stampeding, my advice to you would be to get out of its way, fast!

"I summon Sea Koala!"

Another koala appeared. This one was smaller than Des Koala, and held a seashell in its paws. (100 ATK)

"It may not look like much, but it has a powerful effect. If I have another Beast on the field, and I do, I can reduce the Attack Score of one of your Monsters to zero."

Warrior Dai Grepher groaned as an aura of green energy surrounded him. (0 ATK)

"Big Koala, attack Warrior Dai Grepher! Thunder from down under!"

Big Koala lunged forward, and slugged the Warrior hard. Shichiro was thrown off his feet by the force of the blow as his Monster was blown to pieces.

"I end my turn," said Albert.

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 8,000)**

"Mystery solved," said Shichiro, getting up.

"Huh?" said Albert.

"Hayato's deck was not to blame," said Shichiro. "It isn't a bad deck. But if he made the same mistake you just made, it's little wonder he was a bad duelist."

"Mistake?" shouted Albert. "I'm trouncing you good!"

"Your Sea Koala made Grepher's Attack Points zero," explained Shichiro. "So you attacked him with Big Koala so I'd lose more Life Points. But with zero Attack Points, even Sea Koala could have beaten him.

"What you should have done was attack Grepher with Sea Koala, and then attacked Command Knight with Big Koala. I might not have lost as many Life Points, but I'd have lost two Monsters and you'd have gained field advantage.

"So it seems that the deck wasn't the problem. It seems Hayato was a bad duelist… Like you are.

"It's my draw!"

He drew a card.

"I set a Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then Command Knight attacks Sea Koala!"

Command Knight rushed at Sea Koala, and gave the little marsupial a kick. It shattered into pixels, and Albert groaned.

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,500)**

"That's all for me," he said. "Don't forget, Command Knight is off-limits so long as I have another Monster on the field."

"Fine," said Albert. "First I draw…"

He made a draw.

"Then I attack! Get it!"

Big Koala leapt at the facedown Monster. Big Shield Gardna briefly appeared before the huge Beast crushed him under its huge bulk.

"Guess your Big Shield wasn't quite big enough," he chuckled. "I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and that will be all."

A reversed card and a reversed Monster appeared.

Shichiro frowned as he drew a card.

_That'll do it,_ he said.

"I sacrifice Command Knight…" he said.

Command Knight vanished into pixels.

"To summon Jack's Knight."

Jack's Knight appeared, holding aloft his sword and shield. (1,900 ATK)

"Big deal," said Albert. "He's no good without his two pals."

"Not if I also sacrifice him…" said Shichiro.

Jack's Knight vanished.

"…to Special Summon Turret Warrior!"

The huge humanoid made of concrete, with gun turrets on its shoulders appeared where Jack's Knight had been. (1,200 ATK)

"And it gains Attack Points equal to those of the Warrior I just sacrificed."

(3,100 ATK)

"Destroy his Big Koala!"

Turret Warrior blasted its guns, and Big Koala squeaked in pain. It collapsed with a mighty crash, and then shattered.

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,100)**

"Your move, horn-head," said Shichiro.

Vincent growled, and drew a card.

He quickly set a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared behind his facedown Monster.

"Mmm!" he said.

"My draw!" said Shichiro.

He drew a card.

"I set two cards," he said.

Two reversed cards appeared.

"Then I attack with Turret Warrior!"

Turret Warrior fired its cannons. A muscular kangaroo wearing a boxing belt and gloves appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

"Good grief," said Shichiro, "did this guy's whole deck have nothing in it but Australian marsupials?"

Albert lifted his hand, and a facedown card lifted. It was Animal Trail, the same Trap Card that Vincent had used.

"I forgot to mention," he said, as he looked through his deck. "He couldn't see Duel Spirits as well as some famous duelist could, but he could see one specific one out the corner of his eye sometimes. That one was Des Koala. Maybe it was a Spirit guide of some sort… I dunno. But for this reason, he was inspired to make a Deck From Down Under."

He found what he wanted and shuffled his deck.

"And by the way, that Monster your Turret Warrior just destroyed was a Kangaroo Champ. A Monster that battles it moves to Defense Mode."

Turret Warrior knelt and crossed its arms. (2,000 DEF)

Ember was getting very nervous at this point. Her cousin had mentioned an incredibly powerful Monster that Albert likely had the components to summon, assuming he had it somewhere in his deck. If he managed to summon it, she didn't know if Shichiro would be able to beat it.

"My move!" chuckled Albert, drawing a card.

"Heh, heh," he said. "Check out this Spell Card!"

He played it, and the card showed a humorous picture. The picture showed an orange koala wearing a red band leader's jacket, waving a flag, leading a parade of blue koalas.

"Koala March?" asked Shichiro. "You gotta be kidding…"

"It may look funny," replied Albert, "but it has a useful effect. First I get to Special Summon a low-level Koala from my Graveyard…"

Des Koala appeared in front of him.

"…then I summon one with the same name from my hand."

A second Des Koala appeared. (1,100 ATK x2)

"And since both of them were Special Summons, I can sacrifice both of them…"

The two Des Koalas vanished.

Shichiro stepped back as a second Big Koala appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"Smash his Turret Warrior!" he shouted.

Big Koala lunged at the concrete Warrior. Shichiro shielded himself as his Monster was blown to pieces.

Albert chuckled, and his facedown card lifted up. It was Beast Soul Swap.

"Now I can return the big guy to my hand," he said, "then summon him again, so he can attack again!"

Big Koala vanished, and then quickly reappeared. (2,700 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" he ordered.

Big Koala lunged at Shichiro

"Activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Shichiro.

His facedown card shot up.

"Now, I take no damage, and I get to draw one card!"

Big Koala tried to punch Shichiro, but Shichiro merely caught the huge Beast's fist with his hand.

Big Koala whined a little, and backed off…

Shichiro made a draw.

"It's your move," said Albert.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At Shadowchaser Headquarters, Jalal was in his study. He was still studying the book he had taken from the Black Library, trying to find some clue as to what DaPen's intent for the Regalia of Day might be.

A device on his desk beeped. He hit a button on it.

"Sir," said a voice. "Maskent on line four."

"I'll take it here," said Jalal.

He turned on a switch, and an image came on a holographic screen. His closest ally among non-Shadowchasers, the Incantifer Maskent, appeared on the screen.

Like all Incantifers, Maskent appeared as an old man with leathery skin, silvery hair and a beard. He was immortal, but looks didn't matter much to him, and he couldn't be bothered using resources to stay youthful-looking. After all, if he ever needed to [I]appear[/I] youthful for some reason, it was simple feat of magic to do so. Plus, an Incantifer's frail appearance hid great strength and agility, not that they used physical strength to do much. To an Incantifer, magic was always the best way to deal with a problem.

Fact was, an Incantifer _reeked_ of magic. Magic hung around him like a smell that wouldn't go away. The race had mastered it long ago, and had practically become one with the magical flow that permeated the universe.

"I hope this means you have news, Maskent," said Jalal. "I'm not getting anywhere at my end."

"Well, I looked into all the stories about these two races you mentioned," replied Maskent. "The two Gith races… Frankly, I can't find any first-hand witnesses who have seen them, although I've found some stories in a few books that have turned up in caches in some Lower Planar libraries. Not that I make a habit of frequenting there."

"Understood," said Jalal.

"I was able to find one interesting story about the leadership of the githyanki… If you want to trust the word of the devilish scribe that wrote this, it's quite revealing…"

He cleared his throat.

"Supposedly, after the fateful civil war that divided the forerunner race and destroyed Penumbria, Gith took her people to the Astral Plane where she ruled them for a time.

"Then, at one point, she embarked on a journey to the Underworld… Her goal was to meet with the Evil Queen of Dragonkind, Tiamat, and strike a bargain."

"Indeed," said Jalal.

"Well, here's where it gets interesting," continued Maskent. "The details of the meeting are mostly unknown, but soon after, a great red wyrm came to their capital, and said that a treaty had been established, making red dragons everywhere in the cosmos the allies of the githyanki."

"I'm starting not to like them…" muttered Jalal.

"Mmm, I don't blame you," replied Maskent. "The dragon also said that Gith would not be returning. Most believe that one condition of the treaty required her to serve Tiamat personally, forever. The dragon then presented a letter of authority signed by Gith that named her advisor, the battle-mage Vlaakith, as the new king of their race. Since then, every heir in Vlaakith's line has taken his name.

"Apparently, the current Vlaakith is Vlaakith CLVII, and she is one of the most powerful of her family line."

"Wait a second…" said Jalal. "One-hundred and fifty-seven rulers? That's clearly a long dynasty, but… The illithid empire was supposed to exist hundreds of thousands of years ago. Vlaakith's legacy would seem too short… Just how long do the githyanki live?"

"Well, that's the scary part…" replied Maskent. "Like I said, Vlaakith CLVII is one of the most powerful individuals ever to rule the githyanki. It's no secret that she's a wizard, but she's clearly lived longer than any mortal being has a right to live. No-one can even remember any details about her predecessor.

"Of course, this story might all be lies… Like I said, some diabolic scribe wrote it down. But if Vlaakith truly exists, one thing is for certain… She's powerful.

"But until I can find some actual githyanki, we can't make any definite conclusions."

"As far as I know, none of them live on Earth," said Jalal. "If they exist at all, they must never leave the Astral Plane. Maybe they're safe from whatever brings Shadows to Earth while they're there…

"But… That would make them even deadlier if they even know about Earth…"

"I see what you're saying, Jalal," said Maskent, "but we've tried that. Both I and several other Incantifers have tried several times to use the Astral as a bridge between Earth and the homeworld of Shadow. It doesn't work. Whenever we try, the paths we take turn back on themselves, and no matter how hard we try to picture our goal, we can never make it clear enough to come close.

"That might be why we can't find the githyanki. Think of it this way: the Astral Plane may have two sides, with Earth on one side, and our homeworld on the other. Everything on the side opposite Earth is inaccessible, including Shadow and wherever the githyanki make their home."

"But you admit that it might be possible?" asked Jalal.

"Well, theoretically," replied Jalal. "The Astral _is_ supposed to be a Great Path. It's a big place, and there may be a portal somewhere that we missed…"

"A portal that we missed…" muttered Jalal. "Somewhere in the most remote area of the Silver Void…

"Somehow, I have a nagging feeling that _someone_ found it at one point…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Shichiro drew a card. He looked at it closely.

I summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!" he shouted.

Rose appeared in a burst of flame. (1,600 ATK) Ember started to get excited. For some reason, Rose's appearances were starting to thrill her.

Then Shichiro's facedown card lifted up.

"Next, Birthright," he said. "I'll bring back an old friend…"

Warrior Dai Grepher appeared again. (1,700 ATK)

"Now, let's go, people!"

Rose's eyes burned with fire. Then she and Grepher flew into the sky, trailing wakes of flame…

With a roar, Colossal Fighter landed on the field. (2,800 ATK)

"Right now," said Shichiro, "there's a grand total of five Warriors in my Graveyard…"

Warrior Dai Grepher, Command Knight, Jack's Knight, Turret Warrior, and Rose appeared behind him in phantom form. They vanished, and Colossal Fighter rose to an Attack Score of 3,300.

"Destroy Big Koala!" shouted Shichiro. "Mega-knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter roared again, and threw a punch that propelled the huge Beast backwards. Albert shielded himself as it shattered.

**(S: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)**

"Are you quite through?" asked Albert.

"Mmm," said Shichiro.

Albert drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…" he said.

"I think he just got a good draw…" said Ember.

"Oh, you'd better believe it…" replied Albert. "Symbolic, really… This card was Hayato's first successful design. It was what made Pegasus recognize his talent…

"Take a look! I play Ayer's Rock Sunrise!"

A bright light like that of the rising sun illuminated the dark street. Albert grinned, as the imposing shape of Ayer's Rock rose behind him.

"It's a powerful card, too," continued Albert. "First it lets me Special Summon a Beast-Type Monster from my Graveyard. Think I'll choose this one…"

Big Koala appeared again. (2,700 ATK)

"Next, for every Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged Beast I have left in my Graveyard, your Monster loses 200 Life Points!"

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Then he noticed that six phantasmal Beasts, two Des Koalas, Kangaroo Champ, Sea Koala, Eucalyptus Mole, and the other Big Koala, were biting and clawing at Colossal Fighter. He groaned in pain. (2,100 ATK)

"I'm not done!" laughed Albert. "I've also got this…"

He turned one of his two other cards around, revealing it to be Des Kangaroo.

"And now… I play Polymerization!"

He played the card, and the two Beasts combined into a blue and green vortex…

A titanic form loomed over Ayer's Rock…

"No…" gasped Ember. "The Master of Oz!"

It was indeed the Master of Oz. The huge creature was even bigger than Big Koala, looking like an enormous green koala with a kangaroo's tail, wearing Des Kangaroo's outfit, a purple jacket, red boxing gloves, and red sneakers. (4,200 ATK)

"Okay…" said Shichiro. "Not bad…"

"I'll show you not bad!" shouted Albert. "Attack his Fighter! Ayer's Rock uppercut!"

Master of Oz threw its fist and clobbered Colossal Fighter, blasting the Synchro into particles. Shichiro struggled to keep from being blown away himself.

**(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 5,500)**

"So…" said Albert. "Whaddaya think?"

"I think you forgot something," said Shichiro. "Colossal Fighter's effect. When he's destroyed by battle, I get to Special Summon a Warrior from either Graveyard, even Colossal Fighter himself."

Colossal Fighter reappeared. (3,300 ATK)

"Your Master of Oz may throw a powerful haymaker, but Colossal Fighter will be back up long before the ref makes it to ten."

"Well, fine!" shouted Albert. "With 4,200 Attack Points, my Monster will be taking home the trophy for this bout soon enough."

"Boxers don't get _trophies_, stupid!" replied Shichiro. "They get _belts_! Of course, how would you know? I doubt a guy like you ever participated in a fight that had any sort of formal rules involved.

"It's my move!"

He went to make a draw.

Then he paused.

_There's no way I'm going to be beaten by some thug using a deck with a borrowed strategy…_ he thought. _No way that this jerk and his twisted idea of "fun" is going to stop me from saving Jinx and Gears. If there's any justice in this world, the card I draw will be the right one…_

He drew a card.

He glared at Albert.

"I activate, the Spell Card, Tuning!" he shouted, as he played the card.

_Hope this works…_ he thought.

"First I get to take a Tuner from my deck…"

He looked through his deck, and took Junk Synchron from it.

"Then, I shuffle…"

He shuffled the deck.

"…and then send one card from it to the Graveyard for each Level of the Tuner I searched for."

He took the top three cards from his deck and looked at them.

Then he grinned. He discarded them.

"Now, I summon Junk Synchron!" he shouted.

The small, cute robot appeared next to Colossal Fighter. (1,300 ATK)

"Go ahead!" laughed Albert. "I'm not scared of your Junk Warrior!"

"That's not who I'm summoning!" shouted Shichiro. "I use Junk Warrior's effect to summon Tuningware from my Graveyard!"

Tuningware appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (300 DEF)

"Now, I Tune both of them together!"

Junk Synchron pulled the ripcord on its side, and both it and Tuningware flew towards the sky. They split into four glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon… Armory Arm!"

With a blast of rockets, the robotic, clawed arm flew down to Shichiro's side of the field. (1,800 ATK)

"In case you didn't realize it," he continued, "I just added another Warrior to my Graveyard."

Colossal Fighter rose to an Attack Score of 3,400.

Then he lifted his arm, and Armory Arm's sleeve opened up. It fit over Colossal Fighter's left hand like a glove. (4,400 ATK)

"Four-thousand, four-hundred?" gasped Albert.

"And he's about to get even stronger," said Shichiro, as he played the card he had just drawn. "I play the Battle-Tuned Spell Card!

"I remove Rose from play, to boost his Attack Score even more!"

Colossal Fighter fell to an Attack Score of 4,300, but then rose to 5,900 as Rose appeared behind him, and burned with energy.

"Attack!" shouted Shichiro. "Show Master of Oz some moves of your own!"

Colossal Fighter's fist burned with fire. He flew at the bestial titan, and socked it hard. Master of Oz toppled with a crash, and shattered into pixels.

"This isn't over!" screamed Albert.

"I'm afraid it is," replied Shichiro. "Because thanks to Armory Arm, you take damage equal to your defeated Monster's Attack Score."

Albert screamed as a big, flaming hand reached for him…

**(S: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)**

Albert was lying on the ground, his eyes glazed, muttering something that sounded like "Deal the cards," over and over again.

"Guess he ended up pretty punch drunk," said Ember.

Shichiro took the small key from the thug's coat.

"Save it," he said, taking out the gemstone. "I'd wager the only thing he can hear right now is the sounds of little birdies flying around his head."

Albert vanished.

"I've got to thank you for getting rid of him," said a voice that came from a place they couldn't see. "Mr. DaPen may have liked those two fools, but I hated them.

"They kept leaving food everywhere, and it attracted mice. I, for one, was getting sick of mice getting into everything!

"Not to mention the fact that both of them stank."

"Edmund!" shouted Shichiro. "Show yourself!"

No answer.

"I mean it, you walking bait shop," growled Shichiro. "Show yourself so I can kick your butt good! I still haven't lost the five pounds I gained after your Enervation made me hungry enough to…"

Then a small, metal, mechanical device rolled in front of them.

"EMBER!" he screamed. "GET DOWN!"

Ember dove for cover, just as the device exploded in a flash of light that seemed brighter than the sun.

Ember looked up. She saw Shichiro covering his eyes.

"Shichiro!" she shouted. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, Ember, I'm just peachy," he replied. "Except we got one tiny little problem…"

He uncovered his eyes and opened them.

"I can't see…"

_**Shichiro would later tell me that the device that had exploded was an alchemical weapon called a flash grenade. It seemed that Edmund was in no mood to fight fair any more, and had decided to pull out dirty tricks to subdue us. **_

_**Now Shichiro was blinded, and the evil wizard was about to strike. We only had one chance at this point, and it would be a dangerous one…**_

_**Possibly my most daunting task to date was about to start…**_

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**KOALA MARCH (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** An orange koala holding a flag, leading a parade of koalas.

**Card Description:** Special Summon 1 "Koala" Monster that is Level 4 or less from your hand. Then, Special Summon a Monster with the same name from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Koala March" was first used by Hayato in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Family Business". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**EUCALYPTUS MOLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Beast/Effect  
**Attribute:** Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle, Special Summon 1 "Koala" Monster from your deck.

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**AYER'S ROCK SUNRISE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A spectacular view of the sun rising over Ayer's Rock.

**Card Description:** Special Summon 1 Beast-Type Monster from your Graveyard in Attack Position. Then, decrease the ATK of 1 opposing Monster by 200 for each Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged Beast in your Graveyard.

_Note: "Eucalyptus Mole" and "Ayer's Rock Sunrise" were first used by Hayato in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Magna Chum Laude". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**TUNING (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Spirit of the Harp playing her harp, surrounded by colorful lights.

**Card Description:** Search your deck for one Tuner Monster and add it to your hand. Then, shuffle your deck, and then send 1 card from the top of your deck to the Graveyard for each Level of the searched-for Tuner.

_Note: "Tuning" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Web of Deceit (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Edmund shows his face, and challenges Shichiro to a duel. But how is Shichiro supposed to duel Edmund if he can't see? Answer: he can't. Ember convinces the dark sorcerer to let her duel in Shichiro's place, the only option the two Shadowchasers have. Can she make the grade against this deadly adversary and his wicked Worms? Edmund has plenty of new tricks… There are a total of twenty-six sub-species of Worms, and he only used nine last time._

"_Heart of the Underdog" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Jamon the Splitter, Golem Hunter**

They say when you have a hard job that needs to be done, you call a professional. And when the job is too hard for a regular profession, you need a specialist. One specialist in dealing with a particular type of Shadows is the high elf named Jamon, who some people call the Splitter. His specialty is golems.

Jamon was once little more than a pre-med college student working as an intern at a hospital, as many youths his age (physical age, that is) and field of study do. He also studied martial arts, but didn't think he would take it very far. He was shocked when he learned that one of the doctors, who was also an elf, was using the more degenerate cadavers to build a flesh golem, using a Tome of Flesh Golems. Tomes of Golems are magical books used as "shortcuts" by wizards who lack the skills to create the proper magical energies on their own.

Jamon pleaded with the doctor to stop, knowing that what he was doing was not only illegal, but dangerous. The doctor was taking many shortcuts in building the golem, and with lesser golems (a moniker that includes flesh and clay golems) a sloppily-built one risks going berserk. When this happens, the elemental spirit bound to the golem breaks free, and the golem goes on a murderous rampage that lasts until it is destroyed.

But the doctor refused to listen, threatening to fire Jamon from his internship if he even breathed a word of it. Not wanting to jeopardize his college career, Jamon secretly studied the Tome, and the doctor's notes, comparing them to the knowledge of human anatomy he had learned as a student.

Jamon was right, of course. Soon after the golem animated, it went berserk, and killed its creator. Then Jamon faced the mad monster – barehanded. Every Shadow present thought he had lost his mind, and perhaps Jamon thought so as well. Striking a golem with bare fists is always suicide. But two well-placed strikes from Jamon's fists shattered its legs, and another smashed its skull. The golem fell to the floor in a broken heap.

Jamon later explained that it had been a simple matter of studying the nature of the golem's construction and knowing exactly where to hit it. He simply found the weak spots and hit there.

But he didn't stop there. Jamon later studied the construction of clay golems, another golem where berserk often happens. Later, he studied stone and iron golems. Stone and iron golems are greater golems, and never go berserk, but Jamon realized that you can never be too careful. Soon, Jamon was able to combat any constructed creature using no weapon at all.

Today, Jamon is in medical school, and to earn money for it, he sells his services as a golem hunter. Anyone who needs a golem done away with can hire him if they can afford his reasonable prices. His unique method has earned him the name the Splitter among Shadowkind, as he can literally split a golem made of the hardest steel in half with one karate chop.

**Story Ideas:** Jamon is a mercenary, and his skills can be harnessed by anyone. Heroes who have problems with someone who uses golems could hire him if they can meet his price, although he is not the best warrior otherwise. (He only has a brown belt, so he'd be hard pressed against a true master of the martial arts.) On the other hand, a villain might use his services if the heroes happen to own a golem themselves. Jamon isn't stupid however, and would never try to take on an army of golems. (Such as the security force at Shadowchaser Headquarters. Even if he thought he could do it, he wouldn't want to become an international fugitive.)

On another note, Jamon is always interested in finding information on exotic and new golems. The standard four types of golems are flesh, clay, stone, and iron, but many different variants have been made by wizards over the centuries, made of such materials as bone, wood, sand, and even ice. One sage once said that a golem could be made of practically any solid material. Jamon likely could find the weak spot in any of them.

**Deck Suggestions:** Jamon prides himself on being able to defeat creatures that are much bigger and stronger than he is. His deck might reflect that. Human Wave seems the most likely scenario, possibly one which focuses on a Mokey Mokey rush.


	53. Heart of the Underdog

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE**

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**Heart of the Underdog**

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_**Let's get one thing straight. Jalal and Maskent did not, in any way, shape, or form, force the Great Treaty upon the races of Shadowkind. It's a treaty, not a set of decrees. Maskent is Shadowkind's representative, and he was fairly elected to that position in an election that neither Jalal nor any other Shadowchaser was allowed to vote in. Almost every Shadowkind race that is currently covered by the Treaty got to argue their position while the Treaty was being negotiated, several minor representatives from many other races aided Maskent at the negotiations, and Maskent took every concern seriously before he even considered signing his name to it. Even the ophidia were allowed to state their case in the proceedings (although no-one actually supported their arguments, which were little more than angry, anti-human rhetoric, and their attitude made a lot of races who were formerly neutral towards the idea into supporters). I believe that it took almost a year before the first version was agreed to. **_

_**This is why a Shadowkind who decides he does not want to abide by this document is in for a very hard time, as the story of **__**Saramanda's uprising shows. You Americans don't even think about defying the Constitution, no matter how some people interpret it. Some may disagree with the Roe vs Wade ruling, and some may not like how the NRA is protected by the Second Amendment, but to openly defy the Constitution? That's unthinkable. **_

_**Thus, evil Shadows who violate the Treaty are subject to the harshest of penalties if they are caught. Very few of them have tried to violate it since Saramanda's failed rebellion, no matter how much orc chieftains would love to wage war against humans, and no matter how much tribes of sahuagin would love to hijack and rob Carnival Cruise. **_

_**But right now, Edmund seemed to have a plan that would let him get around the Treaty on a loophole. His apparent plan was to blind Shichiro and deny it was his doing, making Shichiro unable to duel or use a sword against him.**_

_**It seemed foolproof… But it had one little flaw…**_

Shichiro took some deep breaths, and uncovered his eyes, as Ember held his head.

"Shichiro!" she shouted. "Concentrate! Look… How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Ember, I wish I could say my vision was a little blurry," he replied, "but the hard truth is, I'm blind as a bat."

"What a pity, Shichiro," said Edmund's voice.

Ember turned as the sorcerer walked out of the shadows.

"Is that him?" shouted Shichiro. "Tell me where he is so I can knock his block off!"

"How soon we forget," replied Edmund. "I don't have a block for you to knock off, Shichiro.

"But anyway… If you want to duel me, I'm more than willing… I believe that's how you do things in accordance to the Treaty you love so much."

"Edmund, you big cheater…" growled Shichiro. "You blind me with a freakin' flash grenade, and _then_ challenge me to a duel? I'm pretty sure you're breaking a few dozen sections of the Treaty…"

"Oh?" said Edmund. "Can you prove that it was _my_ flash grenade? Was my name on it?

"Are you going to duel me or are you going to forfeit?"

"Put your face closer to this fist…" growled Shichiro.

"You even try," replied Edmund, "I'll assume that _you_ broke the Treaty."

He lifted his hand, and Shichiro could feel the aura of absolute cold that emitted from it.

"Trying to punch me while blinded, while I have a full compliment of necromantic spells… You'd have a better chance if you took a knife to a gunfight…"

Shichiro unclenched his fist. He didn't know what to do… How could he duel him if he couldn't even see his cards?

"Edmund!" shouted Ember.

The evil wizard looked at her.

"I'll duel you," she said.

He looked at her closer.

"You're kidding right?" he said.

"No," she said. "Shichiro can't duel. I'll duel you."

Edmund crossed his arms in disgust.

"Bah…" he said. "NO."

"Why not?" asked Ember.

"You aren't worth my time," he replied. "I'm a master of the dark arts. I've created powerful zombies and undead constructs, consorted with liches, incubus, famine spirits…"

"What are famine spirits?" asked Ember.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," replied Edmund. "But the point is, I won't demean myself by wasting time with some Shadowchaser apprentice!"

Ember glared at him.

"You ever hear the saying, 'Pride goeth before the fall', Edmund?" she asked. "It's been proven true a lot of times."

"Like when?" he asked.

"Jack Atlas," replied Ember.

"She has a point, Edmund," said Shichiro.

Edmund looked at her. He held his "chin".

"Hmm…" he said.

"Okay, maybe you have a point… Maybe having such a swelled head isn't such a good idea…

"Fine, we'll duel if you think it will make a difference. Something easy might be a little fun. But once I crush you, I'm taking you both out."

"Ember…" said Shichiro. "Don't forget, this guy uses a lot of Flip-Effects. If you have Nobleman in your Side Deck…"

"Quiet, Shichiro!" shouted Edmund. "If she wants to duel me, let her think for herself!"

Ember nervously activated her Disk.

Shichiro was right. Nobleman of Crossout would have been a good idea if she ever thought of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't in her Main Deck or Side Deck.

"I'm not completely merciless," said Edmund. "I'll spare you the pain of a Shadow Game…"

Ember was about to object, as she didn't want any special treatment. But then she figured only a lunatic would actually _ask_ for a Shadow Game.

"But," continued Edmund, "I make no promises regarding what DaPen has planned for you."

He activated his odd Duel Disk.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Edmund: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Ember: 8,000)**

Edmund chuckled as he drew his first card.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…" he said.

He threw two cards on his Disk, and two reversed cards appeared, one Monster and one Spell or Trap.

"That's enough for now."

_Likely one of his Worm Monsters…_ thought Ember.

She made a draw.

"I'm bringing out Molten Zombie!" she shouted.

In a burst of fire, the undead Pyro appeared with a low moan. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack his…" she started.

"Not so fast!" he replied.

His facedown card shot up.

"I activate A Feint Plan! Now my facedown Monster is off-limits!"

"Crud…" replied Ember.

She looked at the other five cards in her hand. She chose one, and fit it into her Disk. A facedown card of her own appeared.

"I end my turn…" she said.

"My move…" said Edmund. "Draw…"

He drew a card from his deck.

"I play the Continuous Spell Card, Flip-Flop," he said.

_Oh, great,_ thought Shichiro. _I definitely remember that card…_

Ember remembered it too, as it materialized, the odd-looking Continuous Spell that inflicted 500 points of damage on a player whenever her opponent activated a Flip-Effect.

"Next," continued Edmund, "I summon Worm Gurus."

The Monster that appeared next was something that Ember definitely did _not_ see last time. It was a quadruped with a skull-like face, covered completely with dripping, green slime. (1,500 ATK)

"Oh, gross…" muttered Ember. "Shichiro, be glad you can't see this…

"I hope you realize, Edmund, as disgusting as that is, my Monster is stronger."

"But," replied Edmund, "whenever a facedown Monster is flipped face-up, it gains a Worm Counter, and for each one, it gains 300 Attack Points.

"So I'll flip Worm Cartaros face-up."

His facedown Monster flipped up, revealing the gaunt, humanoid, grey-skinned Monster with wing-like membranes on its back. (1,200 ATK)

"And due to its Flip-Effect, I can search my deck for one low-Level Monster with the word 'Worm' in its name…"

He took a card from his deck, and looked at it.

Worm Gurus increased to an Attack Score of 1,800.

"Next," said Edmund, "Worm Gurus attacks Molten Zombie."

Worm Gurus vomited a blast of gunk at Molten Zombie, and the Pyro was melted into a puddle of ichor.

"Humph," said Edmund. "Cartaros, attack her directly!"

Cartaros took to the air with a sickening drone, and flew at Ember…

Ember's facedown card lifted up, and the Sakuretsu Armor blew Cartaros to pieces.

"Ember?" said Shichiro.

"Don't worry," said Ember. "It's gone."

_And maybe later, I can use Molten Zombie's effect,_ she thought.

"My turn is over," said Edmund.

**(Ed: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 7,300)**

"My move…" said Ember, drawing a card.

She added it to her hand.

"Come on out, Blue Flame Swordsman!"

In a blast of fire, the blue-armored Warrior appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"It's your move, Edmund," she said. "You can attack with Gurus if you want, but it will be a draw."

"You forget…" said Edmund. "Gurus can gain Attack Points."

"Yeah, but only when a Monster is flipped face-up," replied Ember. "You can't set a Monster and Flip-Summon it in the same turn."

"Draw…" said Edmund.

He drew a card.

"I set a Monster," he said, as a facedown Monster appeared.

"And you'd be wise not to underestimate me, because I most certainly can. I play the Spell Card, Book of Taiyou."

Ember looked nervously as the Spell Card shone with golden light, and the Monster he just set flipped into Attack Mode. This one looked like a big red ant, with long, stilt-like front legs, and two heads. (300 ATK)

Worm Gurus rose to an Attack Score of 2,100, and another blast from Flip-Flop struck Ember. She held her gut.

"Attack her Swordsman!" shouted Edmund.

Gurus spit its stream of slime, and Blue Flame Swordsman melted into goo.

"I use his effect!" exclaimed Ember. "Now I get to Special Summon the real Flame Swordsman."

The true Flame Swordsman appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"So be it," replied Edmund. "I set one card, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared.

"…and since I flipped Worm Links, I get to draw one card every End Phase that it's on the field."

He drew a card.

**(Ed: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 6,500)**

Ember looked at the two Worms.

_I gotta get rid of that slimeball before it gets even stronger,_ she thought.

She made a draw.

_Unfortunately, nothing I've got can do it!_

She set a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I end my turn," she said.

"And that means I get to draw again," replied Edmund, "thanks to Worm Links…"

He made a draw.

"Now it's my move again…"

He drew again.

"I sacrifice Links…"

Worm Links vanished into pixels.

"…to summon Worm Illidan."

This was another Worm that Ember saw in the previous duel. It was a muscular, blue-skinned thing, with pointy spires all over its hairless body, and inhuman, lidless eyes. Like most of the Worms, its mouth had a vertical jaw, lipless, with pointed teeth. (2,000 ATK)

"Wipe out her Monsters!" shouted Edmund.

Worm Illidan roared, and a barrage of spires shot from its body. Flame Swordsman exploded.

Worm Gurus let out its vile spit, and Flamvell Paun appeared on the card before it was eradicated.

"I use Flamvell Paun's effect!" shouted Ember, taking her deck. "I get to take any Monster with exactly 200 Defense Points from my deck."

"And because your Paun was flipped face-up before it was destroyed," said Edmund, "my Gurus gets even stronger."

Gurus grew to an Attack Score of 2,400.

Ember hesitated. Then she got what she wanted and shuffled her deck.

"It's your move…" said Edmund.

Ember drew another card.

"Well…" she said. "If you can't beat 'em… Take 'em!

"I play Brain Control!"

She played the card, and her Life Points dipped by 800 points as the fiendish brain appeared. Gurus was pulled over to her side.

"Now, I sacrifice it…"

Worm Gurus vanished…

"For Flamvell Devil!"

With a roar and a cloud of smoke, Flamvell Devil appeared. (2,100 ATK)

"Destroy Worm Illidan!" she shouted.

Flamvell Devil's eyes glowed with fiery energy…

"I activate… Age of Worms!" shouted Edmund.

His facedown Trap Card lifted up, showing a horrid picture of a titanic worm crushing a city. Flamvell Devil's blast merely glanced off of Worm Illidan.

"The Age of Worms is an apocryphal time period mentioned in Kyuss's Tome, the book where I learned the spell that transformed me. But anyway… This Trap Card prevents my Worm Monsters from being destroyed by all Monsters who are not of higher Levels for this round."

Ember sighed.

"Good save," she said. "But you still take damage, and you take an extra 200 points of damage from each Pyro in my Graveyard."

Molten Zombie and Flamvell Paun appeared behind Flamvell Devil. Then both of them turned to fireballs, and shot at Edmund. He shielded himself with his arm as they scorched him.

He frowned.

"I end my turn…" said Ember.

**(Ed: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 5,700)**

Edmund drew a card.

"I set a Monster, which gives Illidan a Worm Counter," he said.

A facedown Monster appeared, and a lump appeared on Worm Illidan's chest.

"Then I move Illidan to Defense Mode."

Worm Illidan knelt, and crossed its arms. (1,800 DEF)

"Next, I play the Spell Card, The Dark Door."

A Continuous Spell Card appeared.

_Crud,_ thought Shichiro. _That means Ember can only attack with one Monster per turn._

"I end my turn," said Edmund.

Ember paused for a minute, and then drew a card.

"I summon Great Angus," she said, playing a card.

In a burst of flame, the very angry humanoid steer materialized. (1,800 ATK)

She looked at the card she had searched for with Flamvell Paun, which was Flamvell Baby.

_Should I use this?_ she thought.

_No… I think I'll wait…_

"Flamvell Devil," she ordered, "incinerate Worm Illidan!"

Flamvell Devil breathed its scorching fire, and Worm Illidan exploded into a brilliant burst.

"It's your move…" she said.

Edmund was now clearly annoyed. He made a draw.

He quickly set another card on his Disk, and another reversed Monster appeared.

"Mmm," he said.

Ember made a draw.

She looked at another card in her hand, Infernal Flame Emperor.

_I've got the required sacrifices to summon this guy…_ she thought. _I could use him to get rid of The Dark Door…_

She looked at another card in her hand.

_But then again… I have a better idea… I just have to wait one more round._

"Attack the Monster on the left!" she shouted.

Flamvell Devil breathed its flame, and a Monster that appeared to be made of black tar, with small claws, exploded into goo.

"You just flipped Worm Jeetrikups," said Edmund. "Now, you lose 500 Life Points from my Spell…"

Ember cringed as the blast from Flip-Flop hit her.

"And due to Jeetrikups' Flip-Effect, it is summoned back to the field in Defense Mode."

Jeetrikups reappeared, shielding itself. (0 DEF)

Ember took a card, and set it on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared on her side.

"Then I end my turn," she said.

**(Ed: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 5,200)**

Edmund drew a card.

"I flip Worm Falco into Attack Mode," he said.

"His other facedown Monster flipped up, revealing what looked like a pterodactyl with a long neck, and a white, translucent membrane for a skin. (500 ATK)

Ember cringed again as a blast from Flip-Flop burned her.

"Due to its effect," continued Edmund, "all Worms I control except itself are moved back into set position."

Jeetrikups vanished, and was replaced by a facedown card.

"Now, I sacrifice Falco…"

Worm Falco vanished into pixels of light.

"…to call forth the heir apparent of the Worm Empire! I summon the Worm Prince!"

In a burst of light, a monstrous, twelve-foot tall humanoid creature appeared in front of him. It had an insectoid, orange exoskeleton that suggested a muscular frame, and hornlike spurs on its back. Its head also had downward-pointing horns, and its mouth had the same vertical, toothy jaw that all the Worms had. (2,200 ATK)

"Next I play… Pot of Avarice," continued Edmund.

He played the card, and took Falco, Links, Illidan, Cartaros, and Gurus from his Graveyard, shuffled them into his deck, and made two draws.

"Worm Prince, destroy Flamvell Devil!" he commanded.

Worm Prince snarled, and made a slash with its claw. Flamvell Devil groaned, and was blasted into shards.

"Now I activate Worm Prince's special effect," he continued. "When it slays a Monster, I get to take any Worm Monster I desire from my deck."

He took a card from his deck and looked at it.

"Of course, Worm Prince has one downside… It's destroyed if I have no other Worm Monsters face-up during the End Phase. And since it seems like that's going to be the case in a few seconds, I'm getting rid of it by playing Mystik Wok."

He played the card, and Worm Prince vanished into grains of light. Edmund glowed with energy.

"Seems I'm up to full power!" he laughed. "I'll set one card facedown, and my turn is over."

A facedown card appeared in front of him.

**(Ed: 8,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 4,600)**

Ember took a deep breath. She made a draw.

"I summon Magna Drago!" she shouted.

She played the card, and the small Dragon Tuner appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Next, I Flip-Summon Flamvell Archer."

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and the bearded Pyro with a bow and arrow appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Now, I Tune Magna Drago and Great Angus together!"

Magna Drago spit fire, and both it and Great Angus flew to the sky, and split into six glowing stars.

"Ember?" said Shichiro. "Are you summoning someone good?"

"Oh, I sure am!" replied Ember.

Flamvell Urquizas landed with a roar. (2,100 ATK)

"Next," continued Ember, "I'm sending Flamvell Baby in my hand to the Graveyard, to boost his Attack Score by 400 points."

She discarded the card, and Urquizas burned with flames. (2,500 ATK)

"Next, I sacrifice Archer to increase his Attack Score by a further 800 for one round!"

Archer vanished in a plume of smoke, and Urquizas burned even fiercer. (3,300 ATK)

"Fine!" shouted Edmund. "My Monster is defending, so I won't take any damage at all!"

"That's what you think…" laughed Shichiro.

"Flamvell Urquizas has a trampling effect, buddy," said Ember, "and I seem to remember that Jeetrikups has zero Defense Points.

"Flamvell Urquizas, attack with fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas flew towards the facedown card. Jeetrikups was incinerated, and Edmund was thrown off his feet by the powerful attack.

"I activate Jeetrikups' Flip-Effect!" he shouted.

Ember winced a little as the blast from Flip-Flop burned her again, and Jeetrikups appeared again in Defense Mode. (0 DEF)

"Also," continued Edmund, "I get to activate this…"

His Trap Card lifted.

"Treasure of the Snake Temple. Now, I get to draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage I lost from that attack."

He stood up, and drew three cards.

Ember looked at the three cards left in her hand.

"I end my turn," she said. "That means Urquizas loses the bonus from Archer, but he gains 300 Attack Points from his own effect."

(2,800 ATK)

**(Ed: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 4,100)**

"My draw…" said Edmund, drawing a card.

"I play Emergency Provisions. I'll send The Dark Door to the Graveyard to gain 1,000 Life Points."

The Dark Door vanished.

_Something's up,_ thought Shichiro. _Why would he give up that advantage?_

"Next," continued Edmund, "I play The Shallow Grave. Now, we each must Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

A facedown Monster appeared on both sides of the field.

"Then, I set a card…"

A facedown card appeared.

"…and I sacrifice my set Monster…"

The set Monster vanished.

"…to set _another_ Monster."

Another set Monster appeared.

_A Flip-Effect Monster that's higher than Level 4?_ thought Ember. _There aren't many of those…_

"It's your move…" said Edmund.

**(Ed: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 4,100)**

"Be careful, Ember," said Shichiro, as Ember made a draw.

_High-Level Monsters that you have to set are rarely good news,_ he thought.

"Attack Worm Jeetrikups!" shouted Ember.

Urquizas flew at Worm Jeetrikups, and punched it hard.

"I activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Edmund, as his facedown card shot up. "Since Shichiro uses one of these, I'm sure you know how it works. Damage to me is reduced to zero, and I get to draw one card."

He made a draw and looked at it.

"I end my turn," said Ember.

Edmund drew and looked at his hand.

He casually set two cards, and a facedown Monster and a facedown Spell or Trap appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Shichiro started to rub his eyes.

Ember made a draw, and looked long and hard at the high-Level set Monster. She was very worried about it.

_What if it's __the same deal as Guardian Sphinx?_ she thought. _But I gotta do something…_

She looked at her own facedown Monster.

_Okay, I'll keep him in Defense Mode…_

"Urquizas, attack the mystery Monster on the right!"

Urquizas flew at the facedown Monster. I looked like an insectoid creature with a white exoskeleton that resembled bones, with a mosquito-like face. Urquizas punched it, and it shattered.

"No problem…" said Ember.

Then she held her stomach as a stabbing pain ripped through her.

"You activated Worm Noble's Flip-Effect," chuckled Edmund. "Now, you lose Life Points equal to half the Attack Points of the Monster that you attacked with. So, you lose 1,400 Life Points.

"And don't forget the effect of Flip-Flop…"

Ember screamed as she was blasted by the Spell Card again.

"Yeah?" gasped Ember. "Well, you lose 400 Life Points, and Urquizas gains 300 more Attack Points…"

(3,100 ATK)

Ember placed two cards in her Disk.

"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and my turn is over."

A set Monster and a set Spell or Trap appeared.

**(Ed: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 2,200)**

Edmund drew a card.

_If I had skin, this dame would be starting to get under it,_ he thought.

He looked at the Monster he had used Worm Prince to search for.

_Time to stop playing around… Time to show this Shadowchaser wannabe the true terror of my deck…_

"I Flip-Summon Worm Opera," he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and a smaller Worm appeared. It looked like a yellow jellyfish without tentacles, with a huge mouth, and beady eyes. (400 ATK)

Ember groaned as Flip-Flop blasted her again.

"When Worm Opera is flipped," said Edmund, "all Monsters except Worms lose 500 Attack Points."

Urquizas looked a little sick. He fell down to an Attack Score of 2,600.

"Next," said Edmund, "I sacrifice Opera…"

Worm Opera vanished.

"…to summon Worm Erokin!"

Another Worm that Ember had seen previously appeared, and she was just as disgusted by it now as she was before. The tall, heavy-set creature covered with green and ochre slime with two beady eyes and the same vertical jaw glared at her. (2,400 ATK)

"Next, my facedown Limit Reverse activates," said Edmund, as his facedown card lifted. "I'll bring Worm Opera back to the field…"

Opera appeared again. (400 ATK)

"But it's not staying…" he said, as he threw a Spell Card into his Disk. "I play Double Summon so I can summon another Monster…

"This Monster is Level 8, but I can summon it with one sacrifice if that sacrifice is a Worm Monster…"

"Yeah, yeah…" said Ember. "I've already seen your Worm Queen…"

"Worm Queen?" asked Edmund. "Who ever said I was summoning her?"

Worm Opera vanished, and a huge, shadowy shape started to appear.

"Worm Queen is merely a royal consort for the true ruler of the Worm Empire…" he said. "She's little more than a figurehead… I now summon her mate, and the true ruler of Worms…

"I summon _Worm King_!"

With a roar, the biggest Worm yet appeared in front of Edmund. Its body was the same basic design as Worm Queen, but bigger and far more muscular. Like Worm Queen, it was centaur-like in shape, with four arms on its upper body, whose biceps bulged with strength. Its lower body was also bulkier and thicker than Worm Queen's. Most frightening of all, it had a massive second jaw on its mid-section, with a second set of eyes above them. (2,700 ATK)

"Okay…" squeaked Ember. "That's… uh… impressive…"

"I'll show you impressive!" shouted Edmund. "Erokin, attack the facedown Monster on the left!"

Worm Erokin blasted a spray of slime, and UFO Turtle appeared on the card. It exploded into a burning pile of scrap.

"I use UFO Turtle's effect!" shouted Ember.

A second UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Fine!" cursed Edmund. "My Worm King will attack that one!"

Worm King let out a colossal roar from its lower jaw, and the second UFO Turtle exploded, knocking Ember down and on her back.

"I… I use its effect too…" gasped Ember.

A third UFO Turtle appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"I'm not done…" said Edmund. "Worm King has a powerful effect. It can destroy any card if I sacrifice a Worm Monster.

"I sacrifice Worm Erokin to destroy Flamvell Urquizas!"

Worm Erokin shattered into pixels, and Worm King roared again, blowing Flamvell Urquizas to shards.

Ember slowly crawled to a kneeling position.

"Your move, little girl…" said Edmund. "Unless you want to give up…"

**(Ed: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 400)**

Ember looked at the two cards in her hand, which were Big Volcano and Infernal Flame Emperor.

_I have the necessary Monsters on the field to summon Infernal Flame Emperor,_ she thought. _It could destroy Worm King, and destroy Flip-Flop in the process. The only problem is, Worm King would take Infernal Flame Emperor with it, leaving me a sitting duck for whatever nightmare he summoned next. _

_And my Life Points are low enough as it is…_

She looked at her deck.

She slowly drew a card.

She looked at Edmund, and then stood up.

"I flip Blue Flame Swordsman into Attack Mode!" she shouted.

Blue Flame Swordsman, whom she had summoned using the effect of Edmund's Shallow Grave, appeared, holding his sword in front of him. (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I summon…"

She played a card.

"Ultimate Baseball Kid!"

In a blast of flame, the fiery little league player appeared, and held his bat in a receiving position. (500 ATK)

"You can't be serious," said Edmund. "My Worm King has scraped things off the bottom of its foot with more value."

Both Ember and Ultimate Baseball Kid looked at Edmund with a look best described as pissed.

"Be careful what you say, pal," said Edmund. "I'll have you know, he gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Fire Monster on the field, other than himself."

(2,500 ATK)

"Still not gonna do it," replied Edmund.

"Well, he's gonna get help," said Ember, as a card appeared in front of her. "I play the Spell Card, Big Volcano!"

"What's that?" asked Edmund. "A Field Spell?"

"Not even close," replied Ember. "First, I have to toss a Pyro Monster… Like so…"

She discarded her last card, Infernal Flame Emperor.

"Now, I get to choose two Monsters in your Graveyard, and Special Summon them to your side of the field. But, you get to choose what Modes they're in.

"I think I'll choose Worm Opera, and Worm Noble."

"Bah!" said Edmund. "Defense Mode, I guess…"

Worm Opera appeared first, slunk back with its mouth closed. (800 DEF) Then Worm Noble appeared, kneeling and crossing its arms. (2,400 DEF)

"Is there a point to all this?" he asked.

"There sure is!" said Ember, as her facedown card lifted. "I activate DNA Transplant!

"Now, I can turn all Monsters on the field into any Attribute I choose. I choose Fire.

"And with three more Fire Monsters on the field…"

Edmund looked shocked.

"Your Kid gains 3,000 more Attack Points!" he gasped.

(5,500 ATK)

"And I'm not done!" shouted Ember. "Next, I use Blue Flame Swordsman's effect. By reducing his Attack Score to zero, I can give it all to my Kid, moving him straight to the big leagues!"

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to an Attack Score of zero, while Ultimate Baseball Kid burned like a flaming beacon. (7,300 ATK)

"He's too powerful!" screamed Edmund.

"Ultimate Baseball Kid…" shouted Ember.

The Kid conjured up a ball of flame, which quickly grew until it was twice the size of himself.

"…knock Worm King out of the park with home run slammer!"

The fiery batter struck the ball of flame with his bat, and hit a line drive straight into Worm King. The wicked monarch was propelled into the sky, into the skyline of Satellite, where it exploded into a display of blinding, colored lights.

Ember looked at Edmund, who had been knocked prone.

**(Ed: 900) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 400)**

Edmund slowly got up, laughing evilly.

"Oh, you think you're so smart!" he said. "Your kid may have just tied the score with that home run, but you won't win the game. I still have Life Points left…

"And your Blue Flame Swordsman now has zero Attack Points, and is in Attack Mode! And you have no cards left to play, with 400 Life Points left!

"That means on my turn, my Noble can…"

"I activate my Kid's other effect!" interrupted Ember.

"Huh?" said Edmund. "_Other_ effect?"

"For each Fire Monster that I sacrifice," continued Ember, "Ultimate Baseball Kid can inflict 500 points of direct damage."

UFO Turtle and Blue Flame Swordsman turned into two balls of fire. Ultimate Baseball Kid made two swings with his bat, sending them hurtling towards the evil wizard.

"Looks like you just struck out," she said.

Edmund screamed as the two fiery baseballs plowed into him, knocking him backwards.

**(Ed: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (Em: 400)**

Ember stared at him as he got up…

And then he burned with an aura of black flames…

"My Worm King…" he growled. "Ruler of the Worm Nebula and avatar of the Light of Ruin…

"Beaten by a pint-size pugilist with a Louisville Slugger?!"

He put his hands together, and a ball of dark energy formed in them.

"Okay, Ember…" he said. "I was going to be nice about this…"

Ember backed up in fright.

"…but I'm done playing nice!"

He threw the dark spell at Ember, who was frozen with fear…

But the blast never reached her. Shichiro leapt in front of her and knocked the blast aside with his sword.

"Did someone call for a pinch-hitter?" he asked.

"Impossible!" shouted Edmund. "That flash grenade's effect should have blinded you for two hours!"

"I thought it wasn't your flash grenade?" replied Shichiro.

"Uhm… uh…" muttered Edmund, becoming flustered.

"Lie all you like," said Shichiro. "You can't deny that you've broken the Treaty now. You not only tried to assault Ember with magic just now, it was clearly dark magic, which is highly illegal.

"That means you're mine!"

He leapt at Edmund, sword first...

But as he brought the weapon down on the wicked sorcerer's head, Edmund's body seemingly burst, exploding into its component worms.

"YUCK!" shouted Shichiro, swatting at the ones that landed on him.

Edmund's clothes and mask fell to the ground, while the swarm of worms slithered in both directions, crawling down three storm drains.

"_**Know this, Ember,"**_ said his voice, echoing over the street. _**"I was merciful this time, and spared you the horror of a Shadow Game, because I thought you were no more than an apprentice…**_

"_**I know now that I was mistaken. I will not make that mistake again.**_

"_**Should we ever duel again, you will face the Shadows in all their terrible glory."**_

The laughter of the worm that walks echoed over the block as the last worm vanished down the drainpipe.

Ember sat down on the curb, somewhat shaken.

"Is he gone?" she asked.

Shichiro looked at the discarded clothes.

"I think so…" he said.

"Hello?"

He reached into them.

"Seems he left something behind…"

He picked something up out of the robe.

It was the journal. The one he was so determined that DaPen never read.

"A spellbook?" asked Ember.

Shichiro examined it closely.

"I'm not sure…" he said.

He held it away from his face, just in case it was booby-trapped, and opened it. Nothing happened, so he leafed through the first few pages.

However, he couldn't seem to read anything. All of the words were made up of letters of the English alphabet, seemingly placed together at random.

He skimmed through the book. It looked like the whole book was like that.

"Anything interesting?" asked Ember.

"It's nothing but gibberish," said Shichiro.

"Unless… Unless it's in a code of some sort…"

He placed it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"We'll decide what to do with it later. For now…"

He looked towards the factory, the place where Jinx and Gears had already met with defeat.

"Let's go, Ember… One way or another… Our business with DaPen is going to end tonight…"

_**Vincent and Albert were in jail. Edmund had retreated to heal. But on our side, two members of our team were being held hostage, their conditions unknown. Both sides had taken loses in this fight, and it was now a question of who would triumph in the end.**_

_**We hardly knew what to expect. Edmund was not the only one who learned from his mistakes. DaPen had a new surprise waiting for Shichiro, and a very special card. The card was used by a duelist who some would consider the best, but even he was afraid of the great and terrible power that it was capable of unleashing. The one duel where he used it was used against an opponent who had a card of even more terrible power. **_

_**And while we would never actually find out how this dreadful weapon got into DaPen's hands, it would push Shichiro to his limits…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM FALCO (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 500  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** Flip: All face-up "Worm" Monsters you control, except this one, are switched to facedown Defense Position.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM GURUS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 300

**Card Description:** Each time a face-down Defense Position Monster is flipped face-up, place a Worm Counter on this card. For each Worm Counter on this card, this card gains 300 ATK.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,700  
**DEF:** 1,100

**Card Description:** This card can be Tribute Summoned in face-up Attack Position by offering 1 "Worm" Monster as a Tribute. By Tributing 1 "Worm" Reptile-Type Monster you control, destroy 1 card your opponent controls.

_Note: "Worm Falco", "Worm Gurus", and "Worm King" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 02: Invasion of Worms!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM LINKS (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** Flip: If this card is face-up during the End Phase, draw 1 card.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM NOBLE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 2,400

**Card Description:** Flip: If this card is flipped face-up by the attack of your opponent's Monster, your opponent takes damage equal to half the ATK of the attacking Monster.

_Note: "Worm Links" and "Worm Noble" were released for the OCG for the "Duel Terminal 03: Justice Strikes Back!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM OPERA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** Flip: Decrease the ATK of all face-up Monsters except "Worm" Reptile-Type Monsters by 500 points.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WORM PRINCE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle, you can search your deck for 1 Reptile-Type "Worm" Monster and add it to your hand. If you do not control a face-up "Worm" Monster other than this one during the End Phase of a turn, destroy this card.

_Note: "Worm Opera" and "Worm Prince" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 04: Demon Roar God Revival!!" set. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AGE OF WORMS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A titanic worm crushing a city.

**Card Description:** During the round this card is activated, any "Worm" Monster that is targeted by an attack cannot be destroyed in battle except by Monsters of a higher Level than it is.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TREASURE OF THE SNAKE TEMPLE (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Two snake-like humanoids bowing before an altar holding a golden statue of Vennominaga.

**Card Description:** Activate this card when you take battle damage from a battle involving a Reptile-Type Monster. If you activate this card, you may not activate any other Spell or Trap Cards during the same turn. Draw one card for every 1,000 points of damage you took from the 1 battle.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BIG VOLCANO (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Command Knight and Masked Dragon in a fiery conflagration.

**Card Description:** Send 1 Pyro-Type Monster in your hand to the Graveyard to activate this card. Select 2 Monsters in your opponent's Graveyard, and Special Summon them to your opponent's side of the field. (Your opponent chooses the Battle Positions.)

_Note: "Big Volcano" was first used O'Brien in a 4th season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_It's the showdown between DaPen and Shichiro. DaPen unleashes the most lethal version of his deck, and what ultimately happens at the end might surprise you. "A Deal With Dark Ruler" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Kyle, Tiefling Tout**

It is well-known that tieflings are the outcasts and orphans among Shadowkind. They learn at an early age that life has dealt them a bad hand, and that for the most part, they are facing life on their own.

Born in France, Kyle's family lore stated that their heritage can be traced back to the Marquis de Sade, the cruel 18th Century nobleman from whom the word "sadistic" is derived from. Rumors of Sade's connections to Shadows are numerous, but apparently, one of Sade's numerous concubines was a female demon, whom he summoned merely to satisfy his own perversions. This demon bore his child while he was in prison, and the half-fiend started a family line of tieflings that Kyle is the latest in.

Kyle's father was always poor, and he died when she was ten. Left to fend for herself, Kyle wandered the streets of Paris, stole food and clothing when she could, went hungry and cold when she couldn't. Finally, at age fourteen, she decided the only way to survive was to try prostitution.

But the first man she approached was a German businessman who was incredibly homesick. He didn't want a prostitute's services – he merely wanted a place that sold some good bratwurst.

Kyle thought for a minute and asked, "How much is it worth to you?"

Twenty minutes later, Kyle had led him to the best place for German cuisine in Paris, and she was fifteen Euros richer. She decided then that she didn't have to sell herself as a whore; she could sell information she had learned from living on the street.

And so she did. Every tourist who needed directions, every executive who was late for a meeting, everyone who had gotten lost, Kyle knew the direction to send them in, and she quickly made a business out of it. She quickly gained a following of other young street urchins who had the same knack.

Today, Kyle is eighteen years old, well-fed, well-dressed, and attractive. Despite being a tiefling, she looks fully human, despite having an exotic look to her green eyes and red hair, which is tied in a ponytail. Still working as a "tout" (opportunist, more or less) in Paris, she knows every square inch of the city, and for a price, she'll share any information about the City of Lights that someone might need.

**Story Ideas:** Kyle might be an important figure in any part of any fic that takes place in Paris or even elsewhere in France. She's an informant, guide, and advisor to anyone who can spare the cash. Heroes who need information on a fugitive hiding out in the city or a secret location would be wise to go to Kyle. If she doesn't have the information, no-one has. A mercenary at heart, she doesn't care who she sells it to.

Opposing Kyle is not wise. She has lots of friends garnered from the ranks of fellow urchins, who will all come to her rescue if she is threatened. And Kyle is more than willing to duel anyone who thinks they can take advantage of her. However, if a wager is made, anyone who loses had best pay up, or her entourage will take it by force.

**Deck Suggestions:** Whether Kyle is descended from the Marquis de Sade or not, she reserves a particular hatred for him. Most tieflings can't help but hate the evils that spawned their original family lines, blaming them for the misfortunes that came with their status as tieflings. Thus, since Sade was a cruel man who tortured women, Kyle likely uses a Cyber Girl Deck, full of female Warriors who would strike back against such men. It might include other powerful female Monsters like D.D. Warrior Lady and possibly Nanobreaker. It likely would _not_ include the Cyber Angels, however. Tieflings not without merit have a fear of celestial beings. Similar to Asuka, Kyle is not afraid to use Doble Passe if it means hitting an enemy back for at least as hard as she is hit as a result.


	54. A Deal with Dark Ruler

_Author's note: As those who play the game know, the September 2009 Forbidden/Limited List brought some rather intense changes. Monster Reborn is gone, and replaced by Call of the Haunted, Dark Strike Fighter is now illegal (thank goodness) and so are Crush Card Virus and Card of Safe Return._

_However, like I said before, that will not affect this fic. If I write a follow up to this fic down the road, I'll go with whatever list is most recent at the time. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it._

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR**

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**A Deal With Dark Ruler**

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_**The story behind the weapon DaPen was about to use against Shichiro is long and mysterious. According to legend, soon after Duel Disks began to be used, duelists heard about a mysterious shopkeeper who lived in the rural part of Domino City. This shopkeeper had a very powerful Spell Card, and if you asked him for it, he'd give it to you, for free. No strings attached, he'd give you this powerful card for absolutely nothing.**_

_**Thing was, everyone who accepted this gift never kept it for long. After using it once, it scared them almost to death. Whether they won or lost, they didn't dare use it again, and went back to that shopkeeper, and practically begged him to take it back. He did so, and the cycle repeated time and time again.**_

_**It is believed that the King of Games himself owned this card, and used it against a foe that even he was unsure he could beat. He won the duel, but even he was scared of the card's dark power. Even he went back to the shopkeeper to give it back. **_

_**It's been years since then, and it seems that somewhere in Neo Domino, maybe in the slums of Satellite, maybe in the more rural parts of the city itself near Bootleg, the same shopkeeper is still in business, still willing to give the card to anyone who thinks he's brave enough… **_

_**Because Louis DaPen was the most recent owner…**_

Shichiro turned the key, and the padlock on the door opened with a click.

He opened it slowly.

"That was almost too easy," said Ember.

Shichiro nodded.

"He wants us to come…" he replied.

They walked in, and down the unlit hall, towards the door that led to the office where both of the previous duels had taken place.

Shichiro opened the door to the office, and reached for a light switch. The lights went on before he found one.

There was no sign of the illithid. His briefcase and laptop were on his desk. And sitting on the couch…

"Jinx! Gears!" shouted Shichiro.

It was them. They were sitting on the couch, staring straight ahead, seeming not aware of the presence of anyone else in the room.

Shichiro rushed up to them and shook Jinx a little.

"Come on, people!" he pleaded. "What did he do to you?"

"Gears!" said Ember. "Come on! Can't you hear me?"

"Oh, he can," said DaPen's voice. "But he can't do much in the way of responding."

Shichiro turned around, and saw the illithid sitting at the desk, again in his true form, typing something on the laptop.

"Psychic teleportation, huh?" he asked.

"It's called psychoportation," replied DaPen, "but yeah."

"What did you do to them?" screamed Ember.

"I merely disabled the part of their brains that enables them to access their motor functions," replied DaPen. "Sort of a psionic-induced paralysis…

"But fear not, it's only temporary… I have no use for a pair of living dolls…"

"Then what do you _plan_ to do them?" said Shichiro with a scowl. "I know that you illithids have only two uses for humans – food and slaves."

DaPen stopped typing.

"Well, that's a pretty broad generalization," said DaPen. "As far as slaves go, there are several types. An illithid doesn't trust the same slave that mops his floors with the same duties as the one he uses as a bodyguard, you know.

"You see, Mr. Osaka, one of my immediate goals is to unite several clans of Shadowkind that dislike the Shadowchasers under my leadership. Form a united group to oppose Jalal.

"But my attempts to do so thus far have not met with much success…"

"Because very few Shadows in their right minds would ever trust an illithid," said Shichiro.

"To put it bluntly, yes," replied DaPen. "But I've always felt that actions always spoke louder than words. After all, the ancient illithid empire gained a great deal of respect when they harnessed the Power Primordial and used it to build whole worlds…

"Anyway, I thought I could use a display of the Regalia's might to impress them, but as you know, that plan almost led to disaster.

"But I had a brainstorm… What if I presented to them all three of the Shadowchasers in Neo Domino, defeated and under my complete control? It would be a show of my superiority over the Shadowchasers like none other…

"However… I'm no fool… I've seen enough movies to know that when you brainwash someone this important, it never lasts long, especially when such people have an organization as powerful as Jalal's ready to retaliate.

"I needed to do something to you three that Jalal simply couldn't reverse. Illithids reserve this for slaves who are too important to ever lose, and even then they don't use this frivolously…"

"What are you talking about?" said Shichiro, getting nervous.

"Thralls," said DaPen.

Shichiro looked at him.

"Thralls?" he said, making a face. "What the hell is _that_?"

"Thralls are special slaves brainwashed via a long and complex psionic ritual," replied DaPen. "It's almost like reconfiguring a hard drive, except that it's done to a living brain. It can't be reversed, and it ensures complete loyalty forever."

A look of panic crossed Shichiro's face. He looked at Jinx and Gears.

DaPen stood up.

"Don't panic, Mr. Osaka, I haven't done it yet," he said. "Doing it is so exhausting, it incapacitates an illithid for several days, rendering him helpless. In fact, a thrall's first job is most often to guard his master while he recovers.

"And no sane illithid wastes his energy doing the ritual on one subject at a time. If he can do it on a small group at once, he does so."

"You were waiting for all of us to get here?" said Shichiro. "I don't know whether to feel flattered or nauseous."

"If you're going to be sick, please don't do it in here," replied DaPen. "I just had the carpet shampooed."

"DaPen, do you realize the trouble you're in?!" shouted Shichiro. "You've got a Sector Security docket a mile long, we have proof that you've consorted with practitioners of the dark arts, approved of illegal summoning rituals, brainwashed innocents, and stolen a magical item capable of being used as a weapon of mass-destruction! And now this!"

"Can I help it if I'm a workaholic?" asked DaPen.

Shichiro held his forehead.

"You aren't a crimelord any more, DaPen," said Shichiro. "You're a terrorist leader."

He held his Disk out in front of him.

"Jinx couldn't stop you… Neither could Gears… But I swear on all that's holy, your streak ends now!"

Both Duel Disks activated. Lightning flashed outside. It seemed that the angry clouds were mounting a second attack…

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (DaPen: 8,000)**

"I'll make the first move…" said DaPen.

He drew a card.

"I summon Krebons," he said.

Once again, the Psychic Tuner covered with binary symbols appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"Psychic Monsters used by a psychic monster," said Shichiro. "Real original."

DaPen paused for a minute. He wasn't used to duelists who actually knew what Psychic Monsters were.

He took two more cards from his hand.

"I'll end with these…" he said.

They appeared facedown in two flashes of light.

"My move!" said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He looked at the six cards in his hand.

"I summon Warrior Dai Grepher!" he shouted.

Grepher slowly materialized. (1,700 ATK)

"Hold it right there, Mr. Osaka," said DaPen.

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

"I pay 1,000 Life Points to activate _this_… It's called Monster Register."

Before Shichiro's eyes, a large, cartoonish cash register with a demonic face appeared next to DaPen. It dinged, and rang up a four.

Then a long tongue shot out, and grabbed four cards off of Shichiro's deck.

"HEY!" he shouted. "What gives?"

"Monster Register demands a cost for summoning Monsters," replied DaPen. "Grepher is Level 4, so summoning him costs four cards from your deck."

Shichiro glared at him.

_So he's playing a Mill Deck now?_ he thought.

He looked at Krebons.

_If I attack, Krebons' effect will save itself. But it will cost DaPen 800 Life Points, which is more than he'd lose if the attack went through…_

_So…_

"Grepher, attack!" he shouted.

Grepher swung his sword at the harlequin…

"I activate Krebons' effect!" shouted DaPen.

Grepher's sword was halted by a sphere of force.

"I end my turn!" shouted Shichiro.

**(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,200)**

DaPen drew a card quickly.

"I summon Psychic Snail," he said.

He played a card, and the semi-humanoid mollusk appeared next to Krebons. (1,900 ATK)

The Monster Register rang up a four again, and snatched four cards off of DaPen's deck.

_Huh?_ thought Shichiro.

"Psychic Snail," commanded DaPen, "attack Grepher with mind thrust!"

The Snail concentrated, and shot a wave of pure mental energy at Grepher. He was blown to shards.

_What sort of a Mill Deck involves attacking?_ thought Shichiro.

"I move Krebons to Defense Mode," said DaPen.

Krebons knelt and shielded itself. (400 DEF)

"…and I end my turn…"

**(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,200)**

Shichiro drew a card.

He chose one, and set it on his Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"Smart," said DaPen. "Monster Register can't do anything if the Monster's Level can't be determined.

"No matter… I doubt you can win this duel without attacking."

"Just shut up and move…" said Shichiro.

DaPen drew a card.

"I'll also set a Monster," he said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then I'll attack with Psychic Snail!"

Psychic Snail shot its mind thrust at the facedown Monster…

Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,900 DEF)

"Okay, so that was a draw," said DaPen. "I'll set one more card, and end my turn."

Anther reversed card appeared.

Shichiro made another draw.

_This is gonna cost me some cards,_ he thought, _but I can't just defend if I want to win._

"I summon Axe Raider!" he shouted.

Axe Raider appeared with a fierce battlecry. (1,700 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

Monster Register rang up four again, and grabbed four cards off of Shichiro's deck.

"Where'd you get that weird Trap anyway?" he asked.

"The internet," replied DaPen. "This Trap was the key card of a Pro League duelist who at one point owned the best Mill Deck ever built.

"The thing was, Monster Register is devastating to both players, so he used a Monster called Trap Sluzer to protect him from it. It only had 800 Attack Points, but so long as it was in Attack Mode, both he and every card he controlled were unaffected by Traps."

"Like a one-sided Royal Decree?" gasped Shichiro.

DaPen nodded.

"If you think it was broken, you're right," he replied. "Whoever designed it thought that a low Attack Score would make it balanced. He was wrong. Low Attack Scores benefit Monsters more than they hinder them.

"Trap Sluzer could be summoned with Mystic Tomato, searched for with Sangan, summoned from the Graveyard with Limit Reverse, and protected with Heart of Clear Water, among other things.

"After this guy finally lost a duel, and everyone found out that he lost, people watched him closely, and some folks at KaibaCorp wondered why Trap Sluzer hadn't been outlawed a long time ago. It got the axe, and his ranking in the Pro League dropped like an anchor.

"But Monster Register still fits my needs…"

"No kidding?" said Shichiro, as Command Knight moved to Attack Mode. (1,600 ATK)

"Axe Raider, stomp his Snail!"

Axe Raider swung his axe, and Psychic Snail was blown to chunks.

Command Knight swung her sword at the facedown Monster. Doctor Cranium appeared on the card, and exploded into shards.

"I activate Doctor Cranium's effect," said DaPen. "I pay 800 Life Points, and I get to take any Psychic I want from my deck."

He got what he wanted from his deck, and reshuffled.

"I end my turn…" snarled Shichiro.

**(S: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,200)**

DaPen drew a card, and looked at it.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Psychic Overload," he said. "Now, I take three Psychics from my Graveyard, and shuffle them into my deck…"

He took three cards from his discard slot, and reshuffled.

"Then I draw twice…"

He made two draws.

If DaPen had a mouth that was capable of smiling, he likely would be doing so from ear to ear at that point.

"Ahem," he said with a cough, as he played another card. "I play Monster Reborn."

The holy ankh appeared glowing with fire, and Psychic Snail appeared again. (1,900 ATK)

The monstrous cash register dinged, and snatched four cards off of DaPen's deck.

"Now, I summon Power Injector," continued DaPen.

A lumbering brute of a Monster appeared. It looked like Frankenstein with a blue jacket, and two tanks full of red liquid on its hands. (1,300 ATK)

The cash register dinged again, and took four more cards.

"DaPen, let me explain the concept of a Mill Deck to you…" said Shichiro. "You're supposed to deplete your opponent's deck, not your own!"

"And just what makes you think I'm using a Mill Deck?" asked DaPen. "Maybe Monster Register has a far deeper meaning than that, and you just don't realize it.

"While you're thinking about that, I'll move Krebons to Attack Mode…"

Krebons stood up. (1,200 ATK)

"Then I'll pay 600 Life Points to use Power Injector's effect, and increase the Attack Scores of all my Psychics by 500 points for one round."

Psychic Snail rose to an Attack Score of 2,400, Krebons rose to 1,700, and Power Injector itself rose to 1,800.

_This isn't good…_ thought Shichiro.

Psychic Snail let out its mind thrust, and Axe Raider shattered into pixels. Then Power Injector blasted a spray of fluid at Command Knight. She screamed as it soaked her, and then she shattered.

Then Krebons fired a burst of binary symbols at Shichiro, hitting him directly.

"Ergh!" he groaned.

"I'll throw down a facedown, and end my turn," said DaPen, "as one great duelist used to say…"

A facedown card appeared. All three of the Psychics lost the 500-point bonus.

**(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,600)**

"Lovely…" said Shichiro, drawing a card.

He looked at the six cards in his hand, and chose four.

"I set a Monster, and throw down three reversed cards!" he shouted.

A reversed Monster and three Spell or Trap Cards appeared.

"It's your move…"

"Then I'll activate two Trap Cards," said DaPen.

His two facedown cards lifted up.

"One, Life-Absorbing Machine.

"Two, Psychic Rejuvenation. This Trap restores my Life Points by 1,000 for each Psychic Monster I have."

**(S: 5,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,600)**

"Now, it's my draw…"

He drew a card.

"And thanks to Life-Absorbing Machine, I gain 300 more Life Points.

"Then I'll pay 600 so that Power Injector can use its effect again…"

Power Injector glowed, and all three Psychics gained 500 Attack Points.

"Then, I'll pay 800 Life Points to use Psychic Snail's effect. By forfeiting its attack, another Psychic, like Power Injector, can attack twice.

"Heck… I'll make the payment twice, so that Krebons can do it too!

"So… Power Injector, attack his Monster!"

Power Injector blasted its vile fluid at the facedown Monster…

Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and Power Injector was thrown backwards by the backlash. (2,600 DEF)

"You think you're so smart," growled DaPen. "Well, now your Big Shield moves to Attack Mode…"

Big Shield Gardna stood up. (100 ATK)

"Power Injector… Attack again!"

Power Injector fired a second time…

"Activate… Ready for Intercepting!" shouted Shichiro. "Now, Gardna moves back to reversed Defense Mode!

"And I chain Emergency Provisions to it, to gain 1,000 Life Points."

The second facedown card lifted, and Gardna was replaced by a facedown card. Power Injector was thrown backwards again.

DaPen's eyes burned with anger as Gardna moved to Attack Mode again. (100 ATK)

"Krebons…" he said.

Then he paused. He noticed Shichiro's last facedown card.

"I… don't think so…" he said. "I end my turn…"

**(S: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,800)**

Shichiro drew a card.

"I set one card," he said, as a facedown card appeared.

"Then, I sacrifice Gardna…"

Big Shield Gardna vanished.

"To call forth Freed, the Matchless General!"

With a blinding light, the boss of the Warrior class of Monsters appeared, his decorated armor and rune-covered sword gleaming, and his blonde hair moving as if it was in a breeze. (2,300 ATK)

"Oh, I'm so scared…" mocked DaPen.

Monster Register rang up a five, and snatched that many cards off of Shichiro's deck.

"I'll show you scared!" shouted Shichiro. "Destroy Power Injector!"

Freed leapt into the air, and brought his sword down on the Psychic on the way down. There was an explosion, and Power Injector was no more.

"Ergh…" muttered DaPen.

**(S: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,800)**

"It's your move, DaPen…" said Shichiro.

DaPen drew a card.

"First, I gain 1,100 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine," he said.

"Now, the time has arrived… Time to bring out my ultimate weapon…

"But first, I play Giant Trunade!"

"Eh?" said Shichiro, as the facedown card appeared. A wind blew over the field, and Monster Register, Life-Absorbing Machine, and his facedown card blew off the field. Both cards reappeared in their owners' hands.

"Monster Register has served its purpose and is no longer needed," said DaPen. "Time to unveil my true strategy…"

Lighting flashed as he fit a card in his Disk.

"I play… Underworld Circle!"

As the Spell Card appeared, a larger bolt of lightning struck, and the lights in the room went out.

"Huh?" said Ember.

"Another blackout?" said DaPen. "I'm going to have to have a word with that electrician…"

"I'm not sure it was the wiring…" said Ember, pointing to the Spell Card that was just played.

It was glowing with an eerie light…

"Ah, yes…" said DaPen. "This gets a little complicated, so listed closely. First, Underworld Circle destroys all Monsters on the field."

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

Then he stepped back in shock as a wave of black fire blasted over the field, incinerating Krebons, Psychic Snail, and Freed.

"Next," continued DaPen, "we both remove from play all Monsters remaining in our hands and decks."

"You gotta be kidding!" shouted Shichiro.

"Sacrifices must be made to unleash the tremendous power of this card, Mr. Osaka," said DaPen. "And, might I add, you have no choice."

DaPen placed the remaining Monsters from his deck in his jacket, and Shichiro placed his in a pocket in his coat.

"Now that that's done," continued DaPen, "the benign effects of this card come into play. We are each able to Special Summon any Monster we desire from our Graveyards, and disregard the summoning conditions."

Shichiro looked at him.

"Seriously?" he said. "Then I choose _this_ guy!"

Gilford the Legend appeared in an aura of dark energy. (2,600 ATK)

"And I choose Krebons," said DaPen, as the Psychic Tuner appeared, also in an aura of dark energy. (1,200 ATK)

"And that's not all… We can each do that during every one of both of our Standby Phases."

Shichiro looked dumbfounded.

"This card…" he said. "How did you get it?"

"There are ways of getting anything…" said DaPen. "The King of Games once owned this card… He used it in his second duel against the one duelist who had beaten him. He knew that a second defeat was not an option.

"But even he felt fear when he saw this card's power. Everyone who has owned this card seems to think it's cursed…"

"I don't blame them…" said Ember.

Then they heard a loud whir, and the lights went on again.

"See?" said DaPen. "My emergency generators just kicked in. I'll bet you thought that the so-called 'curse' killed the power.

"Humans are such fools… They'll believe in the craziest things… Curses, superstitions, good luck charms… the Easter Bunny…

"One of the dumbest things I've ever seen humans believe in is that a rabbit's foot is good luck. Don't those idiots realize that the rabbits they come from weren't very lucky?"

He fit two cards into his Disk, and they appeared facedown.

"I end my turn…" he said.

Shichiro made a draw.

He looked at the four cards in his hand.

"Don't forget," said DaPen, "Underworld Circle activates during each of our Standby Phases."

"Then I choose to summon Command Knight!" shouted Shichiro.

Command Knight appeared in the same dark aura. (1,200 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK) Gilford rose to an Attack Score of 3,000.

"And I choose Psychic Commander," replied DaPen.

The metal-faced officer with a saucer-shaped tank for a lower body appeared in front of him. (1,400 ATK)

Shichiro took the card that DaPen's Giant Trunade had blown back to his hand, and set it back in his Disk. It appeared facedown.

"Gilford, attack Psychic Commander!" shouted Shichiro.

Gilford leapt at the much smaller Monster.

"Not so fast!" shouted DaPen, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "I'm getting rid of him, by activating Dimensional Prison!"

Gilford vanished into ripples of light.

Shichiro sneered.

"Attack Krebons!" he shouted.

Command Knight rushed at Krebons.

"Once again, I use its effect," said DaPen.

Command Knight's sword bounced off an invisible shield.

"Fine," said Shichiro. "You can't do that forever. I end my turn."

**(S: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

DaPen quickly drew a card.

"Now my Circle's effect activates again," he said. "I choose to summon Genetic Woman."

In the same dark aura a female figure appeared. She wore a cowl that looked like a she-leopard's mane, a black, leather bodysuit, had a large, mechanical, claw on her right arm, and a weapon of some sort mounted on her left wrist. (1,700 ATK)

"I choose Big Shield Gardna," said Shichiro.

Gardna appeared, kneeling behind his shield. (2,600 DEF)

"Then I use Genetic Woman's effect," replied DaPen, "paying 1,000 Life Points to retrieve a Monster that has been removed from play."

Genetic Woman glowed with red energy, and a card appeared in DaPen's hand.

"Now that that's done," he said, "I'll use Psychic Commander to give her a Tune-up!"

Psychic Commander's visor opened, revealing glowing eyes. Then it and Genetic Woman formed into seven glowing stars that slowly formed into a tall shape…

Shichiro and Ember couldn't believe what they saw. The Synchro Monster was only too familiar – the tall Warrior in primitive armor, with a helmet made from the skull of a steer, with two swords on his back… (2,200 ATK)

"X-Saber Urbellum!" gasped Ember. "That's Jinx's card! You're using Jinx's card!"

"Jinx doesn't seem to mind," replied DaPen. "Do you mind, Jinx?"

"DaPen…" growled Shichiro.

"Lower your voice," said DaPen, as a Spell Card appeared. "I play Enemy Controller."

Big Shield Gardna struggled, but he couldn't resist. He stood up into Attack Mode. (100 ATK)

Krebons blasted its binary attack, and the Warrior was blown away. Shichiro cringed.

"Urbellum," commanded DaPen, "strike down Command Knight!"

X-Saber Urbellum drew one sword, and lunged at the female Warrior.

"I don't think so!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted up. "I activate… Shrink!"

Urbellum fell to an Attack Score of 1,100.

DaPen growled, and threw another Quickplay Spell into his Disk. Mystik Wok appeared in front of him, and Urbellum vanished into grains of light.

"Now I gain Life Points equal to his Defense Score instead of losing any," he said.

"And it's your move…"

**(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,300)**

Shichiro drew again. Underworld Circle glowed again.

Shichiro waved his arm, and Freed the Matchless General appeared. (2,300 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK) DaPen pointed, and Mind Master appeared. (200 DEF)

Shichiro growled, and Command Knight slashed with her sword, cleaving Mind Master in two. Freed tried to attack Krebons again, but the invisible shield protected it again.

"I end my turn," said Shichiro.

"And once again," said DaPen, "Life-Absorbing Machine activates."

His facedown card lifted.

**(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,500)**

DaPen made a draw.

"I gain 500 Life Points from my Trap Card," he said, "then I use Underworld Circle to summon Mind Protector."

A small robot that seemed to be made out of gold, silver, and sapphires appeared next to Krebons. (2,200 DEF)

"And I choose Obnoxious Celtic Guardian," replied Shichiro.

The elven swordsman appeared, brandishing his blade. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both my Monsters together…" continued DaPen.

Krebons and Mind Protector dissolved into five glowing stars.

_Could it be?_ thought Shichiro.

It was. Ally of Justice Catastor appeared on the field in front of DaPen. (2,200 ATK)

"DaPen!" screamed Shichiro. "You're nothing but a thief!"

"I beg to differ, Mr. Osaka," replied the illithid. "I'm a _great_ thief.

"Attack his Matchless General! Platinum prism blast!"

Catastor fired its death ray, and Freed was obliterated.

"It's your move…"

**(S: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,000)**

Shichiro looked at his deck, which was now down to only eight cards.

He made one draw.

"All right DaPen," he said, "first I'm using your Spell Card to summon Junk Synchron."

The cute robot Tuner appeared in front of him. (1,300 ATK)

"And I'm summoning Psychic Commander again," said DaPen.

The not-so-cute robot Tuner appeared on the opposite side of the field. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted.

He played the card, and the cyclone blasted Life-Absorbing Machine to pieces.

"Damn…" said DaPen.

"Next, I play Monster Reborn!" exclaimed Shichiro.

The ankh appeared, and Skelengel appeared next to Junk Synchron. (900 ATK)

"Now to use one of my own Synchros…"

Junk Synchron yanked the ripcord on its waist, and both Monsters glowed. They split into five glowing stars…

Junk Warrior appeared with a roar, its eyes fixed on DaPen with a look of pure anger. (2,300 ATK) –) (2,700 ATK)

"By the way, DaPen," said Shichiro, "I've seen Gears duel enough times to know that only a Dark Monster can win a battle with Catastor…

"Well, guess what Attribute Junk Warrior is?

"Get it! Attack with scrap fist!"

Junk Warrior's jetpack ignited, and it flew at the Ally fist-first. It socked the Machine in the front, and Catastor shattered into burning wreckage.

"Ergh…"muttered DaPen.

"Command Knight, destroy Psychic Commander!" shouted Shichiro.

Command Knight rushed at the Tuner with her blade held high.

"Not so fast!" shouted DaPen. "I activate its effect, and pay 300 Life Points to lower Command Knight's Attack Score by the same amount!"

Psychic Commander blasted its cannon, and Command Knight was blown to particles.

**(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,200)**

"My move!" snarled DaPen, who was now just as angry as Shichiro was.

Underworld Circle glowed, and Urbellum appeared on his side of the field. (2,200 ATK) Command Knight appeared on Shichiro's side. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I sacrifice Urbellum…" continued DaPen.

Urbellum vanished.

"…to summon Storm Caller!"

In a blast of wind, the same Psychic that DaPen had used in his duel with Gears to summon Thought Ruler Archfiend appeared. (2,300 ATK)

"No way…" said Shichiro. "Where did he come from? I thought your deck had no more Monsters in it!"

"Think back," said DaPen. "Think back to when I used Genetic Woman's effect."

Shichiro thought back. Then it came to him.

"_Then I use Genetic Woman's effect, paying 1,000 Life Points to retrieve a Monster that has been removed from play."_

"Oh, yeah…" said Shichiro.

"I toss two cards facedown and end my turn!" shouted DaPen, as two facedown cards appeared.

Shichiro drew a card.

_I don't know what he's planning to do with Storm Caller,_ he thought, _but I doubt I'm gonna like it…_

"I use your Circle to summon Command Knight again," he said.

Command Knight reappeared. (1,600 ATK) Junk Warrior's Attack Score increased to 2,700.

"And guess who's back?" asked DaPen.

Psychic Commander reappeared on his side. (1,400 ATK)

"Junk Warrior," shouted Shichiro, "destroy Storm Caller!"

Junk Warrior flew at the windy Psychic.

"I activate _both_ my Trap Cards!" shouted DaPen. "First, Draining Shield!"

His first Trap Card lifted, and Junk Warrior's scrap fist slammed into an invisible shield.

"Second, Compulsory Evacuation Device, to get rid of your recycled Synchro."

His other facedown card lifted, and Junk Warrior was thrown backwards, vanishing into nothing.

_Man, he thought of everything!_ thought Ember.

Shichiro looked at the field. He looked at Psychic Commander.

_He's not gonna fool me with that thing again,_ he thought.

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian crouched down in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)

He glared at DaPen.

**(S: 5,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,500)**

DaPen drew a card.

"Let's use the Circle one last time," he said. "I summon Mind Protector."

Mind Protector appeared in Defense Mode. (2,200 DEF)

"I'll summon my own protector," said Shichiro, as Big Shield Gardna appeared. (2,600 DEF)

"And that will be the last time," said DaPen, holding up a card. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon!"

A tornado ripped over the field, and the Underworld Circle was blown to shards.

"What?!" gasped Shichiro.

"Now neither of you can summon anything!" shouted Ember.

"Not quite," replied DaPen. "I can summon one more Monster, and once I do, I won't need any others.

"You ever wonder the true reason why Divine hated me, Shichiro?"

Shichiro just looked at him.

"Divine thought himself a master of psychic power, and also of Psychic Dueling," said DaPen. "He thought that his Thought Ruler Archfiend was the most powerful Psychic Monster in existence…"

Storm Caller and Psychic Commander faded into nine glowing stars.

"But when he confronted me, I proved him wrong, by showing him a Psychic Monster of even greater power that he had never even heard of…

"I Synchro Summon… Hyper Psychic Blaster!"

In an explosion of energy, the stars coalesced into an eight-foot-tall humanoid in high-tech, futuristic armor, holding a heavy-duty laser rifle in each hand. (3,000 ATK)

"AHH!" screamed Shichiro.

Then he shielded himself as the Monster's twin guns fired, blowing Big Shield Gardna to atoms.

"By the way," said DaPen, "when Hyper Psychic Blaster battles a Monster in Defense Mode, and its Attack Score is higher, the difference is taken out of your Life Points.

"And what do you know? Those Life Points go straight to me.

"And by the way, I also have Mind Protector. It prevents all Monsters except Psychics from attacking unless they have more than 2,000 Attack Points.

"I end my turn, and I pay 500 Life Points to keep Mind Protector."

**(S: 5,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,400)**

Shichiro started to sweat heavily. He drew a card.

He placed one card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I end my turn," he said.

DaPen growled and drew a card.

"My patience is wearing thin…" he muttered.

"I play Enemy Controller!"

"Wait!" shouted Shichiro. "You already used that!"

"Oh, come on, Mr. Osaka," replied DaPen. "You really didn't expect a guy like me to only have one Enemy Controller, did you?

"And this time, I'm using its second effect. I sacrifice Mind Protector to take control of your Command Knight."

Mind Protector vanished, and Command Knight was pulled over to DaPen's side of the field.

Command Knight looked like she was in a trance. She made a slash with her sword, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian was blown to shards.

"Well…" said DaPen. "Now that he's out of the way, I see no reason not to...

"JUST KILL YOU! Hyper Psychic Blaster attack directly!"

The Psychic fired a dozen rounds of burning death, and Shichiro screamed as they stabbed into him. He was thrown against the wall with an audible splat.

**(S: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,400)**

"Shichiro!" screamed Ember.

Shichiro slowly opened his eyes.

He slowly forced himself to a sitting position. Then to a standing position. He took some deep, gasping breaths.

"Are you still trying to win?" asked DaPen. "What are you going to fight me with? You have no Monsters left, in case you forgot."

"Twenty-five percent…" muttered Shichiro.

"Huh?" said DaPen.

"That's my chances," said Shichiro. "See, my deck has four cards left in it right now…

"And one of them is one that I can use to beat you… That gives me a twenty-five percent chance…

"Feeling lucky?"

Command Knight appeared back on his side of the field.

He drew a card.

"And here it is!" he shouted. "I play Soul Release!"

"You think I'm scared of a card that lets you remove five Monsters in my Graveyard from play?" asked DaPen. "The one I have on the field is all I need!"

"Not yours, DaPen," said Shichiro. "Mine. I'm using this to remove Junk Synchron and Skelengel in my Graveyard from play."

He took another card from his hand.

"Then, I play Synchronized Realm. This Continuous Spell deals you 500 points of damage whenever I Synchro Summon a Monster."

"But how?" shouted DaPen. "How can you make a Synchro Summon when you don't have any…"

He stopped short.

"Your facedown card… It couldn't be…"

"But it is!" replied Shichiro, as his facedown card lifted. "I activate Return from the Different Dimension!"

Lightning flashed, and a glowing portal appeared over the playing field.

"It costs me half my Life Points," said Shichiro, "but it's worth every one to bring back four Monsters that have been removed from play."

First, Skelengel appeared. (900 ATK) Then came Junk Synchron (1,300 ATK), Nitro Synchron (300 ATK), and Turbo Synchron (100 ATK).

"Now for my ultimate combo!" shouted Shichiro. "I first Tune Junk Synchron and Skelengel into Junk Warrior one more time…"

The two Monsters turned into five stars, and combined into Junk Warrior once again. (2,300 ATK)

A blast of energy shot out of Synchronized Realm, hitting DaPen. He groaned.

"Next, I Tune Junk Warrior and Nitro Synchron to Synchro Summon Nitro Warrior…" continued Shichiro.

The two Monsters split into seven glowing stars, and turned into the fiery Warrior. (2,800 ATK)

Again, a blast from Synchronized Realm hit DaPen, and the illithid clutched his gut.

"Finally," said Shichiro, "I Tune Turbo Synchron and Nitro Warrior into Colossal Fighter, to complete my Three Synchro Smackdown!"

The two Monsters formed into eight stars, and Colossal Fighter landed on the office floor with a bellow. (2,800 ATK)

DaPen screamed as Synchronized Realm blasted him a third time.

**(S: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,900)**

"Thanks to your controversial strategy, DaPen," said Shichiro, "my Graveyard now has fourteen Warriors in it. And there's one in yours that I know about, X-Saber Urbellum.

"And with Command Knight's effect, that gives Colossal Fighter a grand total of…

"Well, see for yourself…"

(4,700 ATK)

"This can't be!" exclaimed DaPen.

"Oh, but it is!" replied Shichiro. "Colossal Fighter, clobber Hyper Psychic Blaster with mega knuckle!"

Colossal Fighter roared, and socked the armored Psychic hard. Its armor sparked and cracked, and explosions rocked over its hard shell. Then the violent Synchro burst in a blinding display of raw energy. DaPen shielded himself from the impact.

Then he fell over as Command Knight's sword slammed into him, knocking him down.

**(S: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)**

Shichiro glared at him. DaPen got up, and threw his Duel Disk down in disgust.

"This isn't over, Shichiro!" he cursed.

"So, we're on a first-name basis now?" asked Shichiro. "Your Life Points are at zero, DaPen, that's about as over as it can get."

"Fine…" muttered DaPen. "I wanted to do this the proper way… I wanted to play fair…

"But no more playing fair! From now on we play my way…

"Dirty!"

Shichiro stepped back as DaPen glared at him, and he felt the Mind Blast aimed at him…

But surprisingly, Shichiro didn't feel anything more than a small discomfort. It seemed the infamous attack had almost no affect on him.

"What?" said DaPen, in surprise.

Shichiro looked just as surprised.

"Impossible!" shouted DaPen. "A Mind Blast can't simply malfunction!"

"Uh…" said Shichiro.

DaPen repeated the attack, but again, Shichiro resisted it.

Then Shichiro realized something…

He smiled.

"Psionic powers not working, DaPen?" he asked. "Maybe you haven't been eating right… Maybe you aren't taking enough vitamins…"

He reached into his coat pocket.

"Or maybe it's because of this book in my pocket!"

"Edmund's journal!" exclaimed DaPen.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get the picture…" said Shichiro. "I know why Edmund left this behind where he knew I'd pick it up…

"You two had an argument, didn't you? And after Ember beat him, he figured if he was going down, so were you.

"So he obviously cast some sort of protection spell on this journal, so that you couldn't zap whoever was holding it! He wanted me to take you out.

"I guess there's no honor among thieves…"

"Curse him!" shouted DaPen.

He squeezed the handle on his briefcase, and it opened.

"Joining forces with that wizard was a mistake I'll never make again… But I've come to far to be stopped now, Shichiro…"

He pulled something out of the briefcase and aimed it at Shichiro. Both he and Ember stepped back in shock.

Maybe Shichiro had expected a crimelord as powerful as DaPen to have a gun handy. But he didn't expect this. The illithid was pointing an Uzi sub-machinegun at him. Him pulling it out a briefcase had come as a _complete_ shock, but then, Shichiro had no idea of the case's properties.

"DaPen…" said Shichiro, nervously. "Let's be civil about this…"

"SHUT UP!" shouted the illithid. "I hate to resort to such a crude form of violence, but it seems I have no choice any more…

"Now you just give me that journal, and maybe, just _maybe_, I won't have to kill the two of you…"

Shichiro didn't know what to do. Nothing in his training as a Shadowchaser had ever prepared him for this. In this country, even owning one of those weapons was a federal offense…

"Well, Shichiro?" asked the fiend, as he started to walk closer.

Then Shichiro noticed something.

DaPen was starting to perspire even more than he was. The illithid paused.

"What…" said DaPen. "What's happening?"

DaPen took some heavy breaths. Then he let go of the gun with his left hand and held his chest.

Then the gun lowered. DaPen started gasping for breath.

"What's happening to him?" asked Ember.

"Beats me," said Shichiro. "But I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth!"

As he said that, he leapt at the crimelord. DaPen lifted the gun again, but he was too late. Shichiro's fist slammed into his face, knocking him against the desk, and the weapon out of his hands.

Shichiro held his fist as the evil illithid slumped to the ground.

Then a scream came from the couch. Shichiro and Ember turned to see that it had come from Jinx.

She and Gears were clutching their heads.

"Gears!" shouted Shichiro. "Jinx!"

"Not so loud!" replied Jinx.

"Man…" said Gears. "You wouldn't happen to have a shot of morpheme on you, would you?"

"Glad to have you guys back," said Shichiro, with a sigh.

He looked at DaPen. He bent over the fallen illithid.

Gears held his head and got up.

"Looks like you knocked him out cold," he said.

Shichiro's brow furrowed. He placed two fingers on DaPen's pulse.

"Cold, nothing…" he said.

He paused.

"Guys… He's dead…"

Jinx looked up, still holding her forehead.

"Dead?" she said. "You killed him with a sock to the face?"

Shichiro held up DaPen's hand.

"Discolored fingernails…" he muttered. "People… It was some sort of poison…

"I don't know how… But someone… or _something_ poisoned him after his Life Points hit zero in that duel…"

"How?" asked Ember. "How could it have happened?"

"Only one possibility…" said Shichiro.

He reached inside DaPen's shirt pocket.

"All the time he was against us… Someone even bigger was against him… Someone who did NOT want Edmund's journal to end up in his hands…"

He took something out of the pocket. Just as he expected, it was a card.

Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon.

"People…" he said. "A storm is likely about to start…"

_**DaPen was dead. And as much as we would have liked for him to have paid for his crimes, we knew that very few would mourn. He was a true monster who saw humans as having the same value as cattle, who dominated the minds of others and used lies and deception to accomplish his goals. He was dead now, and would never harm an innocent human or Shadow again.**_

_**But had one foe been vanquished only to be replaced by another? Who had killed him? What was the driving force behind this whole scheme?**_

_**Our only clue seemed to be Edmund's journal. Apparently, DaPen had been killed to keep his mitts off of it. But we had it, and now it might give us answers…**_

_**Because after Gears and Jinx had recovered slightly, we searched that building from top to bottom, and realized we had another problem…**_

…_**the Regalia of Day was nowhere to be found…**_

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**MONSTER REGISTER (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** A cartoonish cash register with a fiendish face on the front.

**Card Description:** Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. Whenever either player Normal Summons or Special Summons a Monster, he sends a number of cards from the top of his deck to the Graveyard equal to the Level of the Summoned Monster.

_Note: "Monster Register" was first used by X in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Not Playing with a Full Deck". Creative Credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**UNDERWORLD CIRCLE (Spell Card)**

**Continuous Spell**

**Image:** A skull on the left, and a beautiful woman's face on the right, with a runic circle superimposed over them.

**Card Description:** Destroy all Monsters on the field, and remove from play all Monsters in both players' hands and decks. Then, both players Special Summon 1 Monster from their Graveyards, disregarding any summoning conditions. So long as this card remains on the field, both players may Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyards during each players' Standby Phases, disregarding any summoning conditions.

_Note: "Underworld Circle" was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode "Grappling With a Guardian (Part 2)" Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Investigations are done, by Jalal… and by Ember? No joke. Not only are Edmund's true motivations revealed, but Ember is inspired to take initiative, and find the true force behind the crisis that has stolen the Regalia of Day. Somewhere in Neo Domino City, someone has a secret, and it's a secret that must be uncovered._

_It looks like the heroes may be "Back to Square One", and whether they are or not, that's the name of the chapter._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Estavan, Planar Merchant**

Luto is far from the only ogre known for being intelligent. One ogre named Estavan is so smart, he has done something that no other Shadow in the world has come close to managing. This ogre is Estavan, the head of the P.T.C., the Planar Trade Consortium.

Technically, Estavan (who calls himself Morton Estavan among Mundanes) is an ogre mage, a smarter and more cultured relative of ogres. These relatives of giants are incredibly rare on Earth, so rare that groups of them are almost unheard of, and no clans exist. They deny that they are truly related to their brutish kin (they are, but they can deny it) and have almost nothing to do with them. To Mundanes, Estavan appears as a tall man with a black goatee and moustache, who always wears a fashionable and expensive suit. Awares can see that he is actually eight feet tall, with blue skin, green hair, and ivory horns on his head, sloping backwards.

Estavan has run the P.T.C. for as long as anyone can remember, and to most, it's a company that deals in exotic goods of all varieties, which has offices in every modernized country. In many ways, he's like the mercane, but he can get far more than even they can, and rarely disappoints a customer who's willing to pay. If you want a wyvern egg, give Estavan a week, and he'll get it. If you want the egg of a true dragon, that might take more than a week, but rest assured, Estavan will get it. He's expensive, yes, but he always delivers.

What most people don't know is that the P.T.C. isn't limited to Earth. Estavan is a master of dimensional travel, and conducts his business on several worlds, planes, and realities, cutting deals with both fiends and celestial beings to sell his wares and get what his customers want. This is one of the reasons he can get almost anything – he has many places to look.

Estavan's greatest secret is known to only a chosen few: He is the only Shadowkind on Earth who can travel to and from the homeworld of Shadow, another place where the P.T.C. does business.

No-one is clear just how Estavan manages this. He has claimed to some who have asked that he can do so because of a loophole he discovered in the laws of physics. By exploiting this loophole, he can do what others can't. This, of course, is no help to any who want to attempt the same feat.

Anyone who molests Estavan repeatedly comes under attack by his attorneys; infernal law clerks. Called "devils with the details" by some, these fiends are not only intimidating, they keep a record of all immoral acts committed by mortals, and their knowledge of a mortal's past is usually enough to get them to agree to leave Estavan alone.

For now, Estavan professes to be only a merchant who wants what any merchant wants – to profit, expand, and grow. Still, one can't help but be suspicious of him, and worry that someone with such a dangerous secret might have something evil up his sleeve…

**Story Ideas:** It's very easy to use Estavan as either a benefactor or a villain. As a benefactor, he could have trouble with his fiendish business partners, who want to use his planar trade network for nefarious purposes. There's only so much that he can do with his attorneys, even ones from the Underworld, and the Shadowchasers might have to be on hand to stop a hostile takeover of the P.T.C. that might threaten to turn into a demonic invasion.

On the other hand, it's possible that Estavan might use his trade empire to trade things that he shouldn't be. He might be dealing slaves, drugs, or other contraband. Drugs that originate in other dimensions might have far worse effects on humans than ordinary cocaine, but dealers are notorious for being unconcerned about human life.

A far greater problem exists, regarding Estavan's secret. He thinks he's going to and from the world of Shadow by exploiting a loophole in the laws of reality; it might stand to reason that a higher force knows about this loophole, and is trying hard to close it. Even worse, Estavan might be mistaken, and what he is doing might be outright _breaking_ the laws of reality. This might eventually attract a platonic to Earth, or some other enforcer of universal law. The Shadowchasers might have their hands full trying to prevent a disaster when some extradimensional collection agency decides that a price has to be paid…

**Deck Suggestions:** For some reason, Estavan's seems to have a strange aversion to Synchros, and never uses them. Whether this is a fear, rivalry, or simple dislike, no-one knows.

To compete with other powerful individuals who do use them, Estavan uses a Dark Counterpart Deck, using the powerful Dark Monsters in _Phantom Darkness_ that mimic more benign Monsters. His deck includes Dark Armed Dragon, but unlike Tele-DAD, that card is not the sole point of his deck. (Tele-DAD isn't very popular in a reality where Destiny Draw is not available anyway.) He gives equal time to Dark Horus, Dark Nephthys, The Dark Creator, and Darklord Zerato. His low-Level Monsters are ones that can help bring out the higher-Level ones quicker, such as Dark Grepher and Shadowpriestess of Ohm.


	55. Back to Square One

_I know it's early for the next chapter, but this is an exhibition chapter, so I thought I'd put it up._

_This chapter takes place five days later, which is also four days after the climax of the finale of Season Two._

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE**

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**Back to Square One**

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_**With one thing and another, four days passed.**_

_**We watched the battle between Signers and Dark Signers from a distance, which cumulated in a titanic final battle in the skies of Neo Domino, with victory for the Signers. The Crimson Dragon had been merciful to most of the Dark Signers and granted them their lives back, and had also seemingly wiped the memories of the horrors from most residents of the city.**_

_**But it either couldn't or wouldn't do so for Shadows and Aware humans. Maybe it knew that such beings could possibly cause such madness a second time, and left the memories there as a warning.**_

_**At any rate, since they could remember, many Shadows spent the time celebrating the Signers' victory. Elves danced in their ballrooms, while the dwarves sang ballads about the individual Signers which were more than likely exaggerations, as dwarven ballads are wont to be. **_

_**As for us, we had bigger problems. Gears and Jinx were still recovering from the horrible headaches that DaPen's Mind Blasts had given them, even after being examined by doctors at Shadowchaser Headquarters, and Jalal was in the process of deciphering Edmund's journal and combing over all the other evidence that we recovered from that place. **_

_**On the morning of the fifth day, progress had been made.**_

At the townhouse at four in the morning, Shichiro tossed and turned in his bed.

Once again, the strange dream came to him…

He once again dreamt he was on that street in Satellite, with his path blocked by the four Monsters: Junk Warrior, Explode Wing Dragon, Blackwing – Armor Master, and Archfiend General.

Once again, he held up his empty hands.

Then, something different happened. For some reason, they didn't look as angry as they usually did.

Junk Warrior turned to the other three, and nodded. They nodded back.

Then, to Shichiro's incredible surprise, they stepped aside. They were going to let him past!

He walked past them, towards an illuminated area at the end of the street…

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Nine AM.

Jinx was on the couch, holding an ice pack to her head, watching the cable cartoon station. An old American cartoon theme song played:

_Super-teen extraordinaire…_

_Freakazoid! Freakazoid!_

_Runs around in underwear…_

_Freakazoid! Freakazoid!_

"Dumb," she said, changing the channel.

Ember walked in.

"Still hurts, huh?" she asked.

"You said it," replied Jinx. "I haven't had a headache this bad since the hangover I had when I turned twenty."

"Gee, Jinx…" muttered Ember. "I… never took you for a party girl…"

"I'm not!" replied Jinx. "I turned twenty, and two of my friends took me to this nightclub to celebrate…

"I ordered an iced tea, and the stupid waiter gave me a Long Island Iced Tea."

Gears and Shichiro walked in.

"As you might expect, he certainly didn't get a tip."

"All right!" said Boris, flying into the room with a tray.

He set it down in front of Jinx.

"Eggs Benedict and black coffee. Maybe this will make that nasty headache go away."

"I hope it does," replied Shichiro, "because Jalal just called. He wants to talk to us in twenty minutes, and I think we need to be alert."

"Big news?" asked Jinx, sipping the coffee.

"He just said that we should all be sitting down when he briefs us," replied Gears.

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Jalal was punctual as always, again appearing as a hologram, and he seemed to be more worried than usual.

"First the good news," he said. "Gears, Kaede, your MRIs and enchantment scans both came back negative. Apparently, DaPen's wicked influence vanished from your systems when he died."

"That's a relief," said Jinx.

"Which brings us to our next concern…" continued Jalal, looking at a clipboard.

"We completed DaPen's autopsy, and it really threw us for a loop. We called in no less than four toxicologists just to verify this."

"So then, it was poison?" asked Shichiro.

"Yes, but not just any typical substance," replied Jalal. "The poison in his system was duocaine."

Everyone just looked at him.

"Yes, I know," said Jalal. "Most people haven't heard of it.

"Duocaine is an incredibly potent toxin that isn't immediately lethal. After it is introduced to the victim's bloodstream, it can linger in his system for days. It only becomes lethal if someone uses a special transmitter to broadcast the right frequency of high-pitched sound waves to the victim's location. This can be done through a radio, television, or almost anything that can transmit sound. Depending on the strength of the transmitter, the assassin could be in a different country when he actually kills his target. The victim feels no discomfort, and does not even know he is in danger, until mere seconds before the poison kills him. In history, assassins have infiltrated the homes of their victims while they were sleeping, injected this poison with fine needles, and as a result, were often hundreds of miles away before anyone even knew there was an assassin loose."

"The assassin probably used DaPen's laptop to send the signal," said Shichiro. "It was on during his duel with me. It might have even been the same shadowjack who rigged the booby traps for that duel in the Pandemonium Arena…"

"I don't see what the big deal is," replied Gears. "Mob bosses are assassinated all the time. An old gangster is as rare as roc's teeth."

"That may be true, Gears," replied Jalal, "but duocaine is not a chemical that just any assassin can get. Only three government agencies know how to make it, and they guard the formula jealously. Your government isn't even one of them.

"And we have other problems too… Big ones."

He held up Edmund's journal.

"You were able to decode it, boss?" asked Shichiro.

"I sure was," replied Jalal. "The code was easier to crack than it seemed. Edmund _wanted_ the Shadowchasers to read this, eventually. Maybe not so soon, but eventually.

"You see, Edmund expects to be killed at any time. He leads a pretty dangerous life."

"But…" said Gears. "The Gift of Kyuss makes him almost immortal…"

"But he likely made enemies in his time far more powerful than Kyuss," replied Jalal. "Edmund has been walking a slippery slope for years. Long before he ever became a worm that walks, he chose to obtain power in the most dangerous way…

"Edmund is not only a necromancer… He's an ur-priest."

Everyone paused. They looked at each other.

"You're gonna make us ask, right?" asked Jinx. "Okay, what _is_ an ur-priest?"

"They're divine magicians, Kaede," explained Jalal, "but unlike most, they do not pledge allegiance to any god or entity to gain divine power like shamans and oracles do. Instead, they _steal_ that power. They are thieves, who steal power from the gods, usually because they hate divine sources for some reason. Ur-priests are the enemies of all greater powers.

"When an entity grants power to a more worthy recipient, a conduit of sorts is formed between the entity and the worshipper. An ur-priest is able to enter a trance where he acts as a siphon, drawing power from these conduits.

"Of course, this trick is very hard to learn. A beginning ur-priest must learn how to do it from a more experienced ur-priest. But it's worth it, because they can actually become far more powerful than most divine magicians."

"It seems like… cheating…" said Gears.

"It _is_ cheating," replied Jalal. "And when someone tells an ur-priest that cheaters never prosper, their usual response is to laugh, and exclaim, 'Now you're getting the picture, dolt!' usually punctuated with a punch to the face.

"You see, ur-priests don't intend to prosper. They know that they'll never get away with it, and what they're doing will only bring them doom. No-one ever becomes an ur-priest unless he truly has nothing left to lose, and despises the gods so much that he wants to make a mark before dying."

He paused for a second.

"The Shadowchasers had problems with an ur-priest before in modern times," he said, ominously. "In the 9-11 terrorist attacks of 2001, the victims included half of a dwarven clan called the Greyslates. A surviving member went a little mad after seeing half his clan wiped out by the attack.

"Since the terrorists responsible claimed they were fighting a_ jihad_, this dwarf believed that the attack was due to a divine order, and blamed all of Islam for his kinsmen's deaths. He first learned the ways of an ur-priest, and then worked towards his ultimate goal, learning a powerful ritual called Apocalypse from the Sky."

"I don't like the sound of that," said Shichiro.

"Apocalypse from the Sky is an epic level spell," continued Jalal, "that summons a shower of burning meteors from the heavens, capable of destroying a moderately-sized city and killing hundreds of thousands. The downside of it is, whoever casts it must be at the target site when this occurs, so he'll likely be killed by it as well.

"But this dwarf didn't care for his own life. He planned to give the people he blamed for his kinsmen's death a jihad like none other, by using Apocalypse from the Sky to destroy Mecca."

"You gotta be kidding…" said Gears.

"No joke," replied Jalal. "He spent five years preparing to carry this out. Fortunately, another more lucid survivor of the Greyslates learned of his mad plan and told us, and we were able to stop him before it was too late."

He sighed again.

"That is only one example of the evil that ur-priests have been involved with every time blame has been cast on one group. You know what happened during World War II…"

Everyone nodded. As horrible as World War II was, it had a dark side that only Shadows and Awares knew about. Several unscrupulous Shadowkind were recruited by Nazi Germany by its Aware members, often with promises that the Shadowchasers would be obliterated once the Nazis conquered Britain. As a result, Jalal urged Shadowchasers everywhere to aid the Allied forces at every opportunity.

When the Allies won the war, several Shadowkind Nazis were arrested, and two of them were executed, which was the first time the Shadowchasers had actually used the death penalty in centuries.

Of course, not all Shadowchaser Nazis were brought to justice. Many of them, like human Nazis, fought to the bitter end, preferring to die than be captured.

"So there were ur-priests in the Third Reich?" asked Shichiro.

"We have no concrete proof," said Jalal. "But some of the blueprints and notes we recovered from Shadowkind in their ranks sure looked like the mad plots of ur-priests. Spells designed to defile holy sights, create unnatural plagues… Magic of the vilest type."

"One thing I don't get…" said Ember. "If all ur-priests learn from other ur-priests, who was the first ur-priest?"

"Clearly, only they know, Ember," said Jinx.

"No, Kaede, you're wrong," replied Jalal. "The history of the first ur-priest is well-documented. He lived three-thousand years ago, in the days of ancient Egypt. His name was Sezzik Tam.

"According to legend, Tam started out as a true priest, though not a very important one. He was an acolyte of Osiris, the chief god of the dead. Now, the Egyptians were, as a culture, obsessed with death. Their whole lives were spent preparing for their afterlives. As you might imagine, this made the priesthood of Osiris a rather exalted profession.

"Osiris's faithful were not just priests, they were coroners and undertakers. They handled the long process of embalming, and conducted funerals. They collected the bodies of unfortunates who died on city streets, making sure that no-one who had been lost was without a final rest.

"But in handling the deceased, Tam saw opportunities. He started to take things from them. It started with a ring that he took fancy to, that he figured no-one would miss. Then he would take the coins that were in some merchant's pocket when he died. Eventually, he got greedy. He'd steal valuable jewelry from the corpses of rich men, and even the coins placed on a dead man's eyes to keep them closed.

"But one day, he was discovered… And he was in trouble. You see, to those who worship Osiris, stealing from the dead is not only a crime, it is a blasphemy. The dead are sacred to Osiris, and robbing from them is taboo to their dogma.

"Tam was expelled from the order, but not before being flogged. He was told that he got leniency. But he thought otherwise. He burned with hatred at the indignity, and in his mind, he started to hate Osiris.

"Then, according to legend, a being of light descended out of the night sky and appeared before him. The being had knowledge that it wanted to share, and had decided that Tam was the ideal candidate. It told Tam that he was right to hate the gods, because they were nothing but frauds that had used deception and trickery to gain the power they had, and didn't deserve the worship that mortals gave them. Why should mortals pledge allegiance to them to gain their power when there was a much easier way? It knew an easier way, and it was willing to teach Tam how to do it. It only asked that Tam ask no questions about where the knowledge came from. Tam agreed, and learned the secrets he needed to become the first ur-priest.

"No-one is clear on what this being was. Some say that it was the aspect of Osiris's evil brother Set, who had reason to hate the clergy of the God of the Dead. But most point out that not even Set would teach a mortal this craft. Set was a god himself. Would any god be foolish enough to teach a mortal something that could one day be used against him?

"After this, Tam possessed great power indeed. A story of his whole life would take a long time to tell, but it was full of dark acts and horrible atrocities. He commanded great spells, and led powerful armies of a dark kingdom for three-hundred years."

"He lived for three-hundred years?" asked Shichiro.

"Yes, and he didn't die of old age, either," continued Jalal. "You see, as the first ur-priest, Tam was more daring than modern ones. He thought he _could_ get away with what he was doing. Eventually, his power got so great, he thought himself superior than the entities that he stole from, and started committing the most foolish acts of blasphemy imaginable.

"His career ended when he made the boldest move of all. He led a small army of troops to attack the great temple of Osiris itself in Cairo. He slaughtered the temple guards, defiled the altar, and then had the high priest dragged outside where the horrified public had gathered. Before Tam himself lifted his sword to murder the man in front of the assembled crown, he addressed Osiris himself, taunting the god, daring him to prove that he was any better than he was.

"And that did it. A gryphon flew out of the sky and swooped upon the ur-priest."

"A gryphon?!" exclaimed Gears.

"That's a half-lion/half-eagle, right?" asked Ember.

"A half-lion/half-eagle who serves the gods, Ember," replied Shichiro. "They act as agents of divine retribution, and are strong enough to tear a man in two."

"Which is exactly what happened to Sezzik Tam," said Jalal, shaking his head. "Well, in his case, it might have been more like two-hundred. His hour of reckoning had come.

"This proved what modern ur-priests now know: they won't get away with it forever. Eventually, the gods notice what they're doing, and make them pay for the power they've stolen, often with interest. Sezzik Tam's violent death taught them one thing – that any campaigns they make against divine powers had to be done subtly and in secret. Making their activities so public with outright attacks would lead to a premature end."

"One would wonder why they would even try," muttered Ember.

"Well, all ur-priests have a reason," said Jalal. "Which brings us back to our friend Edmund…

"Roughly twenty years ago, he was nothing more than an exceptionally bright scholar who happened to be Aware. He was engaged to be married to a woman he loved more than anything. But then, she was killed in the most bizarre way – her car was struck by a plummeting meteorite.

"Edmund's grief, combined with the incredibly unlikely chance of such a thing happening, drove him mad. He knew that the odds against a human dying like that by accident were about a billion to one. He believed it _wasn't_ an accident, and that the gods had killed his beloved on purpose.

"He never wanted power. He wanted revenge. He long ago stopped caring about his own life or the lives of anyone else. He seeks to punish the gods for what he perceives they did to him."

"And just how does he plan on doing that?" asked Shichiro.

"Just listen to the last entry in this journal," said Jalal. "It was dated about eight years ago:

"_My plans stand ready, and my allies are waiting. I realize that what I am doing will lead me to damnation in the pits of Hell. But, if in my final hour, I witness the death of this world, and am able to laugh in the face of its creators, I will be satisfied. They took my love, my life, my reason for being. I will relish their pain as their greatest work is consumed by the tide of darkness I will bring upon it…"_

"Do you believe it?" asked Gears.

Jalal sighed.

"I've lived a long life, people…" he replied. "During it all, I've heard numerous prophesies of doom from humans and Shadows alike predicting the end of the world, each one with a sillier name than the last… The Sigils of Ragnora… The Calamity of Pandorym… The Y2K Bug… All of them so far have turned out to be nothing more than big false alarms…

"But something about the ramblings in this journal make them seem different than the standard rants of the typical doomsayer…"

"So why did he want us to read this?" asked Shichiro. "Is it a threat? A taunt? A dare?"

"I think he wants us to try to stop him for some reason," replied Jalal. "Normally, only a fool would play into his scheme, but this is too serious to ignore."

"I think I need some coffee myself…" said Ember.

She got up and walked to the kitchen. Jalal watched with concern.

As Ember sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee, a lot was on her mind.

She was surprised to see Jalal's hand on her shoulder.

"Take heart, child," he said. "I haven't forgotten the ceremony. I'm sure you'll find it satisfactory."

"I know…" muttered Ember. "I'm kinda wondering what I'm going to tell my folks about all this…

"What was your mother like, dare I ask?"

Jalal smiled, and blushed slightly.

"I'll bet she was some princess or queen," continued Ember. "Or some female knight like St. Joan…"

"Far from it, Michiko…" sighed Jalal. "Truthfully, my mother was little more than a farmer.

"She didn't know my father was a dragon when they first met, but she found that out on her own… She was very clever, and did something that very few humans had managed to do: follow him to his lair. That's what impressed him the most.

"Back then, one of the most important things a suitor was judged on was his ability to protect a prospective wife… Who would be more able to protect her than a dragon? A courtship followed, and eventually, they were married."

"She wasn't worried about the stories of what dragons did to maidens?" asked Ember.

"Exaggerated myths, all of them," replied Jalal. "Dragons don't eat maidens and princesses. Metallic dragons, like my father aren't even carnivorous; they eat gems and precious ore. Evil dragons do eat meat, but they prefer food with a bit more kick to it. Humans are actually rather bland to them."

His brow furrowed.

"I eventually came to realize a grim truth… Malys had likely intended to gorge herself on my father's carcass if he had died from that assassin's blade. The flesh of other dragons is a rare delicacy for evil wyrms like her.

"But anyway, one thing my mother had a great deal of was wisdom, and it's something I inherited from her greatly."

He placed his hand on her shoulder, and then slowly vanished.

Ember thought for a minute.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

It was almost noon.

In contrast to the bar where Ember had gone to find Hebi-Na, the Crêpe Suzette was a bar with a much friendlier atmosphere. It was actually a bar and grill of sorts, and Ember went frequently. It wasn't exactly the place to go if you were watching the calories (the bar was named after the dessert that they specialized in) but it was still a place with a friendly atmosphere.

The lunch hour wasn't as busy as the dinner hour, so Ember knew she likely could talk to the guy she wanted to talk to for at least a few minutes. The guy in question was the bartender, and he immediately took notice when she walked in.

"Michiko?" he said, looking up. "I haven't seen you in, what, three weeks?"

"Hi, Mark," said Ember. "I've been… busy…"

Mark was a sixty-year-old, grandfatherly gentleman who had been a bartender all his life, apparently. Rumor had it that he knew how to make over a hundred cocktails.

"So, what can do for you?" he asked, as Ember sat at the bar. "Put up an order for a chicken cordon bleu?"

"Maybe later…" replied Ember. "Look, Mark… I was wondering… What goes into a Long Island Iced Tea?"

"Long Island Iced Tea?" said Mark. "Well, a traditional one consists of three parts vodka, three parts tequila, three parts white rum, three parts triple sec, three parts gin, five parts lemon juice, six parts gomme syrup, and a dash of Cola, served on the rocks in a highball glass with a slice of lemon."

Ember rubbed her chin.

"Sounds like a pretty stiff drink," she said.

"It is," he replied. "Only for serious cocktail enthusiasts."

"So…" said Ember. "No-one would ever drink four of them, I guess?"

Mark chuckled.

"_Four_ of them?" he laughed. "Good grief no. I once knew a colonel in the United States Marines who lived for cocktails, and he rarely ever had more than one Long Island Iced Tea. If he had two, I had to call him a ride. No-one would ever stay conscious long enough to finish four of those."

Ember looked a little nervous.

"Can I have a Diet Coke?" she asked.

"Coming up," said Mark.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Half an hour later, Shichiro was looking through the journal.

_Doesn't make sense…_ he thought. _This reads like DVR instructions…_

"Shichiro!" shouted Ember, rushing into the room.

"Ember?" he asked.

"Shichiro, listen…" she said. "I may know who we have to look for…"

Shichiro looked at her.

"I know this sounds crazy…" said Ember. "But… Who was it who first pointed us in DaPen's direction?"

Shichiro's eyebrows narrowed.

"Ember…" he said. "You aren't accusing your old boss, are you?"

"Hear me out," said Ember, sitting down. "Jinx's quip about the Long Island Iced Tea made me remember something. Mr. Draco frequently has these business lunches. Basically, those are a kind of scam that rich businessmen use to treat colleges to expensive lunches and deduct them from their taxes as business expenses. But everyone in his position does it.

"Anyway, a few months ago, he went on a business lunch with someone on Godwin's board of directors. I knew the guy because he came into the office a lot. I also knew that this guy didn't drink because of health issues. Draco once offered him a scotch, and he turned it down, saying his wife and his doctor would kill him.

"Anyway, he went on this business lunch with this guy, and I was in charge of filing the receipt for the tax return purposes. I noticed what was written on the tab in terms of beverages ordered – four Long Island Iced Teas, and three Diet Pepsis. Clearly, Mr. Draco ordered the four cocktails."

Shichiro looked at her.

"So what you're saying is…" he said. "Nothing human could have had four of those drinks and remained functional?"

Ember slowly nodded.

"I remember him coming back from the restaurant and giving me the receipt," she said, softy. "He was clearly not drunk. He wasn't even tipsy. He managed to give four more presentations that day before going home at six o'clock.

"Come to think of it, Shichiro, I have _never_ seen Mr. Draco intoxicated. Not even after coming back from socials where everyone he was with clearly were."

Shichiro stood up, and held Ember by the shoulders.

"Ember, you do realize the seriousness of the accusation you're making, right?" he asked. "Draco is likely the second-most powerful citizen in this city, after Godwin…

"And now that Godwin is… gone…"

"I know, Shichiro," said Ember. "I know that he has influence everywhere. But I just can't shake the feeling…"

Shichiro sighed.

"What scares me is, this actually makes sense," he said. "Okay… I'll go see what I can get from our local government contact…

"You know, I probably should tell you who he is at this point…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In a corner office in the headquarters of Sector Security at midtown, a short, effeminate-looking man in colorful clothing and odd makeup was on the phone at a desk that was more disorganized than it had been at months. He was not very happy.

His name was Jeager – if there was a last name connected to that, he never used it. To most, he was Head of Special Investigations and Godwin's second-in-command. He was also, like Godwin, a member of Yliaster, although very few non-members knew that.

Ever since gaining his position, he was content to be the number two man in Godwin's organization. He never dreamed that Godwin would leave without a replacement, putting the job squarely on his shoulders, especially now that it seemed there was a work docket a mile long.

"Reports are spreading through Satellite like wildfire, sir," said the Security officer on the other end of the video phone. "They say that Louis DaPen is dead. But we can't confirm it."

"Then keep trying until you DO confirm it!" shouted Jeager, angrily. "I'm up to my neck in new business, and this is all we need!"

He held his head as he hung up. He hit a button on the desk.

"Security post five?" he said. "Send a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water up here…"

He sighed.

"This is bad…" he muttered. "If DaPen is dead, Security won't take the credit for it… If word gets out that we never caught him, it will be bad for our reputation…"

"Having trouble, Jeager?" asked a voice.

Jeager frowned. He turned around slightly and saw Shichiro.

"What do you want?" he asked. "In case you didn't notice, I'm busy!"

"Gee, Jeager," said Shichiro, "I thought you'd have jumped at the chance to run things."

"Well, I didn't know that about five-dozen projects had been approved before Godwin decided to… leave," muttered Jeager. "Look at all this stuff we have to oversee! Renovations in Satellite, construction projects in Satellite…

"And this bridge is going to occupy most of our time. I've got a bidding war with about ten construction companies who want the contract, and dealing with the insurance company has been a nightmare! Do you know what you have to do to insure a project that has to be built over water?

"It's a waste of time, in my opinion…"

"You know, Jeager, I never liked you," said Shichiro. "If it had been up to me, I would have let that Dracotta beast get you. You should have known that the best way to get a female creature angry was to threaten its young."

"The thing was fifteen feet long!" shouted Jeager, standing up. "How was I supposed to know it was an infant?!"

"And the reason you didn't is because you've always taken Shadowkind for granted!" replied Shichiro. "To you, elves are nothing but slim humans with pointy ears, and dwarves are nothing but stout humans with beards. You never learned that when dealing with them, you have to think outside the box!"

"That's why I stay away from the Shadows from now on," replied Jeager. "I stay around humans. And I get something from them that I never get from you or any Shadows… I get respect."

"Respect, Jeager?" asked Shichiro. "The only respect you get from them is out of fear, not from any ability or talent you have."

Jeager sighed.

"Shichiro, I'm too tired to argue," he said, "so I'll just ask it again… What do you want?!"

"Glad you asked," replied Shichiro. "I heard that you got the alleged news that DaPen was dead. Well, I hate to disappoint you, but it's true. He was killed by an assassin. You should know that in the underworld, these things happen. Still, there is a way that your organization can benefit…"

"Oh? How?" asked Jeager.

Shichiro held up a flash drive.

"See this?" he said. "This is a copy of the files on the hard drive on the computer that was in his office. It contains information on every criminal and apparently legitimate businessman he was known to have connections to, activities they were engaged in, activities they are _planning_ to be engaged in…"

Jeager's heart skipped a beat. Then he composed himself.

"…and a lot of other stuff that Sector Security would find quite useful," continued Shichiro.

"And I suppose you aren't just going to give it to me?" he asked.

"I want to make a trade, Jeager," said Shichiro. "It's yours, in exchange for a copy of all your information on Anthony Draco."

Jeager looked at him. Then he chuckled a little.

"Draco, huh?" he said, sitting down at his computer. "Eh, I never liked him…

"Why not? When Godwin was around, I likely wouldn't dare give you information on one of his business partners… But with Godwin out of the picture, I couldn't care less about his associates…

"Just one thing… If Draco is in any trouble, we don't want any part of it!"

"Wouldn't dream of it," replied Shichiro.

Five minutes later, Shichiro and Jeager swapped flash drives.

"A pleasure doing business with you," muttered Jeager, as the Shadowchaser left.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

One hour later, Shichiro was going over the files, superimposed over the Shadowchaser archives on his own hard drive. Jinx and Gears started watching him.

"People, we may just have something here," said Shichiro. "Draco's history sure fits the profile of that of a Shadow. No record of his birth, family, education… Nothing before thirty years ago.

"According to this, he just appeared on Wall Street one day as a new investor, who started to invest big, and buy the stock in the most promising commodities…"

"Hold it…" said Gears. "When a Shadow comes to this world, he doesn't have anything but the clothes on his back. Where'd he get the money to invest?"

"Not sure," said Shichiro. "But before long…"

The computer beeped.

"Hello?" he said.

The file had made a match with the archive database. Shichiro compared them.

"People…" he said. "The first company that Draco owned was an American firm that was previously owned by… an illithid. One who called himself Jarvis Powell.

"I think we may have found a smoking gun…"

He started to type.

"The magic number for stockholders is fifty-one," he said. "Own fifty-one percent of a company's stock, and you have a controlling share, which means you pretty much own the company.

"This Powell fellow didn't _technically_ own a controlling share. He owned forty-nine percent of the stock. But two percent of it was owned by a stockholder who was more-or-less his puppet.

"This stockholder, it seems, was married to an immigrant, who had been repeatedly denied a green card for some reason. Powell apparently blackmailed him, threatening to get Immigration Services on his wife's case unless he complied with everything he told him to do.

"Thus, this stockholder always agreed with Powell, and Powell was able to run the company and maintain the illusion that he didn't actually control it via majority share, a good bit of PR.

"But here's what happened… Draco got on the board of directors, and bought up the remaining forty-nine percent. Then he used his influence to finally get the woman's green card approved. Apparently, she wasn't getting one because her applications were being railroaded to an official who was being bribed, and Draco exposed the guy to a more competent official.

"Powell's threat had no power any more, and Draco was easily able to obtain the guy's two percent of stock. He now had a majority share, and took over the company."

"And what happened to Powell?" asked Gears.

Shichiro hit a command on the keyboard, and the illithid's photo came up. The word "deceased" was stamped on it.

"He's dead?" asked Jinx.

"An apparent suicide," replied Shichiro. "But what if…"

He started to type.

"Shichiro," said Gears, "bring up the list of companies that Draco acquired through hostile takeovers."

"I'm way ahead of you," said Shichiro.

A list of names came up. Then six of them were highlighted.

"Good lord…" said Shichiro. "Six… Six companies that Draco took by force were once owned by illithids!

"And look at what happened to them! Three apparently committed suicide, two went insane and were committed to facilities, and the last disappeared without a trace…"

"This can't be a coincidence," said Jinx. "Clearly, Draco didn't like illithids too much…"

"No one likes them too much," said Gears, "but even if they were crooks, they had rights! If what eventually happened to them was ultimately foul play…

"And I can't shake the feeling that Draco might be an even greater threat than they are if he makes a habit out of ruining them."

Shichiro realized something.

"Where's Ember?" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

At that moment, Ember was riding a private elevator up to an upper floor of a building she had gone to so many times before.

She exited the elevator, onto a long hallway.

She took a deep breath, and walked down the hallway, towards the wooden double doors at the end. She opened them.

She walked right through the entrance hall where her old desk was.

Then she entered _his_ office.

She was met with a surprise. It was there, on the middle of the floor. The complete Regalia of Day was there, glowing with a soft light.

Ember looked at it.

_Better not touch it…_ she thought, pulling her hand back.

"Good thinking," said a familiar voice. "You'll get a nasty shock if you do."

Ember turned around and saw Draco there, as she expected him to be.

"I guess you have questions, Ember…" he said.

"Yeah," replied Ember. "Why did you send Hebi-Na to kill me?"

Draco looked at her sadly.

"I had hoped you wouldn't figure that part out," he said.

"Oh, I figured it out, all right," replied Ember. "She was actually working for you, as an assassin. I can sum up the reason why you didn't like talking to her in two words: Salary dispute. She was getting good, and wanting more money, and it was giving you a headache. But you had no intention of getting rid of her, nor did she have any intention of quitting."

"You're only half-right, actually," replied DaPen. "It was a salary dispute, but the reason I didn't like discussing it with her was because I wasn't her true employer."

"Pardon?" asked Ember.

"She really works for a… Partner of mine," replied Draco. "She was not only an assassin, but the go-between between me and this partner, plus DaPen as well. But this partner can't exactly pay anyone with actual money, so I was required to pay her salary. It got kind of annoying after awhile. I was basically paying someone to do a job she was doing for someone else."

"So your… partner wanted her to kill me?" asked Ember. "Why?"

"Because we noticed your powers forming," replied Draco. "You had incredible potential. It just wouldn't do to have a budding Shadowchaser that close to me, Ember. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't want it done."

"Why didn't you just fire me?" asked Ember.

"Fire you?" asked Draco. "Without any cause or explanation? You were one of my best employees. What message would that have sent to everyone else working for me?"

"So, this partner of yours tried to kill me…"asked Ember.

"If it's any consolation," said Draco, "I objected to the idea. But my partner insisted. I couldn't continue my plans without cooperation, and we couldn't let an Aware get so close."

"And when Hebi-Na messed up," said Ember, "you covered your tracks by giving me a big bonus and a vacation, and shifting the blame to DaPen. DaPen was set up to be the fall-guy in this whole scheme."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing," said Draco, narrowing his brow. "DaPen was far from innocent. Didn't you hear him say what he intended to do to your three friends? Nasty. I witnessed him commit murder personally, several times, either with a gun or by devouring a victim's brain. He was involved in the drug trade, racketeering, and even a slave ring among the most unscrupulous Shadowkind. I figured that I was doing the Shadowchasers a favor by pointing them in his direction."

"While you were free to do whatever you and this partner of yours were planning with that thing," said Ember, pointing to the Regalia. "Who are you? Just who is this partner, anyway?"

"I'm someone with big plans, Ember, very big plans," sighed Draco. "I've been around so long, waiting for the chance to make them… My people have seen empires rise and fall, things come and go like you wouldn't believe…"

Ember looked at him hard.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'll gladly explain everything, Ember," he replied, "but we all know what's about to happen. The doors to this floor are all locked, and yelling for help won't do you any good, because I sent everyone home early. Don't dream of forcing your way past me either, because I'm much stronger than any human, even a Shadowchaser."

He placed a Duel Disk on his arm.

"If you defeat me, I'll let you go, but my secrets will remain mine. If I should win this duel, I'll explain everything right before I deal with you."

"You want to finish what Hebi-Na started, right?" asked Ember.

"Oh, I have no intent to kill you now," replied Draco. "The situation has changed a great deal. But you'll probably find that out later anyway."

He chuckled.

"In the meantime, you have a great opportunity, wouldn't you say? What employee wouldn't jump at the chance to beat her old boss senseless?"

_**I had once again decided to take initiative, and to confront Draco. But after listening to him, I couldn't help but think that I might be in over my head. I was Aware, after all, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see anything other than human when I looked at him. Clearly, his true form was hidden under a very powerful illusion. **_

_**I could only imagine what horrible form lay behind the false face that he had fooled me with for so long. But I would figure that out later. I had no choice but to duel. And I wasn't as sure of myself now as I was when I had first come here. **_

_**In fact, I had more self-doubt now that I had in a long time…**_

_Coming up next:_

_Ember duels Draco, and even better, the details of the villainous plan are revealed. This chapter was called "Back to Square One", but the next one will be called "Breakthrough!" Don't miss it._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Rhul, Orcish Battle Mage**

As a race, orcs are not too fond of magic. They are superstitious creatures who do not trust wizards and their ilk. And they usually lack the education or inborn ability necessary to practice arcane magic. Orc clans may have a shaman or witch doctor, both of which are divine spellcasters, but almost never a true sorcerer.

That almost changed several years ago in New York City. The orc clans there do leave humans alone most of the time, as they don't want trouble with the Shadowchasers, but they and clans of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears often spar with each other in old-world style gladiatorial fights, held in dark underground arenas in the inner city. Only a few rules are enforced in these brawls, which often leave one or more combatants seriously hurt, but the clans need them on occasion to curb their bloodlust, both for the fighters and spectators.

One orc named Rhul figured he could improve his chances and provide a better show after finding a large spellbook in a wizard's abandoned laboratory. He studied them, and learned how to become what is properly called a militant wizard, but what most call a battle mage. A battle mage is a wizard who is capable with a weapon and armor, a rare thing, but it seemed to appeal to the orc.

However, it did not appeal to the members of Rhul's clan. They had little trust for magic, and were nervous over his spellcasting. Rhul tried his hand at alchemy, thinking that potions of bull's strength and elixirs of heroism could win his clan over. But the strange smells and odd-colored smoke coming from the small lab he set up made them even more nervous. Finally, the clan's chieftain decided he was going to take that spellbook and shove it down Rhul's throat, and took his five top aides to help him.

Ten minutes later, a fireball had reduced the six of them to charred bones. The furious battle mage told the rest of the clan that he was taking over, and the clan, too afraid of him to refuse, and with more respect for magic than they previously had, agreed. Rhul decided that he was going to take the clan in a new direction, and told them all to start packing.

In the weeks that followed, word spread among certain groups and interests that if anyone needed a group of mercenaries, Rhul's Regiment was available for a fair price.

Since that time, Rhul has led his band of mercenaries, and has worked for anyone who has needed them. His Regiment has worked in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and anywhere an orc could use his skills for profit. Rhul doesn't care whether he works for drug dealers, terrorists, or legitimate constabulary, so long as they pay him. His Regiment constantly loses members as they get killed or captured (by the Shadowchasers or others) but Rhul has never been caught, and he just recruits more members, most of them orcs, but also other savage humanoids.

On the homeworld of Shadow, a battle mage usually wore chain mail and carried a longsword. Rhul does not. He wears a flack-jacket and uses whatever firearm his employer provides, often a high-caliber assault rifle. Even worse, he knows spells that let him enchant a firearm, turning bullets into fiery blasts capable of dealing even greater pain.

**Story Ideas:** Rhul's Regiment could show up in any part of a story where a Shadowchaser has to deal with the dark side of humanity. Third world countries and outlaw nations are havens for terrorists and criminals, and these groups could easily have Rhul on their payroll. Even criminal groups from more respectable nations could hire Rhul's group as bodyguards for a foray into such a place. Rhul doesn't care who his employers are, and they change often.

**Deck Suggestions:** When Rhul has to duel his way out of a situation (not a common occurrence), he uses an odd deck that combines both Warriors and Spellcasters. This deck takes full advantage of The A. Forces, which benefits both Types, and Frontier Wiseman, a Spellcaster who supports Warriors.


	56. Breakthrough!

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX**

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**Breakthrough!**

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_**It seemed I had come face-to-face with the mastermind behind this whole scheme, and it was none other than my old boss, Anthony Draco.**_

_**Strangely, however, he didn't seem to fit the profile of the typical villainous mastermind. He wasn't threatening or condescending so far; in fact, he was almost as polite as he had always been. Something odd was going on, and there was something that I was missing.**_

_**I was determined to know the rest, but for now, all I could do was duel…**_

"So…" said Ember, "this partner of yours… Is it Edmund? Are you an ur-priest like he is?"

"No, to both questions," replied Draco. "He's an acquaintance of my actual partner, and I have as little to do with him as possible. To tell the truth, I despise him.

"Not that he cares. He pretty much gave up trying to get people to like him when he decided to turn himself into a living pile of vermin."

"Uh, yeah…" said Ember. "So… is this some sort of Shadow Duel?"

"Oh, please," replied Draco.

He placed a deck in his Disk.

"I'm the CEO of a major multi-national company, Ember," he said. "I don't need to tell you that. I didn't get to the top in the world of business by being frivolous with my resources.

"Why waste magic creating a Shadow Duel when a normal duel will suffice?

"What's the point of summoning the Shadows anyway? I suppose that if my deck were full of cursed cards like the ones the Dark Signers had, it would be necessary.

"But other than that, Shadow Duels do nothing but satisfy sadists and megalomaniacs who enjoy watching their opponents suffer. I like to think I'm beyond that."

"Lucky me," said Ember, as both Disks activated.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Draco: 8,000)**

"Now, let's see here…" said Draco, making his first draw.

"I summon…"

He placed a card on his Disk.

"…Genex Power Planner."

The Monster that appeared looked like little more than a small engine that was sparking with electricity and covered with tubing and circuits. It didn't seem to be in the best shape. (300 ATK)

"Not the strongest Monster," said Ember.

"But it has a useful effect," replied Draco, looking through his deck. "By Normal Summoning it, I get to take an Effect Monster from my deck that is Level 3 or less, with the word 'Genex' in its name."

_Genex Monsters?_ thought Ember. _I've… heard of them…_

He got what he wanted, and then reshuffled. Then he placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"I'll set this, and that will be all for now."

Ember made a draw.

_This couldn't be more obvious…_ she thought. _But… maybe he's bluffing…_

"I summon Blazing Inpachi!" she shouted.

A bonfire appeared on her side of the field, and the huge, burning wicker man appeared. (1,850 ATK)

"Destroy his Genex Power Planner!" she shouted.

Blazing Inpachi lifted its fist.

"I activate… No Entry!!" shouted Draco.

His facedown card lifted up.

"Now, all Monsters in Attack Mode move to Defense Mode."

Blazing Inpachi stumbled, and then knelt in defense. (0 DEF) Genex Power Planner seemingly shut off. (200 DEF)

Ember sighed.

"Your move…" she muttered.

Draco made a draw.

"I summon Genex Searcher," he said.

He played another card, and a new Machine appeared. It was shaped like a man, vaguely, but could hardly be called humanoid. It looked like it had been cobbled together out of scrap metal and junk, and was covered with dials, gauges, and gewgaws. Its arms were thin and spindly, and ended in clamps. (1,600 ATK)

"I end my turn," he said.

Ember raised an eyebrow.

_Doesn't he see that my Blazing Inpachi has zero Defense Points, and that I have no reversed cards?_ she thought.

She drew a card.

_He's up to something…_ she thought.

She drew a card.

"I move Blazing Inpachi back to Attack Mode…" she said.

Blazing Inpachi stood up.

"…and then summon Blue Flame Swordsman!"

In an aura of blue fire, the fiery Warrior appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Let's try this again!" she shouted. "Attack Genex Power Planner!"

Blue Flame Swordsman struck the small motor with his blade, melting it clean in two.

"Blazing Inpachi, junk his junk-bot!"

The Inpachi socked Genex searcher with a fiery fist, and it fell backwards before shattering into pieces.

"Junk-bot, Ember?" he said. "Hardly. It's not called a searcher for nothing. When it's destroyed by battle, I get to bring out another Genex in Attack Mode, so long as it has 1,500 Attack Points or less.

"I think Genex Worker will do this time."

The Machine that appeared this time seemed to be less shoddily-built than the last two. It looked like a cross between a hovercraft and a small tank, made of gunmetal grey steel. (1,200 ATK)

"I end my turn…" said Ember, shaking her head.

_I don't know where the heck this is going…_ she thought.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,750)**

Draco made a draw.

"I activate Worker's effect," he said. "I sacrifice it…"

Genex Worker vanished into grains of light.

"…and in return, I can Special Summon another Genex from my hand. I choose Genex Undine."

There was a blast of water, and a strange-looking robot appeared. Its skin seemed to be made out of a transparent plastic, revealing its interior, which was full of water and odd machinery.

It knelt in Defense Mode. (600 DEF)

"Now, I summon Genex Neutron," he said.

A far more high-tech Genex appeared, with black and gold plating, a definite humanoid form, and solar panels on its face, arms, and torso. (1,800 ATK)

"Now I use its effect," he said, looking through his deck again. "Since I Normal Summoned it, I get to take a Machine-Type Tuner Monster from my deck…"

_Tuner?!_ thought Ember. _Lovely…_

Draco reshuffled.

"I set a facedown," he said, as a facedown card appeared, "and it's your move."

Ember quickly drew a card.

_I gotta stop his Synchro Monster from showing up if I can,_ she thought. _They're never good news!_

"Blazing Inpachi, attack Genex Neutron!" she shouted.

Blazing Inpachi raised its fist.

"I activate Staunch Defender!" shouted Draco, as his Trap Card lifted. "Now, your Monsters can only attack the Monster I choose.

"But… since you wanted to attack Neutron so much, I think I'll choose that one."

"Eh?" said Ember.

Inpachi punched the android, and it exploded.

She took a card from her hand.

_That means I can't attack his Undine…_ she thought. _He must have wanted to protect it pretty badly…_

She set a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"I'll end with this," she said.

**(E: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,700)**

"My draw," said Draco.

He drew a card.

"Mmm…" he said, adding it to his hand.

He took the card he had searched for with Neutron's effect.

"The Monster you are about to see is unlike any other," he said. "This is the lynchpin that unites the Genex. It can harness the powers of the elements, and unlock limitless potential…

"I summon Genex Controller."

Ember stepped back. She expected something big and scary to appear…

However, the Machine that appeared was anything but. It was actually kind of cute. It was a _little_ robot with a large, cubical face, covered with light bulbs, some of which were placed to form a face, with four tiny limbs underneath. (1,400 ATK)

Ember tried very hard not to laugh.

"_That_ Monster unites all the Genex?" she giggled. "R2D2 is scarier!"

"Well, Ember," replied Draco, "if I remember my movie history right, R2D2 helped the heroes out of a lot of bad situations, now didn't he?"

"Touché," said Ember.

"Genex Controller may not look impressive," said Draco, "but it's the only Tuner that the Genex can use to create their most powerful Synchros. Just as Junk Synchron is the only way for Junk Warrior, Genex Controller is the only way for _several_ Synchro Monsters.

"And not only does each Genex Synchro need Genex Controller, but the non-Tuner must be the right Attribute. For example, the one I intend to summon right now requires a Water Monster."

Genex Controller and Genex Undine dissolved into six glowing stars, which coalesced into a brilliant light.

"Synchro Summon… Hydro Genex!"

A Monster appeared in a blast of bubbles. It looked like an upgraded version of Genex Undine, with more solid armor, and twin panels on its back connected to a spherical tank. It held a long spear in its hands. (2,300 ATK)

"Lovely…" said Ember.

"Now…" said Draco, "I could explain how the various elements oppose one other, but in simple terms… Water puts out fire.

"Extinguish her Blazing Inpachi! Hydro cannon!"

Hydro Genex pointed its spear, and a high-pressure blast of water shot at the Inpachi. It fell backwards and burst into an explosion of steam.

"Hydro Genex has a useful effect," said Draco, as he glowed with pulsating energy. "Whenever it wins a battle, the Attack Score of the destroyed Monster is added to my Life Points.

"And that will end my turn…"

**(E: 7,550) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 9,550)**

"I don't get it, Draco," said Ember. "What's the deal with all these… Genex?"

"Well, Ember," said Draco, as he crossed his arms, "according to Duel Monsters lore, Genex were originally built to work in the creation of better versions of alternative energy production. Each Genex represents a different form of harnessed power. And that's an area where I've always been interested.

"This one, for example, is the embodiment of hydroelectric energy. Other Genex represent geothermal energy, solar power, wind energy conversion, and even more exotic types.

"I've spent so many years of my life and so much company resources trying to improve the quality of life for humans and Shadows alike with energy sources such as this…"

He sighed.

"Sadly, all things must come to an end…"

Ember quickly drew a card.

"I Flip-Summon Flamvell Archer," she said.

Her facedown Monster flipped up, revealing the fiery, bearded bowman. (1,000 ATK)

"Then, I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid."

She played another card, and the young, hot-blooded batter appeared. (500 ATK)

"Next, I'll Tune both Monsters together…"

Flamvell Archer and Ultimate Baseball Kid burned with fire, and then dissolved into six glowing stars. They flew to the ceiling, and then with a flaming blast, Flamvell Urquizas landed on the floor next to Ember. (2,100 ATK)

"Your favorite Monster, huh?" asked Draco.

"When all is said and done, yes," replied Ember. "Now, I use Blue Flame Swordsman's effect, and reduce his Attack Score all the way to zero, to give it all to Urquizas."

Blue Flame Swordsman fell to zero Attack Points, while Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 3,900.

"Impressive…" said Draco, raising an eyebrow.

"Attack his Hydro Genex!" shouted Ember. "Fist of flame!"

Urquizas flew at the robot, and socked it with a burning fist. Hydro Genex buckled under the blow, and then exploded into another burst of hot steam.

**(E: 7,550) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,950)**

"Due to his effect, Urquizas gains 300 more Attack Points," said Ember.

(4,200 ATK)

"I move Blue Flame Swordsman to Defense Mode…"

The Warrior knelt, and held his sword down. (1,600 DEF)

"… and I end my turn."

Draco frowned, and made a draw.

He set two cards on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared and a reversed Spell or Trap appeared.

"End!" he said.

Ember drew a card.

"I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!" she shouted.

She played the card, and Hiita leapt onto the field, with her fox at her heals. (1,850 ATK)

"Urquizas, destroy his Monster!" she shouted.

Urquizas's fist burned with fire, and he flew at the hidden Monster. Mystic Tomato appeared on the card, and exploded into pulp.

"ERGH!" groaned Draco.

Urquizas rose to an Attack Score of 4,500, and a second Mystic Tomato appeared where the first one had been. (1,400 ATK)

Hiita aimed her staff, and fired a blast of flames. The second Mystic Tomato exploded.

"I use its effect to summon Spare Genex!" shouted Draco.

The Machine that appeared this time looked similar to Genex Controller, but with far more wear and tear. It held a small flower in its left hand. (800 ATK)

"I end my turn," said Ember.

**(E: 7,550) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 4,400)**

Draco quickly drew a card.

"I sacrifice my Spare…" he said.

Spare Genex vanished into grains of light.

"…to summon a Genex that was developed for military applications… The mighty Army Genex!"

In a burst of fiery energy, the biggest Genex to date appeared on Draco's side of the field. It was a ten-foot-tall robot whose armor was painted the color of camouflage fatigues, with a head shaped like a skull wearing a helmet, a tank of strange liquid on its back with tubes connecting it to its head and shoulders, and a huge missile launcher mounted on its left shoulder. (2,300 ATK)

"Uh… Not bad…" said Ember. "But Urquizas is far stronger…"

"But it has a special ability," replied Draco. "Since I summoned it by sacrificing a Genex, it can destroy any card I desire."

Army Genex blasted a volley of missiles from its weapon at Flamvell Urquizas. Ember braced herself as her Monster exploded.

"I'm not done," continued Draco. "I activate my Ultimate Offering Trap Card."

The facedown card lifted up

"Now I can make as many Normal Summons as I desire, so long as I pay 500 Life Points for each additional one. So I also summon Turbine Genex."

With a loud hum, a cylindrical Machine with a glowing core appeared next to Army Genex. (1,400 ATK)

"And with it on the field, all Genex Monsters gain 400 more Attack Points."

Army Genex rose to 2,700 Attack Points, and Turbine Genex rose to 1,800.

"Army Genex, attack Hiita!"

The Genex blasted its missiles again. Hiita screamed before she was blown to atoms.

"And now I play Enemy Controller," said Draco, as a Spell Card appeared. "I'll move your Swordsman to Attack Mode."

Blue Flame Swordsman stood up. (0 ATK)

Turbine Genex blasted a bolt of pure energy, and he was incinerated. Ember cringed and held her gut.

She waved her hand, and the Fusion version of Flame Swordsman appeared in his place. (1,600 DEF)

"It's your move…" said Draco.

**(E: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,900)**

Ember drew a card.

She glared at him, and set a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

"Just move," she said.

Draco made a draw.

"Attack!" he shouted. "Wipe out her Monsters!"

Army Genex fired, and Molten Zombie appeared on the card before it was blown to pieces. Turbine Genex fired its blast, and Flame Swordsman was atomized.

"That's all for now."

Ember made another draw.

_Yes!_ she thought.

"I summon Flamvell Gurnika!" she shouted.

In a burst of fire, a tall, humanoid dragon-man appeared. He had violet scales, wings, a mane of red hair, and wore a pair of leather trousers. (1,700 ATK)

"Next, I'm tossing Flamvell Baby from my hand to boost his Attack Score."

She discarded the card, and Gurnika burned with fire. (2,100 ATK)

"And then, I'm playing Molten Destruction!"

She placed the card in her Field Slot, and the office vanished, replaced by the fiery, volcanic wasteland. (2,600 ATK)

"Nice try," said Draco, "but for all that work, it still can't beat Army Genex."

"He'll be able to if it loses the bonus it's getting from Turbine Genex," replied Ember.

Draco stopped short as he realized Ember was right.

"Attack Turbine Genex!" shouted Ember.

Flamvell Gurnika breathed a stream of hot, blue flames from his jaw, and Turbine Genex sparked, and fizzled. Then it exploded in a large blast.

"Gurnika has a special effect too," said Ember. "Now, you lose 200 additional Life Points for each Level your destroyed Monster had. Since it was Level 4, that's 800 more."

Draco winced a little.

"I end my turn…" said Ember.

**(E: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,300)**

Draco made a draw.

He threw two of his cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared. Then Army Genex knelt, moving into Defense Mode. (1,300 DEF)

He glared at Ember.

"My move!" said Ember.

She made a draw.

"I summon Magna Drago!" she shouted.

The small, fiery Dragon appeared. (1,400 ATK) –) (1,900 ATK)

"Gurnika, destroy Army Genex!" she shouted.

Gurnika breathed its flame, and Army Genex exploded in a flaming blast. Debris flew everywhere.

"Don't forget," said Ember, "you lose 200 Life Points for each Level it had…"

**(E: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,600)**

"This next hit is gonna wipe you out!" she shouted. "Magna Drago…"

"I think not, Ember…" said Draco.

"What? A Trap?" asked Ember.

One of Draco's facedown cards shot up.

"Indeed…" he said. "One that represents the epoch of technological advances… Activate… Time Machine!"

There was a blast of steam, and a dark, metal chamber appeared on his side of the field.

"Most scientists agree that actual time travel is a scientific impossibility, best left to the realms of science fiction. But Duel Monsters can bend the rules of physics. This Trap Card lets me reach into the past, and bring back Army Genex as it was an instant before Flamvell Glunica destroyed it… In Defense Mode once again."

The door of the chamber opened, and Army Genex emerged. It knelt in a defending position again. (1,300 DEF)

Magna Drago continued its assault, and Army Genex exploded again.

"So now what, boss?" asked Ember.

"We'll see…" said Draco.

He made a draw.

"Perfect…" he said.

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Dark Eruption," he said. "Now, I get to recover a Dark-Attribute Monster from my Graveyard, so long as it's Attack Score isn't more than 1,500."

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

"Now I'll summon it…"

In a flash of light, Genex Controller appeared again. (1,400 ATK)

His last facedown card lifted.

"I activate Necro Alchemy!" he exclaimed. "Now, I can change the Attributes of all Monsters in both Graveyards to any I desire. And I choose Fire."

"Huh?" said Ember. "But why? Why do you want all the Monsters in your Graveyard to be Fire?"

"You'll see in a minute," replied Draco.

Then he held up the last card in his hand, the one he had just drawn.

"With Genex Controller on the field, I can Normal Summon this Monster without a sacrifice. So I'll pay 500 Life Points to use Ultimate Offering again.

"I summon Genex Heat!"

A new Monster appeared in a burst of fire. It looked like an old-fashioned industrial furnace with two arms, one of which was holding a coal shovel. (2,000 ATK) –) (2,500 ATK)

"Your Life Points are almost gone," said Ember.

"Almost only counts in horseshoes, Ember," replied Draco. "And let's face it, who plays horseshoes any more?

"Now, I Tune both Monsters together!"

Genex Controller and Genex Heat formed into eight glowing stars…

With a crash, a huge robot landed on Draco's side of the room. It was made of solid iron, had large arms, and a hatch on its chest which revealed a burning, fiery core within. Its face looked at Ember with glaring, burning eyes. (2,400 ATK)

"The Thermal Genex!" exclaimed Draco. "And it has a powerful effect… It gains 200 Attack Points for each Fire Monster in my Graveyard.

"Due to my Trap Card, that's all of them, and I have thirteen Monsters in my Graveyard. Not to mention the bonus it gets from your Field Spell."

Ember stepped back in shock. (5,500 ATK)

"Attack Magna Drago!" ordered Draco.

Thermal Genex's hatch opened, and an explosion of flame shot out, incinerating Magna Drago. Ember screamed in pain, and fell to her knees.

"I… I still have Life Points left…" she squeaked.

"Not for long," said Draco. "Thermal Genex has another effect. When it deals damage, you lose 200 Life Points for each Genex Monster in my Graveyard. I have eleven, and that's more than enough."

Before Ember could even respond, Thermal Genex blasted its wave of flame again, and this time _she_ was the target. She screamed again, and fell on her face.

**(E: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 600)**

"No…" she groaned.

Draco walked up to her.

"Well, I have to say, it was a noble attempt," he said.

"Wait…" she said, meekly. "You promised an explanation…"

"I keep my promises," said Draco. "But first thing's first…"

He lifted a small, glowing object.

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Back at the townhouse, Mistle and Boris came out of the kitchen, with Mistle holding two cups of tea.

"What's this?" asked Gears.

"I don't share this with humans often," said Mistle, "but I think you and Jinx need it. It's made with secret fey healing herbs. It can cure even the most severe migraines."

Gears and Jinx didn't need any more persuasion. They took the tea and drank it quickly.

Jinx held her head. To her surprise, the headache faded almost immediately.

"Wow…" she said. "Mistle… Remind me to get you something nice for Christmas this year…"

"If we don't work fast, we won't be celebrating Christmas," said Jalal's voice.

They all turned and saw Jalal. And he wasn't a hologram. He was actually there. And he was wearing his armor.

"Good grief!" shouted Boris. "Boss… If I new you were gonna actually come, I would have ordered the stuff to make steak and kidney pie!"

"What's the occasion, boss?" asked Shichiro, who was just as surprised.

"I know where Ember is," said Jalal. "She went to confront Draco on her own. Sadly, she's been captured."

"No…" said Jinx.

"But Draco told her his plans, and I heard them," continued Jalal. "I had a spell of clairaudience on Ember that lasted for a while."

He sighed.

"Let's just say that with the recent… turn of events, I was worried about all of you.

"First of all, Draco made a pretty startling claim. He's a Shadowkind who came to Earth via his own volition."

"That's impossible," said Shichiro. "Isn't it?"

"I always thought so," replied Jalal. "But his plan for the Regalia is incredibly potent.

"People… Draco plans to cast the Deluge."

"The Deluge?" asked Gears.

"The most powerful epic level spell of elemental water," replied Jalal. "If cast, it will cause endless rains, causing the land to flood and the sea to rise. The continents will sink, turning the world into one giant ocean, destroying all land-dwelling life.

"Apparently, he has a partner who is helping him. Hebi-Na is in on it, and so is Edmund."

"This is crazy," said Jinx. "In Genesis, after the Great Flood, God promised Noah that He would never flood the world again."

"True," replied Jalal, "the Almighty said that He would never again flood the world. But apparently, now a devil is trying to do it. And since no-one warned anyone beforehand like He did back then, we have to stop it."

"This is Edmund's revenge," muttered Gears. "How he plans to strike against the gods by destroying their greatest work… Destroying the world in a flood!"

"Wait a second…" said Shichiro. "Hebi-Na was in on this? Why? Ophidia are reptiles, not amphibians! They can't survive if the world is flooded."

"Wait…" said Jinx. "Ophidia legends often boast that they descended from a stronger race of snake men, ones that were larger, stronger… And that had both lungs and gills…"

"So?" replied Shichiro "It isn't like they can reverse evolution…"

"Maybe Draco's partner can do just that," added Jinx. "Ember had a waking nightmare when Hebi-Na summoned Vennominaga in that duel. Ember said that Vennominaga told her that she was going to 'restore the ophidia to the glory of their past'. Maybe that means reversing evolution, transforming them into the stronger race that would be capable of ruling the world if it were flooded!"

"One thing I _really_ don't get," said Shichiro. "How does Draco himself benefit? His long-term commodities aren't going to be worth much if he succeeds…"

"That he did not say," replied Jalal.

"We have to stop this…" said Gears.

"I know," said Jalal. "That's why I came personally. This mission cannot fail. Sadly, I do not know what Ember's condition is right now. The spell stopped working after I learned what I did. Something cut me off from her."

"What are we waiting for?" asked Shichiro.

"Hold it," said Gears. "Draco likely broke the bank on magical wards and security for that building, and they more than likely violate the Treaty and then some. Plus, he has the Regalia of Day. He's gonna know we're in there before we do."

Jinx looked at Mistle.

"Hey, Mistle," she said. "I he heard that fey creatures are very good at stealth. Maybe you could…"

"Yes, we are," replied Mistle, "but nymphs like me are rural creatures. If you wanted me to infiltrate a forest shrine or a druidic meeting place, I'd have no problem. This is an office building. For this… You'd need a more urban fey…"

Everyone looked at her. They thought for a minute.

"Elsie!" exclaimed Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx at once.

"Who?" asked Jalal.

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Evening started to fall.

Elsie's self-appointed job was both easy and hard. It was easy to find the joystealers, but very hard to make herself duel them.

Her opponent at this moment was one of the hardest. She and Lacie had been the best of friends before they had become joystealers. But they had barely spoken to each other since that terrible day, so long ago.

Hopefully, Elsie could end it now. Still, it was hard to look at Lacie… She was still a joystealer at the moment, and her body was still corrupted, with the hot pink skin and glowing eyes. Even worse was the horrible Monster she had just summoned, which was probably the Unseelie's card – the dreaded Dark Necrofear. (2,200 ATK) Lacie had 2,000 Life Points remaining.

Elsie had Blessed Iris (2,200 ATK), so it was a standoff at the moment. She also had a facedown card, but nothing else, including no cards in her hand. She had 1,500 Life Points left.

"**Your move, runt,"** said the Unseelie, speaking through Lacie's mouth. **"Crush this Fiend down if you think it will get rid of me, but be warned… You can't be certain of it…"**

Elsie drew one card, and looked at it.

_It's right, I can't…_ she thought. _And I can't use Iris's effect again… I don't have any Dark Monsters left. If I just attack and I'm wrong, I'll be wide open…_

_But I can make sure._

"Pass," she said.

"**So be it,"** said the Unseelie, drawing a card.

"**I play the Spell Card, Riyoku. It drains half of your Monster's Attack Points, and gives it to mine."**

Blessed Iris fell to an Attack Score of 1,100, while Dark Necrofear rose to 3,300.

"**Destroy her Fairy!"** shouted the Unseelie.

"Not so fast!" shouted Elsie, as her facedown card lifted. "I passed for my turn so I would have a card to discard to use _this_! Karma Cut!"

A slash cut across Dark Necrofear, and the demon was blasted out of existence.

The Unseelie screamed an unholy howl. Lacie's mouth opened, and the evil spirit flew out of it.

"_Curse you, Eoshee!"_ screamed the wicked fey's dying words.

Lacie fell to her knees, and as the Unseelie vanished, her skin and eyes started to change to the color of a true Eoshee.

Then she groaned, and fell over, as the holograms vanished. Elsie caught her.

"It's okay, Lacie, it's okay!" she said, stroking her hair. "It's over… It's finally over…"

Then she heard clapping.

She turned around, and saw Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx.

"Hey!" she said. "I never thought I'd see you guys again!"

"You should be so lucky," said Gears.

"I've been busy," said Elsie. "Since we last met, I've found ten Joystealers and driven the Unseelies out of all of them."

"Look… Elsie…" said Gears. "Uhm… I'll put it bluntly…"

"I'll do anything, Gears," said Elsie. "You saved me, after all."

"Then do you think you can help us save the world?" asked Gears.

_**And so the final game began. I was in condition to help at this exact time, being kind of tied up at the moment (no, I don't mean that literally, by the way) but I knew that they would be coming, just as Jinx and Gears likely knew that we would be coming after they lost to DaPen. **_

_**Okay, maybe I didn't exactly expect Jalal to be joining at this point, but the first part of the initial assault was something that would surprise even him. **_

_**It was time for our Commander in Chief to take command, and he would do so in a battle that was a long time coming…**_

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**GENEX CONTROLLER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Tuner  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Flavor Text:** _A one-of-a-kind Genex that can communicate with its allies. It can control the powers of various elements._

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**GENEX NEUTRON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, during your End Phase, you may search your deck for 1 Machine-Type Tuner Monster and add it to your hand.

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**GENEX POWER PLANNER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, search your deck for 1 "Genex" Effect Monster and add it to your hand.

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**GENEX SEARCHER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 400

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon 1 "Genex" Monster with an ATK of 1,500 or less from your deck in Attack Position.

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**GENEX WORKER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Wind  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Activate by Tributing this card. Special Summon 1 "Genex" Monster from your hand.

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**GENEX UNDINE (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 1,200  
**DEF:** 600

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 WATER Monster from your deck to the Graveyard to add 1 "Genex Controller" from your deck to your hand.

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**HYDRO GENEX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** "Genex Controller" + 1 or more WATER non-Tuner Monsters

When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the ATK of the destroyed Monster.

_Note: The proceeding seven Genex Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 02: Invasion of Worms!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPARE GENEX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Activate only when you control a "Genex" Monster, other than this one. Until the End Phase of the turn, you can treat the name of this card as "Genex Controller". This effect may only be used once per turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TURBINE GENEX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** When this card is face-up on the field, increase the ATK of all "Genex" Monsters you control by 400.

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**GENEX HEAT (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** If you control a face-up "Genex Controller", you may Normal Summon this card without Tribute.

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**THERMAL GENEX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 8  
**ATK:** 2,400  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** "Genex Controller" + 1 or more FIRE non-Tuner Monsters

This card gains 200 Attack Points for each FIRE Monster in your Graveyard. When this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict 200 points of damage to your opponent for each "Genex" Monster in your Graveyard.

_Note: The proceeding four Genex Monsters were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 03: Strike of Justice!!" system. They have not yet been released in the United States._

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**ARMY GENEX (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Earth  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 2,300  
**DEF:** 1,300

**Card Description:** If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Genex" Monster, you can destroy one card your opponent controls.

_Note: "Army Genex" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 04: Demon Roar God Revival!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**NECRO ALCHEMY (Trap Card)**

**Continuous Trap**

**Image:** Elemental Mistress Doriado in a zombie-infested graveyard, striking down the zombies with bolts of burning lightning.

**Card Description:** Declare 1 Attribute when this card is activated. For as long as this card remains face-up on the field, all Monsters in both Graveyards are considered the declared Attribute.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FLAMVELL GURNIKA (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Fire  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 200

**Card Description:** When this card destroys a Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Level of the destroyed Monster x200.

_Note: "Flamvell Gurnika" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 03: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Telling too much about the next chapter would give too much away. I will tell you, however, that in the next chapter, Jalal finally gets to stop being a spectator again and handle a threat personally. And the threat he faces is one with a lot of significance for the leader of the Shadowchasers.**_

"_**Dark Hunter" is coming soon.**_

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Beringe, Recruiter of the Revolutionary League**

The Revolutionary League… Most Shadows say it doesn't exist. Some say that it's a secret group of anarchists who seek to overthrow governments worldwide, and unite both humanity and Shadow in a natural state of peace. Anarchists? Revolutionaries? It's easy to think that such a group is a myth. But just ask the mountain dwarf named Beringe, and he'll tell you the League isn't a myth. After all, he's most likely a member.

The League is a lot like any other anarchist group, but it's more widespread. It started on some other world elsewhere in the cosmos centuries ago, and was successful in its goals there. It spread to other worlds, and led revolutions there too. It only recently started recruiting members on Earth.

Here's their philosophy, in a nutshell. They know that "anarchy" is a dirty word to most, but it's hard to sweeten it. The League professes that so long as governments run our lives and boundaries are defined by nations, peoples really have no inalienable rights, regardless of what a constitution or treaty says. They only have what rights the state gives them. Do Americans truly have freedom of expression? Yes, because the state allows it. Do they have freedom of speech, religion, and the press? Do they have the freedom to marry whom they choose and select the career they desire? Yes, because such pleases the state. The League says that it's the same thing in any other country that claims those rights as inalienable, and in all cases, those rights could easily be taken away at any time if the state wanted to. Thus, the only way anyone could have true freedom is to do away with the state entirely, so that people can be in charge of their own destinies.

Beringe is a cross between a promoter of this philosophy and a recruiter for the Revolutionary League. His past, and his motivations, are mostly unknown. His last name and the name of his clan are not known, as he's absolved any relations with any clan anyway. Indeed, he has many names and aliases, so it isn't known if "Beringe" is his real name, but that's the one he uses most often. He's a dour, middle-aged dwarf with a grey beard, and a very large nose. He speaks with a Scandinavian accent, the only clue to his country or origin.

When Beringe wants to meet with someone, it's usually at night in a quiet, unassuming place, like a bar an hour before closing time (he has never lost the fondness for ale that most dwarves have). It's quite likely that other members of the League are nearby to help him in case he gets in trouble. Still, Beringe won't start a scene, as the League isn't powerful enough on Earth yet to get away with it. He usually clams up if a member of the constabulary is nearby, and makes himself scarce if a Shadowchaser appears.

Beringe has never actually been proven to have done anything illegal – yet. However, he has been seen viewing various demonstrations by unnamed groups at government buildings and landmarks in various parts of the world, but not taking part in them. If the group turns violent, he leaves as quickly as he can. Some say that if the League were ever to form terrorist cells and start making an actual attacks on targets, Beringe might be the leader of at least one of them.

Of course, Beringe never admits to being a member of the League. He usually claims to be a "sympathizer" for their cause, or an "expert" on such matters. Still, if he ever convinces someone to meet with someone who will admit it, he always tells that person to "tell them Beringe sent you."

**Story Ideas:** The Revolutionary League has been around for a long time, and they are, if nothing else, patient. They're in no hurry to complete their goals on Earth, and they aren't strong enough to complete them yet on Earth anyway. Still, Beringe does his hardest to strengthen them, finding Shadows with a revolutionary bent who dislike the system. It isn't enough to not like the Treaty; to make it in the League, you have to dislike _all_ forms of government.

Naturally, there are many different ideas on how the "plan" should be enacted. Many believe that anarchy is synonymous with violence, and that groups like the League only cause suffering. But not all members of the League think that violence is necessary for their goals to be met (most do, however). It may be possible that the League chapters on Earth are in danger of being taken over by a dangerous radical with cataclysmic plans, and someone with more borderline views (like Beringe) needs help getting the League back to normalcy. Beringe is willing to call a truce with the establishment (i.e. the Shadowchasers) to prevent a bloodbath.

More often than not, however, heroes will know that Beringe is someone who is not to be trusted. Eventually, he and his group are going to oppose them. Just when is only a matter of time.

**Deck Suggestions:** Beringe's deck is more-or-less "anti-meta". He uses Vanity's Fiend (along with cards to summon it easier, like Cost Down and Star Blast) and Royal Oppression to prevent Special Summoning, and cards like D.D. Warrior Lady and Karma Cut to get rid of opposing Monsters. This deck is not only hard to oppose, but it goes against the norm for most competitive play, which mirrors his ideals.


	57. Dark Hunter

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN**

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**Dark Hunter**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

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**_Now, my cousin (whom I really hope you'll get to meet someday) always says some pretty smart things. One thing he likes to say is, "no good deed goes unrewarded". Of course, Gears would argue that rescuing Elsie was not a good deed. It was his duty as a Shadowchaser to free the Eoshee from the curse they were living under._**

**_Still, Elsie was more than willing to help them infiltrate the outer perimeter, despite the danger involved. Her reasoning was, what did she have left to lose? Very little, in fact, and she figured that helping save the world might make a higher power smile upon her people and make their plight easier to escape once and for all._**

**_And fey are very good at sneaking into and through places they shouldn't be. They take pride in it. How do you think tooth fairies are able to get into children's rooms and exchange the teeth for cash without being detected? A bit of natural stealth and a great deal of magic makes fey incredibly stealthy and sneaky._**

**_So, as the moon rose and the clock neared eight o'clock, Elsie snuck into the parking garage under the Draco Industries building…_**

Four Shadowchasers were waiting outside the large skyscraper. Jalal was on the back of Shichiro's D-Wheel, while Gears and Jinx were on theirs.

A beep came from Shichiro's dashboard.

"Mother bird to home nest," said Elsie's voice. "I'm in…"

"You can cut the military jargon, Elsie," said Shichiro. "How does the place look from where you are?"

"I found the weakest part of the security system," replied Elsie. "Not weak, mind you, but weakest. I'm in the underground parking garage, four floors down. I think there's a private elevator two floors up that Ember may have taken once she got here. Just use your equipment to open a portal and hone in on me.

"Oh, and be careful… There's one guard here, but I don't think he's seen me yet…"

However, Elsie was wrong. The one guard, a tall, humanoid creature in a dark cloak and hood, was well aware that she was there. And he knew who she was talking to.

He reached inside his cloak with his gloved hand, and took out a small, glowing sphere.

"They're coming, master," he said, in a low, raspy voice. "Jalal is with them…"

"Jalal?" said a voice from the sphere, which was clearly not Draco's. "Hmm… An unexpected development… I expected that half-breed to get involved, but not quite so soon…"

"What do you want me to do?" asked the guard.

"What do you think?" asked the voice. "Finish what you started…"

"It will be my pleasure, master…" said the guard, putting it away.

He looked in Elsie's direction…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Five minutes later, the portal opened nearby, and the three D-Wheels drove through.

They received a shock as they pulled to a stop. Elsie was tied up and gagged on the floor in front of them.

When she saw them, she struggled and tried to scream something, but she couldn't possibly.

"Elsie!" shouted Gears, running up to her.

He ripped the gag off.

"RUN!" screamed Elsie. "Run for your lives! He's a demon straight from hell!"

"What do you mean?" asked Shichiro. "It couldn't be that bad…"

Then a cackling, hideous laugh echoed through the parking garage. The three humans' blood ran cold.

Jalal gave a look of sheer terror. He got off the D-Wheel.

"No…" he whispered. "It couldn't be…"

"You recognize that laugh, boss?" asked Jinx.

Jalal paused for a minute.

"I'd never forget it…" he whispered.

They all turned around, and saw the cloaked figured standing there.

"What is it?" asked Jinx.

"His name is Zargon," said Jalal, his voice full of bile. "He's a reeve… The highest paid and best skilled killers among Shadowkind…"

"Reeve…" said Shichiro. "Wait… Wasn't a reeve who…"

He stopped short.

"…killed your father?"

Then he noticed that Jalal had tears in his eyes.

"So nice to be remembered, Jalal," said the reeve. "Do you know how much fun that job was? Dragons were always my favorite targets. Although, I was really upset when that foul worm Malys refused to pay me…"

"How can you still be alive?" shouted Jalal. "You botched the job… Why didn't your fellow reeves kill you like they did to all failures?"

"Because they're all like you guys, stupid," replied Zargon. "Not smart, like me. I knew that one of them was coming to kill me, so unlike most, I had a plan…

"They sent another reeve to kill me… His name was Horashian. But I saw him coming, I ambushed him, and killed him first.

"I knew more would come once they learned of his failure, so I took all of Horashian's things… His weapons and equipment, and his clothes, which, as was the style for our race, were so good at concealing one's face. Then I reported back to the other reeves, posing as Horashian and telling them that the mission was a success, and Zargon was dead. I burned his corpse, as he was instructed to do with mine, and since he was allowed to keep anything I had owned, took all of my possessions along with his. I had survived, and gained a new identity. I was the only one who knew that Zargon still lived.

"All went well for a century, until once again, my quarry evaded me. Once again, my fellows sent one to dispose of me for failure. But once again, I killed the killer, and repeated the trick all over again.

"I've used this trick several times. I've lived so many lives, so many identities, all of them stolen from would-be-assassins. All because I outsmarted my fellows each time. They've likely forgotten that Zargon ever existed…"

"Hold on!" shouted Shichiro. "Exactly how long do you guys live?! Jalal's father was murdered a thousand years ago!"

Zargon laughed again.

"The reeves do not die of natural causes," he replied. "We don't get old, and we never catch diseases. We would all live forever if we were not killed by violence. But, word hasn't gotten out, because almost all reeves on Earth are killed by enemies or their own race."

"You were the assassin who killed DaPen, weren't you?" asked Jinx.

"Guilty," replied Zargon. "Wouldn't you say I did a good job?"

"How the heck did you get duocaine?" asked Gears.

Zargon laughed once again.

"Who do you think invented it?" he asked. "The three government agencies who know how to make duocaine learned how to make it from reeves. They invented the stuff, along with some of the deadliest tools of assassination in existence."

By now, Jalal looked more upset than he had likely been in decades.

"Stand back, boss," said Shichiro. "I can handle this guy."

"No, Shichiro," said Jalal, stepping forward.

His special Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

"This one is personal…"

Zargon chuckled, and a Duel Disk appeared on his own arm. It looked uncomfortably like the Chaos Disks used by the Orichalcos Soldiers many years ago.

"Looks like I've hit a bonanza," he said. "Do you know how many bounties I'll be able to collect once I handle you?"

"Thirty-seven, at last count," replied Jalal. "I keep track of all prices on my head."

Zargon seemed to lose his nerve a little at this statement. Clearly, he had not known there were _that_ many.

"Good gravy…" he muttered. "I'll be able to retire after I finish here…"

"In a pig's eye," said Jalal. "I've survived countless attempts on my life since the Treaty was written. This will be no different."

Zargon regained his composure.

"Yeah, I know you can't be killed," he replied. "I learned that the hard way the last time we met. But I also know of many ways to deal with immortal beings.

"My favorite way is to cut them into pieces and bury each piece in a separate location. Puts them out of commission permanently."

The two Disks activated.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Jalal: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Zargon: 8,000)**

"I'll start this show," said Jalal, drawing a card.

"I summon…"

He played a card.

"…Koumori Dragon!"

With a small growl, a man-sized Dragon with wings and violet scales appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK)

"You call that a Monster?" chuckled Zargon. "I kind of expected more…"

Jalal frowned, and fit a card into his Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Just move…" he said.

"With pleasure," said Zargon, making a draw. "Meet my Insect Knight!"

With a hideous drone, a humanoid mantis holding a sword leapt onto the field. (1,900 ATK)

"Destroy his Dragon!" ordered Zargon.

Insect Knight flew at Koumori Dragon with a sickening buzz…

"Not so fast!" shouted Jalal.

His facedown card shot up, revealing a Quickplay Spell.

"I activate Both Sides," he said. "This lets me sacrifice a Dark Monster to summon a Light one of the same Level from my hand, or vice versa. And I just so happen to have one that qualifies right here…

"So I'll get rid of Koumori Dragon…"

The small Dragon vanished.

"…to bring out Light Lindworm! Attack Mode!"

In a flash of light, the lizard-like, wingless, many-tailed Dragon appeared. (1,900 ATK)

"Tricky…" said Zargon, as Insect Knight landed. "Very well… My bug calls off his attack…

"And I'll play a Spell Card…"

He fit a card into his Disk.

"I play Verdant Sanctuary!"

Suddenly, the whole parking garage changed. Trees, vines, ferns, and flowers sprouted, turning the place into a small, dense forest.

"A Field Spell?" asked Jinx.

"No, it seems to be a Continuous Spell," said Gears. "But I have no idea what it does…"

"I'd love to explain what it does," said Zargon, "but you all will find out soon anyway… I end my turn…"

Jalal quickly drew a card.

"I sacrifice Lindworm…" he said.

Light Lindworm vanished into particles.

"…to summon Genesis Dragon!"

Lightning flashed, and a much bigger Dragon rose over the field. It stood upright, having only two legs and a pair of wings. Its back was colored a burnt crimson, and it had a white underbelly. Lightning crackled all over its scales. (2,200 ATK)

"Flatten his bug! Scorching ray!"

Genesis Dragon blasted a beam of pure light from its jaws, incinerating Insect Knight.

"Ergh…" muttered Zargon.

"All right!" cheered Jinx. "First blood to Jalal!"

**(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,700)**

"True, first blood to him," said Zargon. "But thanks to Verdant Sanctuary, Monsters is one thing I'll never run out of."

He took his deck from the holder.

"You see, thanks to my Spell Card, whenever one of my Insects is stomped, I get to take another from my deck, so long as it's the same Level as the one that was destroyed."

"Fine…" said Jalal. "It's your move…"

Zargon drew a card. He would have smiled if his mouth had been built in a way that could accommodate a smile. It was Bottomless Trap Hole.

He placed two cards on his Disk, and both it and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Your move…" he said.

Jalal made a draw.

"I can't even see your face, and I don't like the look on it," he said.

"I summon Shine Dragon."

As the Monster started to appear, Zargon's finger tensed on the trigger…

It was a small Dragon, with sharp claws, a sharp crest, and bright, silvery scales. (1,400 ATK)

_Aw, crud!_ thought Zargon. _That thing's Attack Score is too low for my Trap to affect!_

"You seem disappointed, Zargon," growled Jalal. "Since this Monster seems to have ruined some plan of yours, I have a pretty good idea just what that plan is…

"Let's see if I'm right… I activate Shine Dragon's effect. By sacrificing it, I can wipe out one of your reversed cards."

"HUH?" said Zargon.

Shine Dragon turned into a beam of pure light, and shot towards the Trap Card, burning it to a cinder.

"Yep, I was right," said Jalal. "Are you starting to see a difference between me now and how I was a thousand years ago? I've gotten smarter and more cunning over the past ten centuries. I can anticipate an enemy's moves by his expressions even if he hides them under a hood. There are some things you simply can't hide.

"And I'm willing to bet that your Monster is Howling Insect. Let's see if I'm right again!"

Genesis Dragon blasted its bolt of energy at the facedown Monster, and it was indeed Howling Insect.

"Oh, I'm so smart," mocked Zargon, taking his deck. "Well, I can't use the effect of Verdant Sanctuary this time, because Howling Insect is the only Level 3 Insect I've got. But I can use Howling Insect's effect to Special Summon Pinch Hopper…"

A large, typical-looking grasshopper appeared in front of him. (1,000 ATK)

"Anything else, Mr. Predict-Every-Move?"

"I think Jalal got him mad," said Jinx.

"Can you blame him?" asked Shichiro. "Don't forget what this guy did…"

Zargon drew a card.

"Hey, Jalal!" he shouted. "Predict this!"

He played a Spell Card.

"I play Insect Costume! First I gotta toss one of my Insects…"

He discarded a Metal Armored Bug.

"…which lets me take another one from my deck…"

He took a card from his deck, and looked at it.

"Then, I get to destroy one that's on the field, like my Pinch Hopper…"

Pinch Hopper exploded into shards.

"Lovely," said Gears. "When Pinch Hopper goes to the Graveyard…"

"I get to Special Summon an Insect from my hand," continued Zargon. "Like Chainsaw Insect!"

There was a roar of chainsaws, and a huge beetle with serrated mandibles appeared in front of him. (2,400 ATK)

"I'm not done!" he laughed. "I'm removing two Insects from play…"

He took Insect Knight and Howling Insect from his Graveyard and placed them in his robe.

"…to bring out Doom Dozer!"

With a loud roar, a cephalopod that was twice as big appeared. It looked like a huge millipede with a rust-red exoskeleton and huge mandibles. (2,800 ATK)

"Ho… boy…" said Gears.

"I'm _still_ not done!" laughed Zargon. "I'm removing one more Insect from play…"

Pinch Hopper slipped out of his discard slot, and he pocketed it.

"…to bring out Aztekipede the Worm Warrior!"

The best way to describe the Insect that appeared next was to say that it was a smaller version of Doom Dozer. It was the same basic shape, but only about half the size, and had a green exoskeleton. (1,900 ATK)

"Scared, Jalal?" asked Zargon.

Jalal sighed.

"NO," he replied, bluntly. "Scared of a bunch of bugs, Zargon? Get serious! Why would I be scared of things that I swat with a rolled-up copy of the _London Financial Times_?

"You're talking to someone who slew Malys, who fought her head-on, I might add. And I've fought many Shadows who were just as strong in my time.

"Unlike you… You're not a warrior, you're a killer. You don't fight your foes face-to-face, you cheat. When you tried to assassinate my father, you jabbed a poisoned dagger into his ribs while he was asleep, and then ran. Poisoning is the mark of a coward."

"I'm facing you now, aren't I?" shouted Zargon.

"Only because my own Treaty requires me to use Duel Monsters!" shouted Jalal. "I'm willing to bet that if I was able to use my sword, you'd cower in the corner and beg for mercy like the coward I'm sure you are!"

"I'll show you who's a coward!" yelled Zargon. "Chainsaw Insect! Eviscerate Genesis Dragon!"

Chainsaw Insect lunged at the large Dragon, and the Dragon exploded into a blast of pure energy.

"Due to your Monster's effect," said Jalal, "I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"And due to Genesis Dragon's effect, all Dragons in my Graveyard now go back to my deck."

He took Shine Dragon, Light Lindworm, Koumori Dragon, and Genesis Dragon itself from his Graveyard, added them to his deck, and then reshuffled.

"Yeah?" said Zargon, "well chew on this!"

Aztekipede roared, and fired a bolt of energy from its jaws, striking Jalal squarely in the torso.

Everyone looked. Jalal didn't even flinch. He had just stood there like a statue.

"Huh?" said Zargon. "Uh… Aztekipede's effect…"

"I know…" said Jalal.

He took the top card off his deck and discarded it.

"Ooh, I'll show you!" screamed Zargon.

Doom Dozer blasted an even more intense bolt of energy, and an explosion erupted around Jalal.

When the smoke cleared, Jalal was still looking at his foe as defiantly as ever.

He casually discarded another card.

**(J: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,700)**

"Yeah, yeah," said Zargon, taking a card from his hand. "Fine. You proved you weren't a coward…"

He set it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

"Let's see if bravery can keep you from losing next turn. It's your move…"

"I'm worried," said Jinx. "Jalal might talk tough, but he's way behind, and Zargon has the clear advantage."

"Don't worry," said Shichiro. "Jalal has recovered from worse situations than this…

"Uhm… At least I'm pretty sure he has…"

Jalal drew a card.

"Zargon, before we continue…" he said. "I have to ask… Why Insects? Do they have a deeper meaning to you?"

Zargon looked like he had lost his nerve a little at this question.

"No… I…" he said. "I just… like them…"

"Why?" asked Shichiro. "Insector Haiga liked them, but I think that was just because he liked Monsters that were intimidating. But no-one really uses them because they _like_ Insects."

"Yeah," said Gears. "One of the Dark Signers used spiders, but it was probably only because his Earthbound God demanded it."

Zargon sighed.

"Fine…" he said. "I'll show you…

"But I warn you… Once you hear the story I'm about to tell, I'll do my hardest to make sure that none of you live to tell it to anyone…"

He slowly started to pull back his hood. Everyone watched.

They couldn't believe it. Zargon was an insect himself, or something like one. His head looked like some mutant mantis, with multifaceted eyes, and a pair of mandibles.

"Good lord…" said Shichiro.

"What do you think?" asked the reeve. "I'm a good-looking fellow, aren't I?"

"No wonder you use bugs," said Jinx. "You ARE a bug!"

"We weren't always…" sighed Zargon.

He paused.

"Like all Shadows, I lost most of my memories when I was pulled onto your world," he began. "But no force in the universe could ever make any reeve forget the infernal bargain that made us what we are today. It has been burned into our memories like a branding iron on skin.

"We assume that once, in ancient times, we were a soft, weak race, who had trouble competing for land and food with the other, stronger races. Our race simply couldn't evolve past a primitive state, because we didn't have the magic that the elves had, the skills that the dwarves had, or the strength in battle possessed by humans.

"So we decided that in order to cope, we'd get some help.

"The strongest members of our race, whose power was still pathetic compared to the leaders of other races, went to the stronghold of an exiled devil princess named Zauriel. She had long been banished from the nether regions for reasons that are beyond mortal comprehension. But she was still willing to make deals with anyone brave enough to come to her. Our representatives did, stating that we desired that our race be strong… powerful… And feared by other races.

"Zauriel said she could do that. And as a price, she demanded that the reeves serve her for one generation. We thought it a fair price for such a grandiose task, thinking that our race would dominate the world for generations after. We agreed.

"She made us powerful, and capable, turning us into killers capable of delivering death with a powerful stroke. But in doing so, she turned us into these things, making us immortal… And also making us genderless and neuter, unable to reproduce."

Everyone gasped.

"She…" gasped Shichiro. "She double-crossed you… The one generation… It would last forever…"

"Exactly!" snarled Zargon. "From that point on, the reeves became her servitor race.

"Some folks say that when you make a deal with devils, you should always read the fine print. That's a dirty lie. The best advice for dealing with them is, DON'T. Never deal with them, ever! We're far from the only ones who were scammed.

"The only escape for any of us is when whatever brings Shadowkind to Earth decides to do so for one of us. Technically, the reeves who live on Earth still serve her, but she can't tell us what to do while we're here, and she can't make us go back, so here we're free to plot our own destinies.

"And those of us who were lucky enough to escape resolved never to be taken advantage of again. We resolved that we would be a force to be reckoned with. That is why failure among our kind is not tolerated. Failures are not ones to be feared. On Earth, our race weeds out failures, so that we can be stronger than ever."

"And yet you've failed several times over the last thousand years," said Jalal.

"I was a victim of circumstance, Jalal…" said Zargon. "Yet, I proved each time that I was superior to any member of my own kind that came after me.

"And I'll tell you something… The fear that most Shadows and Awares on Earth have of us is unfounded. You said it yourself… We're assassins, not warriors. We can do things that involve killing, but a reeve that is competent at anything else is a rarity.

"We may be expert chemists when it comes to making poison, but we can't make anything else. We can barely even cook. We can make devices that are designed to kill, but other than that, we're hopeless with machines. I have yet to see a reeve that can program a DVR. In all areas other than killing, most reeves are hopeless. Maybe the reason is that Zauriel saw no reason to give us any skills that didn't involve killing, because killing is all she wanted us to do for her. But that sits fine with me.

"Eventually, I might stand a chance of assuming leadership of the reeves, and fulfilling my ultimate goal."

"And what might that be?" asked Jalal.

"Finding a way back to the home world of Shadowkind," said Zargon. "Then, I'll present proof of all these failures, and proof of numerous other failures that I've kept track of, which is proof that most of my kinsmen are nothing more than a bunch of buffoons. This will be proof that Zauriel didn't deliver on her end of the bargain. Then we will be freed from the contract…"

"And you'll rule as king, right?" asked Jalal. "Well, finding your way back home is a big weak spot in your plans."

"I have plenty of time," said Zargon. "I'm immortal, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," said Jalal. "And I kind of pity you… Because your plan makes such little sense, that I now know why you and all other reeves turned into psychopaths who kill for a living."

"What do you mean?" asked Zargon.

"I believe it's my move," said Jalal, taking a card from his hand.

"First, I set two cards…"

Two facedown cards appeared.

"Then, I summon Chaos-End Master!"

In a burst of pure light, the angelic Warrior appeared on his side of the field. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, the Spell Card, Enemy Controller," he said, playing another card. "This moves your Chainsaw Insect to Defense Mode…"

Chainsaw Insect drew back and shielded itself. (0 DEF)

"Chaos-End Master, destroy it!" ordered Jalal.

The Tuner conjured up a sphere of crackling energy, and hurled it at Chainsaw Insect. The beetle exploded into shards.

"Once again, your Monster lets me draw one card…" continued Jalal.

He made a draw.

"…while mine lets me Special Summon a high-Level Monster with an Attack Score of 1,600 or less.

"So I'll bring out Sphere of Chaos."

In a scintillating pattern of light and darkness, the weird, spherical Machine appeared. It hummed and its lights flashed. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune both Monsters together…"

Chaos-End Master and Sphere of Chaos dissolved into eight glowing stars. They flew into the sky of Verdant Sanctuary.

The whole place went dark. A pair of red, glowing eyes appeared in the shadows, and a low growl came from where they appeared…

"Come out," called Jalal, "_Dark End Dragon_!"

The Dragon that appeared seemed to be the polar opposite of Jalal's Light End Dragon. Its scales were as dark as midnight, and its wings were bat-like. Most startling, it had two fiendish faces, one where you'd expect the face to be on a Dragon, and the second on its muscular torso. (2,600 ATK)

"Heh…" said Zargon. "That's very scary, but Doom Dozer will still demolish it."

"Doom Dozer isn't going to be here in a few seconds," replied Jalal. "I'm activating Dark End Dragon's effect. By reducing its Attack Score by 500, I can banish one of your Monsters to the Graveyard."

Dark End Dragon glowed with an aura of dark energy, and its Attack Score lowered to 2,100.

"Dark Evaporation!" shouted Jalal.

Doom Dozer screeched as a chocking black fog engulfed it, and literally ate it alive. Within seconds, nothing was left of the huge bug.

"Man, Jalal…" said Jinx. "I'm glad I'm never gonna have to duel you… You play rough."

"It's your move…" said Jalal.

Zargon drew a card.

"I flip Morphing Jar into Attack Mode!" he shouted.

His facedown Monster flipped up. Morphing Jar appeared, and cackled. (700 ATK)

Jalal shrugged. He discarded the one card in his hand, and made five draws. Zargon discarded the card he had just drawn, and also drew five.

"Now I think I'll sacrifice it…"

Morphing Jar vanished.

"…to summon Saber Beetle!"

Another large beetle appeared. It was just as big as Chainsaw Insect, but instead of mandibles, it had a large, frontal horn, which glowed with energy. (2,400 ATK)

"Attack his Dragon!" he shouted.

Saber Beetle scurried towards the large Dragon.

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Jalal.

One of his facedown cards lifted up, and Saber Beetle slammed against an invisible shield.

"So be it," said Zargon. "I end my turn…

\

"But what will you do? Dark End Dragon isn't strong enough defeat Saber Beetle in battle, and if you use its effect on Saber Beetle, it will have to reduce its Attack Score to 1,600. I'll be able to destroy it with Aztekipede."

"Oh yeah?" shouted Shichiro. "I don't recall Jalal saying that he can only use that effect once per round!"

"Actually, Shichiro, I _can_ only use the effect once per round," replied Jalal.

Shichiro turned beet red.

"I think we'd best leave this to him," said Gears.

**(J: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 7,700)**

"Don't worry," said Jalal, drawing a card, "I've already got it covered…"

His other facedown card lifted.

"I activate De-Synchro!"

Dark End Dragon split into two orbs of light, which formed into Chaos-End Master (1,500 ATK) and Sphere of Chaos. (1,600 ATK)

"But they're only here so I can Tune them together again…"

The two Monsters formed into eight glowing stars again.

"…to Synchro Summon Dark End's counterpart… The Light End Dragon!"

With another roar, the far more beautiful Light Dragon with feathered wings appeared, looming over the field. (2,600 ATK)

"Now I activate its effect," continued Jalal. "When it battles, I can reduce its Attack Score by 500 to reduce the Attack Score of your Monster by 1,500!"

"HUH?" said Zargon.

"Attack!" shouted Jalal. "Shining Sublimation!"

Light End Dragon glowed with blinding light. Its Attack Score lowered to 2,100, and Saber Beetle's fell all the way to 900. A blast of pure energy blew the bug out of existence.

"Ergh…" muttered Zargon, bracing himself.

**(J: 5,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,500)**

"I'll throw this facedown, and end my turn," said Jalal, as a facedown card appeared.

Zargon snarled and made a draw.

"I set a Monster, and then move Aztekipede to Defense Mode," he said.

A set Monster appeared, and then the huge millipede curled up into a defensive position. (400 DEF)

"It's your move…"

Jalal drew a card.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Forbidden Chalice," he said. "Now, for one round only, my Dragon loses its effect, and gains 400 Attack Points.

"Of course, if Light End Dragon loses its effect, its Attack Score returns to its base score. So with the bonus from Forbidden Chalice, it has 3,000 Attack Points."

Light End Dragon roared as its Attack Points went up. Then it breathed its beam of energy, blowing Aztekipede to pieces.

"Bah!" said Zargon, looking through his deck. "I use the effect of Verdant Sanctuary to pull another Insect."

"Fine," said Jalal. "I end my turn, which means it loses the 400 extra points, but it stays at the base score until I want to use its effect again."

(2,600 ATK)

"It won't matter in a minute!" laughed Zargon, drawing a card.

"I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode! My Man-Eater Bug!"

One of the oldest and nastiest Flip-Effect Monsters in the game appeared on the field, and snarled at Jalal. (450 ATK)

Then it leapt at the much bigger Monster in front of it….

"Light End Dragon!" shouted Jalal. "Escape!"

Then Light End Dragon simply vanished. Man-Eater Bug stopped short, and it was confused. It looked back and forth, wondering where its quarry had gone…

Then it stepped back in shock as another Monster, just as big as Light End Dragon, towered over it. It was a humanoid Dragon standing ten feet tall, dressed in the armor of a heroic knight, with a sword and shield. (2,800 ATK)

It roared at Man-Eater Bug, and the Insect backed off.

"What happened?!" shouted Zargon. "Where'd Light End Dragon go? Where'd THAT thing come from?"

"Simple," said Jalal. "Since Man-Eater Bug's effect would have destroyed Light End Dragon, I was able to activate Dragonic Knight's effect, sending Man-Eater Bug's target to the Graveyard to summon the Knight from my hand. This guy is a nasty surprise for anyone who tries to destroy my Dragons with Monster effects."

"No kidding!" gasped Gears. "Look at the size of that guy!"

"It's still my move, Jalal!" shouted Zargon. "I summon Bee List Soldier!"

With a loud buzz, an Insect that looked like a humanoid bee carrying a trident with a red bandana around its neck appeared. (500 ATK)

"Now, by sacrificing Bee List Soldier and another Insect, I can draw two cards."

Bee List Soldier and Man-Eater Bug vanished. Zargon made two draws.

"Heh, heh…" he chuckled. "I play Monster Reborn!"

He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared.

"What could he be summoning?" asked Jinx.

"Beats me," said Gears. "The only thing he has in his Graveyard that can stand up to Dragonic Knight is Doom Dozer, and you can't summon that with Monster Reborn."

"I summon Metal Armored Bug!" shouted Zargon.

With a huge blast of energy, a beetle even bigger than Saber Beetle appeared in front of him. It looked like it had a shell made entirely of steel, with an overall aura of strength. (2,800 ATK)

"When was _that_ in his Graveyard?" shouted Jinx.

"I discarded it to play Insect Costume, remember?" replied Zargon. "And it looks like we have a standoff.

"It's your move…"

Jalal made a draw.

_Lava Dragon…_ he thought, looking at it. _This guy might be useful later…_

He took another card, and set it on his Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"That's all for now…"

Zargon made a draw.

"Time to take you down," he said.

"First, I summon Neo Bug…"

A large, green, scorpion-like Insect with wings appeared. (1,800 ATK)

"Then, I remove two more Insects from play…"

He took Man-Eater Bug and Bee List Soldier from his discard slot.

"…to summon my second Doom Dozer!"

A second Doom Dozer, a twin of the first one, appeared next to Metal Armored Bug. (2,800 ATK)

"Man, just how many Level 8 Monsters can one duel have?" asked Jinx.

"Uh, I think Dragonic Knight is actually Level 7," said Shichiro.

"Shut up!" shouted Zargon, playing a Spell Card. "I play Riryoku! Now, Dragonic Knight loses half its Attack Score…"

Dragonic Knight fell to a score of 1,400.

"…and those points go right to my Doom Dozer!"

Doom Dozer grew to a score of 4,200.

"Attack!" shouted Zargon.

Doom Dozer fired its bolt from its jaws, and Dragonic Knight exploded it a fiery blast. Jalal struggled to keep on his feet.

He grunted, and discarded the top card from his deck.

"Next I'm going after that mystery Monster of yours!" shouted Zargon.

Metal Armored Bug scurried towards the facedown Monster. Masked Dragon appeared on the card, and was crushed to pieces.

"I use its effect to summon a second Masked Dragon!" shouted Jalal.

Another Masked Dragon appeared, crouching and folding its wings. (1,100 DEF)

"Neo Bug, get it!" shouted Zargon.

Neo Bug scurried over to the Dragon, and crushed it in its pincers.

"By all means, summon a third one," he said.

"No-one ever uses Masked Dragon without bringing three," said Jalal, as a third one appeared. (1,100 DEF)

"I end my turn!" shouted Zargon.

**(J: 2,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,500)**

Jalal quickly made a draw.

"I play Pot of Avarice," he said, playing a card.

He took Sphere of Chaos, Chaos-End Master, Luster Dragon, and both Masked Dragons from his Graveyard, added them to his deck, and reshuffled. Then he made two draws.

He looked at the two cards.

"I summon Decoy Dragon!" he shouted.

In a small burst of energy, a little, baby Dragon appeared in front of him. (300 ATK)

"And that will be all."

Zargon laughed as he made a draw.

"You don't fool me, Jalal!" he laughed. "I know what will happen if I attack that thing… You'll summon Light End Dragon from your Graveyard, and my attack will be redirected towards it.

"Well guess again… I play Soul Taker!"

He played the Spell Card, and a death ray shot from it, hitting Decoy Dragon and blasting it into shards.

"Cheer up," said Zargon. "At least you got 1,000 more Life Points. Now to clean up…

"Doom Dozer, destroy Masked Dragon!"

Doom Dozer's bolt fired, and the Masked Dragon was blown to pieces.

"Nice try, Zargon, but I sent both of the other Masked Dragons back to my deck when I used Pot of Avarice."

The second Masked Dragon appeared for the second time.

Zargon was clearly angry. He pointed, and Metal Armored Bug crushed the third Masked Dragon.

"Well?" he said. "Summon the third one so I can crush that one too!"

"I think not, Zargon," said Jalal. "I think this time, I'm going to summon Golem Dragon."

With a rumble, a large, bulky Dragon, seemingly made entirely of granite, appeared in front of Jalal, covering itself with its claws. (2,000 DEF)

"Neo Bug can't defeat that!" shouted Zargon. "Ooh… I end my turn…"

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 6,500)**

Jalal quickly made a draw.

"I play two facedowns," he said, as two facedown cards appeared, "and then summon Lava Dragon."

In a bonfire of flame, a new Dragon appeared on the field. Well, sort of. It looked more like a very large lizard, with violet scales, a long tail, no wings, and _eight_ legs. (1,600 ATK)

"Eh?" said Zargon.

"Your move…" said Jalal.

"Then I draw!" said Zargon, drawing a card.

"Neo Bug, destroy Lava Dragon!"

Neo Bug scurried towards the strange Dragon

Jalal's facedown card shot up.

"I activate Rising Energy!" he shouted.

"Ah, crud…" said Zargon.

"I discard one card," said Jalal, discarding A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon, "and Lava Dragon gains 1,500 Attack Points for this round."

Lava Dragon rose to an Attack Score of 3,100. It belched a blast of fire mixed with lava, and Neo Bug was melted into slag.

"I should thank your Doom Dozer," said Jalal. "If it weren't for its effect, I wouldn't have drawn this Trap last round."

"Fine…" said Zargon. "You're trying to stall for some reason, but it won't work…

"I'll end my turn. Just try to protect your Monsters next round…"

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 5,200)**

Jalal made a draw. He looked at the card and the one he already had.

_I don't have to,_ he thought Jalal. _True, I was stalling… But the moment I was stalling for has finally arrived…_

"Now, Zargon…" he said. "Now I'm going to finish you off…

"First I move Lava Dragon to Defense Mode."

Lava Dragon curled up into a defensive position. (1,200 DEF)

"When Lava Dragon is in Defense Mode, I can activate its effect. I sacrifice it…"

Lava Dragon vanished.

"…and in return, I can Special Summon two Level 3 or less Dragons, so long as one comes from my hand, and one comes from my Graveyard."

First, Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400 ATK) Then, Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared next to it. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, I summon Debris Dragon!" he shouted.

In a burst of wind, a small Dragon with silvery scales, and an elongated snout appeared. It looked sort of what the offspring of Yusei Fudo's Dragon might look like, if such a thing were possible. (1,000 ATK)

"When Debris Dragon is Normal Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Monster with 500 Attack Points or less from my Graveyard. So once again, here's Decoy Dragon!"

Decoy Dragon appeared again with a squeak. (300 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together Debris Dragon, Masked Dragon, and Twin-Headed Behemoth!"

The three Dragons faded, turning into ten glowing stars…

"A Level 10 Synchro Summon?" gasped Zargon.

With a furious bellow, a gigantic Monster appeared behind Jalal. It was a huge, limbless Dragon with huge wings and three fiendish heads on long, snaky necks.

"Meet Trident Dragion!" shouted Jalal.

(3,000 ATK)

"Is it just me," asked Jinx, "or did Jalal just summon King Ghidorah?"

"It's not just you…" said Shichiro, nervously.

"Now I activate Trident Dragion's effect," said Jalal. "I can now destroy up to two of my own cards…"

Golem Dragon and Decoy Dragon shattered into shards.

"Why the heck would you do [I]that[/I]?" asked Zargon.

"Because," replied Jalal. "For each card that I just destroyed, Trident Dragion gets an extra attack!"

"It does??" shouted Zargon.

"Destroy Doom Dozer!" shouted Jalal. "Flame Fury!"

Trident Dragion's left head shot a stream of fire, burning Doom Dozer to a crisp.

"Bah!" shouted Zargon. "I use the effect of Verdant Sanctuary…"

He looked through his deck… Then a look of panic appeared on his face.

"No…" he said. "I'm all out of Level 8 Insects!"

"What a shame," said Jalal. "Attack Metal Armored Bug! Second Flame Fury!"

Trident Dragion's right head fired a blast, and the huge beetle exploded.

"My Dragon still has its normal attack," said Jalal, "and it has your name on it!"

"Attack him directly! Final Flame Fury!"

Trident Dragion's central head fired an even more intense blast, and Zargon screamed as he was hit by it…

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 1,800)**

He caught his breath.

"Well you were wrong on one matter," he said. "You haven't finished me yet…"

Then Jalal's last facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Synchro Out," said Jalal. "This Trap Card works much like De-Synchro…"

Trident Dragion vanished, and Debris Dragon (1,000 ATK), Masked Dragon (1,400 ATK), and Twin-Headed Behemoth (1,500 ATK) appeared in its place.

"…but since it's a Trap, I don't have to end my Battle Phase to activate it!"

"No…" said Zargon.

Then he screamed again as Twin-Headed Behemoth and Masked Dragon blasted him with bolts of ice and fire. He staggered backwards and fell over.

**(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Z: 0)**

Jalal walked up to the assassin.

"It's over, Zargon," he said. "You're under arrest."

"No…"said Zargon, getting up. "NO!"

He drew a dagger from his belt.

"I can still finish you!"

He lunged at Jalal…

Then the dagger flew from his hand, and the next second, Jalal's sword was at his throat.

The reeve fell to his knees.

"Mercy, please!" he begged. "I give up…"

"Seems I proved my point," said Jalal. "You're nothing but a coward…

"You know, Zargon, maybe a part of me knew all along that you weren't dead… Maybe a part of me knew that we'd meet again… And frankly, all you are is a big disappointment.

"You aren't some dark force that can slay any foe. If you had confronted my father directly, you wouldn't have stood a chance. You're nothing more than someone who stabbed your victim with a poisoned blade while he slept. You're just a common thug."

He lifted a gemstone, and Zargon vanished.

"Good work, boss," said Shichiro. "But… I gotta ask… Why _did_ he and all the other reeves turn into psychopaths who kill for a living?"

"Immortality insanity," replied Jalal. "I've seen it many times."

He sighed.

"It's an affliction that happens to most mortals who become immortal. Immortality is not something that most mortals can handle. After a few centuries, they accumulate more memory and knowledge than their minds are meant to handle, and ennui sets in. It drives them mad.

"My father thought that he was safe from this affliction. After all, a dragon's lifespan is already several thousand years to begin with."

"What about you, boss?" asked Jinx.

Jalal sighed again.

"The concept terrified me from day one," he replied. "That's one of the reasons I started the Shadowchasers, to have a purpose I could follow. And I've used special techniques and therapy all this time to increase my mental capacity. I've managed to avoid madness so far.

"I don't know if I'll be able to do it forever… But I'm still strong. I think I have at least a few more centuries under my belt."

"Is it safe to come out now?" asked Elsie's voice.

They spun around. They had forgotten about her.

Shichiro quickly untied her.

"Elsie, get out of here," he said. "We'll handle it from this point."

As Elsie ran back the way she came, the four of them mounted the three D-Wheels and sped up to the next floor of the parking garage.

Unfortunately, as they did so, a portal appeared in their path, and drew them in.

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Anthony Draco was in his office, watching. He thought hard, with a worried look on his face, but he said nothing…

The second individual responsible for the murder of Jamor Stormbringer was now in custody. It had taken his son a thousand years to do it, but he knew now that finally, his father's spirit could rest in peace.

One might, at first, feel sorry for the reeves, but that sorrow would be misplaced. They should have known better than to make a deal with a devil princess. No good can ever come from an infernal contract. They say that you should read the fine print, but this is a myth; infernal contracts never have fine print. Usually, the part that lets the fiends exploit it is somewhere in plain sight in the actual body of the contract, but is written in such confusing legal lingo that the "client" overlooks it.

Now it was time to handle the business at hand. Draco would have been happy to confront them right away, but his mysterious partner had other ideas. That portal they had driven through was going to take them on a short detour before they could get to the place where he and I were.

And while that portal had one entrance, it had three exits. Jinx, Gears, and Shichiro were going to be in three different confrontations, and only Shichiro would have a supporter in his…

Divide and conquer…

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**INSECT COSTUME (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A dragonfly with a larger wasp above it.

**Card Description:** Discard 1 Insect-Type Monster from your hand. Then, search your deck for 1 Insect-Type Monster and add it to your hand. Then, you may destroy 1 Insect-Type Monster you control.

_Note: "Insect Costume" was first used by Uryu in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Creepy Crawlies". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SHINE DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,400  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** You can Tribute 1 Monster to destroy 1 facedown card your opponent controls.

_Note: "Shine Dragon" was used by Manjyome's manga counterpart. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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**SYNCHRO OUT (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** A glowing portal in the sky, casting a beam of light downward.

**Card Description:** Select 1 of your face-up Synchro Monsters. Return it to your Extra Deck. Then, if all the Monsters that were used for the Synchro Summon of that Monster are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect are destroyed at the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Synchro Out" was first used by Yusei in a third season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Jinx is forced into a dangerous Turbo Duel, in an arena where the roads were clearly not built with motorcycles in mind. What's more, her opponent forces her to play for the ultimate stakes, in a Shadow Turbo Duel, with one of the most dreaded beasts in the game. Can Jinx's luck hold out one more time?_

_"Overwhelm" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Navid Qamar, Oil Baron of Shadow**

Genies are not one race of Shadowkind, but several races, each a race of elemental spirits with different peculiarities. One of the most infamous races of geniekind is the efreet, a race of fire spirits known for their tyrannical ways, cruelty, and hatred of servitude.

Navid Qamar (not his true name, but the name he uses among humans) was an efreeti who presumably populated a nation in the homeworld of Shadow that mirrored the fantastic stories of the Arabian Nights. He ruled as a sultan, ruling his subjects with an iron fist, and accumulating a great fortune. Thus, a cruel trick was played on him when he was pulled into our world, where he had no influence, and none of his wealth. He arrived in Saudi Arabia, a modern version of the land he was used to, so at least the local customs were similar to the ones he knew of.

Qamar decided he would gain his power and fortune back from scratch. He soon learned that a sultan could not gain much power in this world. He also found out that here, gold and jewels did not measure wealth and power. They were mere frivolities. True power in this nation was measured in how much you controlled of a far more valuable treasure. The name of this treasure was petroleum. Naturally, Qamar was determined to master it.

Qamar learned fast, and quickly became a big name with Saudi Arabia's oil ministry. His influence grew, and he gained credentials with them and OPEC, quickly becoming an important figure in Middle Eastern oil production. He is now the most important Shadowkind in energy production in the world, although only Shadows know his true secret.

Qamar has other secrets that he keeps to himself. His ultimate plan is to become the head of the Saudi oil ministry, and possibly even to become the head of OPEC itself, making himself the most powerful figure in energy production, period. Not many know of these ambitions, and he is careful to cover his tracks, using methods to cover them that aren't always legal. Efreet don't always let things like laws stop them.

Qamar is aware that oil is not a renewable resource, and since his own lifespan is several thousand years, he knows that he'll be around when this planet's oil reserves dry up. Thus, he is working harder than even other Saudis to develop alternate energy programs. One form of energy that he has his eye on is Neo Domino's Momentum generator. If the miraculous generator can truly churn out an unlimited supply of energy like a perpetual motion machine, the secrets of its construction is something that the efreeti will want more than anything. Of course, he knows about Zero Reverse, and would likely be more careful if he ever started his own project.

**Story Ideas:** Energy… Everyone needs it. Qamar could well be inserted into any story that takes place, in part or whole, in the Arabian Peninsula, or one that deals with oil production, transport, or even accidents. A good place to look for a plot that might involve him would be the James Bond movie _The World is Not Enough_, which also involved an oil baron (or rather, the heiress of one) as a villain. Even in reality, the history of OPEC is one filled with corruption, and it can spawn serious plots.

Stories involving Qamar might involve him sending spies into Neo Domino to find out about the miraculous Momentum system. This could cause no end of troubles, as the first version of that system was what ultimately woke the Earthbound Gods. Momentum is a double-edged sword, as proven by the events of the anime, and if used wrong or by evil men, disaster could occur. In the hands of an efreet, dark things could happen…

**Deck Suggestions:** Qamar plays a deck that uses the Jurak Dinosaur Monsters. This theme combines two different aspects that define him: One, the Fire Attribute, which represents his race; and two, Dinosaurs, which are part of the source of fossil fuels. (The corpses of ancient organisms like dinosaurs transform into coal and petroleum after millions of years.)


	58. Overwhelm

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT**

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**Overwhelm**

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_**You might find this hard to believe, but of all the Shadowchasers currently in Neo Domino, my situation was the safest. Sure, I had been captured, but Draco wasn't interested in torture or domination, or anything worse that terrorists have been known to do to prisoners. I was perfectly safe… All this had cost me, at the moment, was a great deal of pride. I had no idea what my fate might have been if this had gone too far, but I was safe. **_

_**The folks who were rushing to my rescue… Now that was a different story. They were in a great deal of danger. I have to give Draco the benefit of the doubt here; he wasn't the one who created that portal. Whether or not he could have stopped it, I'm not exactly sure. **_

_**But his mysterious partner was going to make sure that my friends weren't going to have an easy time. The detours they had been sent on were designed to be quite lethal…**_

Jinx drove out of the portal to a much different area than she had been in.

For one, she was outdoors, and it was incredibly hot and humid. And while it had been evening a minute ago, she now saw the morning sun beating down on her.

"Ow," she said, swatting a mosquito.

She looked around. She was in the middle of some sort of jungle ruins. All around her were ancient stone ziggurats, and strange carvings of a sinister nature, depicting demons and skulls. It seemed to be some Native American city of South America.

"Looks Incan…" she muttered.

"Mayan, actually," said a voice.

Jinx turned her head, and saw another D-Wheeler above her on a bluff, perched upon a jet-black, streamlined ride, his face completely hidden by his helmet.

"Where… am… I?" asked Jinx, furrowing her brow.

"You're in a place that Yliaster simply calls the Ruins," said the figure. "They guard the location of this oasis jealously. They come here every now and then to check on the place, but they aren't here now. It lies in about fifty miles from Lima, Peru."

"Peru?" said Jinx. "Yliaster… Does this place have something to do with…"

"The Earthbound Gods?" said the figure. "Yes… This was where the cabal of magicians lived who first summoned them… This is where the unholy ritual was held that called them from the Underworld.

"This place has a history of blood, Jinx… Many innocents were sacrificed to fuel that horrific ritual…

"Just as I'm going to sacrifice you!"

"Who are you?!" shouted Jinx.

The D-Wheeler took off his helmet…

…and revealed that he wasn't a "he" at all. Jinx was looking at herself.

"YOU?" shouted Jinx. "You're that crazy boggart, aren't you?"

"I told you that you couldn't use darkness to defeat the darkness, Jinx," said the boggart. "And I haven't given up trying to get what I want…

"Your body is the best one I've ever had… I want it… I want it more than anything… And I'm going to erase you from existence so I can have it…"

"So you're challenging me to another Shadow Duel?" asked Jinx. "Using D-Wheels this time?"

"It's your right to refuse if you desire," said the boggart. "But if you refuse, you'll have to cross fifty miles of desert on that thing to get to civilization. Assuming you go in the right direction.

"You have no food or water, and there are no cellular towers here… You wouldn't stand a chance.

"Or you could simply wait here for the next group from Yliaster to check on the place… But I wouldn't do that if I were you. They'd wonder why you were here in this place that they keep secret from the outside world. And I wouldn't trust any of them anyway."

_No kidding…_ thought Jinx. _After the stunt that Godwin pulled…_

"Of course," continued the boggart, "if you agree to duel me and win, you'll get a free trip back home, as if nothing had happened.

"But… we'll be playing by the same rules as before… If I win…"

"Then I disappear forever…" muttered Jinx, "and you get what you want…"

"Smart," said the boggart.

It replaced its helmet, and started up its engine. Then it drove the D-Wheel off the bluff with a roar.

"And might I add," it laughed, "in this desecrated sanctuary of evil, I'm more powerful than I was before!"

"Bring it on!" shouted Jinx.

The boggart chuckled.

"You're gonna wish you'd taken your chances with Yliaster…" it said.

The Speed World card flashed into existence, and the silvery void of the Field Spell covered the ancient ruins. The two D-Wheels sped down the ancient stone road.

**(Jinx: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Boggart: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Jinx, making her first draw.

She placed the card on her gauntlet.

"I'll set a Monster, and that will be all."

A set Monster appeared, and then faded from view.

"Starting slow, I see," said the boggart, making a draw.

Both Speed Counters clicked up to one.

"I'll also set a Monster, and end my turn."

A set Monster appeared in front of its bike, and faded.

Jinx made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

_Time to go on the offensive,_ she thought.

"Come on out, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" she shouted.

In a burst of energy, a Warrior appeared that looked like she might be Anabelera's little sister. She had long, blond hair, wore leather armor, a long, red cape, and held two long daggers. The X-Saber insignia was printed on her shin guards. (1,300 ATK)

"Eh?" said the boggart. "Why is she called 'Fulhelmknight'? I don't see any helm."

"You know," said Jinx, "I often wonder that myself…

"Attack his… her… its… Aw, just attack!"

Fulhelmknight leapt at the hidden Monster, and threw a volley of razor-sharp blades. It appeared on the card, a bare-chested Warrior with a helmet, holding a spear and a large shield. (1,600 DEF)

"Shield Warrior?" asked Jinx.

"Yes, Shield Warrior," said the boggart. "You have a problem with that?"

_This is probably a whole new strategy than what it used last time,_ thought Jinx.

She threw a card onto her dashboard. A facedown card appeared, and then faded from sight.

"End!" she shouted.

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 8,000)**

The boggart made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to three.

"I sacrifice my Shield Warrior…" it said.

Shield Warrior vanished.

"…to summon Meteor Dragon!"

A large Dragon, looking like a large, molten boulder with arms, a tail, wings, and a head, appeared where Shield Warrior had been. (1,800 ATK)

_Meteor Dragon?_ thought Jinx. _Is it going to summon Meteor Black Dragon?_

_Well, it can't yet… It doesn't have enough counters yet to play Speed Fusion._

"Incinerate her Fulhelmknight!" shouted the boggart.

Meteor Dragon opened its jaws, and prepared to launch a burning meteor at the young X-Saber…

"Not so fast!" shouted Jinx. "Fulhelmknight has a special ability that I'm allowed to use once when she's on the field. When I use it, she can nullify one attack against any X-Saber Monster, including herself."

Fulhelmknight held up her hand, and a glowing shield absorbed the burning meteor as it flew towards her.

"Clever…" growled the boggart. "I'll set this, and end my turn…"

A facedown card appeared behind Meteor Dragon, and then faded.

Both D-Wheels took a sharp turn, heading down a main thoroughfare towards the big ziggurat in the center of the Ruins. The huge structure looked like it might have held something on its peak at one time… Perhaps some magical artifact to act as a conduit for the terrible ritual. But apparently, whatever had once been there had not survived the battle where the Earthbound Gods were imprisoned.

Jinx drew, and both counters rose to four.

"I summon X-Saber Galahad!" she shouted.

She threw the card on her controls, and the toad-like Warrior appeared, holding his bronze sword. (1,800 ATK)

"Galahad, slay its Dragon!"

Galahad flew at the large Dragon, and his Attack Score rose to 2,100.

He slammed his sword into the much bigger Monster. The Dragon roared, but it didn't shatter.

"What?" said Jinx.

"Forget about my Shield Warrior?" asked the boggart. "I simply removed it from play, and my Dragon survived."

"Oh… right…" muttered Jinx. "Eh, I end my turn…"

**(J: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)**

"And I start mine!" shouted the boggart.

It drew a card, and both Speed Counters clicked up a notch, to five.

"I summon Marauding Captain!" it shouted.

Another portal opened, and the familiar-looking Warrior appeared. (1,200 ATK)

"I'm sure you know his effect," it continued. "I think I'll use it to summon Vanguard of the Dragon."

Another portal opened, and a humanoid, reptilian creature with Dragon-like features flew out. It had scaly, blue skin, a very long tail, claws on all four limbs, and carried a spear and a shield. (1,700 ATK)

Jinx glanced at her facedown card.

_Should I use this?_ she thought.

She looked at the cards in her hand.

_No… I think I'll wait…_

"All you need now is a bass player," she said.

"Laugh all you want," growled the boggart. "To me, your humor doesn't matter. And soon, _you_ won't matter.

"In fact, you won't even be matter…"

Meteor Dragon fired its burning meteor at Fulhelmknight. She grunted, and then shattered into shards. Then the Vanguard stabbed its spear at Galahad, Galahad's Attack Score falling to 1,300. He grunted and blew into pixels.

Then Marauding Captain leapt at the facedown Monster. X-Saber Axel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"I end my turn," said the demon.

**(J: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)**

"Draw!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

Both Speed Counters clicked up to six.

"Just what I needed!" she exclaimed. "I play Speed Spell – Speed Fusion!

"I'll take one part Alligator's Sword, and one part Baby Dragon…"

The two Monsters appeared in front of her, and combined into a vortex of light.

"…to summon Alligator's Sword Dragon!"

A portal opened, and Alligator's Sword flew out, riding a larger version of Baby Dragon as a steed. It flew beside Jinx's bike. (1,700 ATK)

"And now I can activate its special effect… Since you have only Earth Monsters on your side of the field, it can attack directly!"

"Huh?" said the boggart.

"Go!" shouted Jinx, as the merged Monster took flight. "Wyvern dive-bomb!"

Alligator's Sword Dragon swooped upon the boggart and slashed at the imposter with its blade. The boggart grunted, and its bike wobbled. His Speed Counters fell to five.

"I hope you enjoyed that…" it cursed.

"My turn is over…" muttered Jinx.

**(J: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,000)**

She looked at her facedown card.

_It'll obviously try to attack with Meteor Dragon,_ she thought. _But when it does, my Skull Dice will blow that thing to pieces._

"My move…" chuckled the boggart, making a draw.

Its Speed Counters rose to six, while Jinx's rose to seven.

"Time to unleash my big surprise," it said. "I summon Wish Dragon…"

In a burst of pure light, a small Dragon hatchling with golden scales appeared next to the Vanguard. (700 ATK)

"Next, I use its effect. I sacrifice it…"

Wish Dragon vanished.

"And in return, I get two Dragon Tokens."

Two duplicates of Wish Dragon appeared in its place. (0 ATK x2)

"Now, my Trap Card," it said, as its other facedown card lifted. "D. Tribe. Now, all the Monsters I control are considered Dragons for this turn."

Marauding Captain's eyes glowed red. He sprouted wings, claws, and his face became reptilian.

"What's the point?" asked Jinx.

"I'll show you," said the boggart, in a sinister tone. "This Speed Spell may look familiar to you, because you played it yourself just last turn…"

Speed Fusion appeared in front of it.

"You're summoning Meteor Black Dragon?" asked Jinx.

"Oh, no, Jinx…" said the boggart. "I have a Fusion Monster _far_ more powerful that that…"

"What…" started Jinx.

Then she caught herself as she realized just what her opponent was going to summon… Panic started to overtake her…

A portal of pure darkness appeared overhead, and Meteor Dragon, Marauding Captain, Vanguard of the Dragon, and the two Dragon Tokens were sucked into it… Lightning flashed…

"Come forth, unstoppable engine of destruction…" chanted the boggart. "Come and lay waste to all before you…

"I summon you… Mighty F.G.D.!"

With a roar that sounded like five separate roars combined into one, the dreaded goliath of Dragons descended from the portal. It had five hideous heads, one pure black, one yellow and crackling with electricity, one blue with a finned crest, one metallic, and one that was literally made of fire. Its torso was a pale green, and it had huge wings that seemed to blot out the sun.

It let out a great bellow. (5,000 ATK)

Sweat was pouring down Jinx's face. She couldn't remember feeling fear like this. And her Trap Card wouldn't be nearly enough…

And the fear was intensified when she remembered the rules of the Shadow Duel. If she lost, she would vanish into oblivion…

"F.G.D.," commanded the boggart.

"NO!" screamed Jinx. "Please!"

"Attack!" shouted the boggart. "Pentecost holocaust!"

F.G.D. shot a blast of fire, a cone of frost, a bolt of lightning, a stream of acid, and a beam of pure darkness from its five mouths. Jinx screamed as her Monster was eradicated, and her D-Wheel skid out of control.

She came to her senses just in time to avoid crashing into the huge building that they were heading towards. She swerved, and pulled to a stop.

She caught her breath, but all was not well. Not only had the attack cost her a great deal of Life Points, it had knocked her Speed Counters down to four.

**(J: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 6,000)**

The boggart pulled to a stop about twenty paces from her. The huge Dragon was hovering behind it, looking at Jinx the way most humans would look at a prime rib.

"Why don't you just give up?" it asked. "I can make this painless if you want…"

Jinx looked at the imposter. Maybe it had something…

"Question…" she asked. "If I lose, will you also erase my history? Will folks forget that the real Noriko Kaede ever existed?"

"No," said the boggart. "This duel won't alter history. It will just cause you to cease to exist. And your friends will remember your failure and how you were crushed down in your last battle."

"No…" replied Jinx. "I'll be remembered as someone who fought to the bitter end!"

She started up her D-Wheel again, and started driving up the ramp that encircled the ziggurat.

"Catch me if you can!" she shouted.

The boggart cursed, and rode in pursuit, with the huge Dragon following.

"My draw!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

Her Speed Counters rose to five, while her foe's rose to seven.

_Think, Kaede, think!_ she thought. _How did Shichiro beat this thing? He always loves telling us the story…_

She shivered in fright. Shichiro had known his opponent was using an F.G.D. beforehand, and had prepared. She, however, had come completely _unprepared_.

She set a card on her console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"End!" she shouted.

"I expected more of a fight," laughed the boggart, making a draw.

Its counters rose to eight.

"I summon Twin-Headed Behemoth!" it shouted.

The small, two-headed Dragon appeared, flying under the shadow of the much larger Dragon. (1,500 ATK)

"It's all over, Shadowchaser!" it laughed. "Twin-Headed Behemoth, obliterate her final defense!"

Twin-Headed Behemoth blasted a bolt of frost at the facedown Monster…

Then, X-Saber Passiul appeared on the card. He grunted, and blocked the blast with his sword. (0 DEF)

"Eh?" said the demon.

"X-Saber Passiul can't be destroyed in battle," said Jinx. "So it looks like I'm safe for now."

"We'll soon see!" cursed the boggart. "I set a facedown, and end my turn!"

A facedown card appeared, and faded from view.

"My move!" said Jinx, as she drew.

Her Speed Counters rose to seven. Both D-Wheels started to climb the second tier of the ramp up the ziggurat.

"I summon X-Saber Airbellum!" she shouted.

With a snarl, the X-Saber on the wild side leapt in front of the D-Wheel, and bore his claws. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack Twin-Headed Behemoth!" shouted Jinx.

Airbellum growled, and pounced at the small Dragon. With two slashes of claws, Behemoth shattered.

"I set one card facedown," said Jinx, as she played another card, "and I end my turn."

"That means the effect of Twin-Headed Behemoth activates," said the boggart, "and it returns."

Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared again. (1,000 ATK)

**(J: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 5,900)**

"And it's my move again…" said the boggart, making a draw. "And I happen to know that whenever I start my turn, your friend Passiul costs you 1,000 Life Points."

Jinx groaned as her Life Points went down, and her Speed Counters fell to seven.

"Now, I'll sacrifice Behemoth to summon the mighty Des Volstgalph!"

Behemoth faded into grains of light, and a new Dragon appeared, flying beside its bike. This one looked like a cross between a Dragon and the legendary Archfiend of Gilfer, with the same style of exoskeleton. (2,200 ATK)

"Not that I need it much… F.G.D… Destroy Airbellum!"

The huge Dragon roared again.

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Jinx, as her facedown card shot up. "Staunch Defender! Now, the only Monster you can attack this round is Passiul!"

"As you wish!" cursed the boggart. "But he won't be surviving the attack…"

Its own facedown card shot up.

"I activate Skill Drain! I pay 1,000 Life Points, and all Effect Monsters lose their effects!"

F.G.D. blasted its Pentecost Holocaust, and Passiul exploded into bits.

"I end my turn…" it said.

**(J: 2,500) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,900)**

"My move!" shouted Jinx.

She made a draw, her Speed Counters rising to eight.

She looked at the card.

"I play Speed Spell – Shift Down," she said.

Her Speed Counters took a dive, all the way to two, and she fell behind her foe.

"Now, by sacrificing six counters, I can draw two cards…"

She made two draws. She looked at them.

"I set both facedown," she said, as they appeared in front of her, "and move Airbellum to Defense Mode."

Airbellum crouched and shielded himself. (200 DEF)

"Still holding on to dear life, I see," said the boggart, making a draw.

Its Speed Counters clicked up to twelve. It was now at the maximum it could obtain.

They both started up the third tier of the ramp. Jinx started to regain speed as her own counters rose to three.

"Des Volstgalph…" said the creature, "wipe out Airbellum!"

The Dragon blasted a beam of pure energy towards the X-Saber.

"I activate Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

_It all comes down to this Trap Card…_ she thought.

A bolt of light shot out of the rear of her D-Wheel.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin started to spin.

She gasped in fright. It was tails. Des Volstgalph's blast landed, vaporizing Airbellum.

"F.G.D., destroy her!" ordered the boggart.

F.G.D. loomed over Jinx's bike and prepared to fire…

Jinx waved her arm, and the energy coin shot out of her bike again. All her prayers were on this toss…

"Heads!" she shouted.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw it spin.

Only when she saw it come up heads did it actually resume beating. F.G.D. let loose its attack, but its Attack Score fell to zero, and Jinx didn't feel a thing.

"Your luck won't last forever!" screamed the boggart.

_I know!_ thought Jinx, as tears flowed down her face. _I know it won't last forever!_

_It didn't hold out against DaPen, and I lost… I could have been his slave forever…_

She looked to the sky.

_If anyone is listening, I want to make a little deal… If you let my luck hold out long enough to survive this duel, I swear I won't rely on luck any more! I'll rework my deck… make it so it doesn't depend so much on chance…_

_Just please… Let it hold out just one more time!_

"It's your move, kid," said the boggart.

Jinx pulled her bike to a stop. There was nowhere left to go. She had reached the apex of the huge ziggurat. She now had a view of the whole oasis, and of the desert beyond. But the otherwise beautiful view was spoiled by the hideous Dragon looming in front of her.

She drew a card. Her Speed Counters rose to four.

"I pay 500 Life Points to keep Fairy Box," she said.

She looked at the card.

"Your Skill Drain can't stop this guy's effect," she said. "Because his effect activates in my hand.

"Since I control no Monsters, and I have at least two X-Sabers in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon him… Meet XX-Saber Gardestrike!"

In a burst of energy, a savage-looking Beast-Warrior leapt out to face the huge Dragon. He looked like he was some relative of Panther Warrior; he had the same cat-like features, paws, and fur, and wore a red cape. He carried a long scimitar. (2,100 ATK)

Then her last facedown card lifted up.

"Now, I activate Gatmuz's Urgent Orders! This lets me summon two more X-Sabers from my Graveyard!"

In two flashes of light, Fulhelmknight (1,300 ATK) and Axel (400 ATK) appeared.

"I didn't mention before that Fulhelmknight is also a Tuner. So, I'll Tune her, Axel, and Gardestrike together!"

All three of the X-Sabers leapt into the sky, faded into light, and turned into nine glowing stars…

With a roar, XX-Saber Gatmuz appeared out of the ether, holding the Sword of Sparkles. (3,100 ATK)

_I'll put all my faith in my best Monster…_ she thought.

"Destroy Des Volstgalph!" she shouted.

Gatmuz leapt at the Dragon, and with one mighty smash, blew it into pebbles.

"ERGH!" grunted the boggart.

**(J: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,000)**

"Oh, you think you're so smart…" it said, drawing a card.

It looked at the card, which was Speed Spell – The End of Storm.

"Well, even Gatmuz is no match for my Dragon!

"Obliterate XX-Saber Gatmuz!"

Jinx watched as F.G.D. prepared to attack…

Now was the moment of truth… Now she would see if her offer had been accepted…

F.G.D. blasted its five lethal bolts.

"Go, Fairy Box!" shouted Jinx, as the coin shot into the air.

"Heads!" she shouted.

The coin spun…

She almost cheered when she saw that it came up heads.

_Thank you…_ she thought, closing her eyes.

As the five blasts honed in on Gatmuz, he swatted them aside with his sword. The F.G.D. howled, as its own flames fell back on it…

It screamed an unholy roar of agony. It was on fire. It fell, plummeting down to the floor of the oasis like a flaming meteor, and exploded in a blast that shook the whole jungle.

The boggart screamed.

**(J: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 900)**

"HOW?" it shouted. "F.G.D. can only be destroyed by Light Monsters! Gatmuz is Earth!"

"Look at the field, stupid," said Jinx. "The answer is right in front of you!"

The boggart looked at the controls…

Then it gasped. It was its own Skill Drain.

"That Trap may have seemed like a good idea at the time," said Jinx, "but you forgot that it doesn't play favorites. It nullified your Dragon's defenses."

"Yeah?" said the boggart, with a scowl.

It snatched The End of Storm.

"Well I can still destroy your Monster… I play…"

Then it stopped short…

It had a terrifying realization. It couldn't play The End of Storm. It needed ten Speed Counters to do so, and that failed attack had knocked them down to nine.

The Speed Spell was useless, and so was the only other card in its hand, its second Speed Fusion.

The boggart started its D-Wheel up, and turned, rushing back down the ramp the way it came.

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Jinx, drawing a card.

Fairy Box vanished. It had served its purpose, and she wouldn't use it any more… Not now, not ever again.

"Gatmuz…" she ordered, "end this duel!"

XX-Saber Gatmuz flew after the evil imposter, chasing it down the ramp. It tried to flee, but he caught up with it, and made a slash with the Sword of Sparkles. The demon screamed.

Then flames and smoke poured out of the back of its D-Wheel. It was out of control.

**(J: 1,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)**

Jinx watched as the imposter drove right off the side of the ramp, and crashed into the heart of the jungle, just as its Dragon did. A cluster of trees caught fire where it landed.

She took a deep breath.

_That's the end of that unpleasant part of my life,_ she thought.

She saw a portal appear in front of her.

_That's my way home, _she thought, with a sigh of relief.

She looked again where the boggart had crashed. The fire was starting to spread to other trees.

_Yliaster will be puzzled when they come here and see this place devastated by fire,_ she thought. _But it's just as well. This place is where the ultimate evil was unleashed… No good can ever come from it._

She started her D-Wheel, and drove through the portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

In his office, Draco slammed his fist down on his desk.

"This was NOT part of the deal!" he shouted. "This is _sadistic!"_

He was speaking to a glowing screen in front of him.

"We have little choice now, Draco," said a voice from the screen. "If you had gotten what we needed from the apprentice, we wouldn't have to do this. But she is incompatible with our needs."

Draco frowned, but didn't say anything.

"Now we must make the sacrifice another way," said the voice, "with another subject. It doesn't matter to me now who of them it is, but if you are unwilling to cooperate…

"Well, you know what will happen."

"I know…" growled Draco.

"And keep an eye on Ember," said the voice. "She is our only bargaining chip should her friends actually get to you."

"Don't worry, she isn't going anywhere," growled Draco. "But once you have your sacrifice, she is spared, got it? She never should have been dragged into this mess."

"You drive a hard bargain, Draco," said the voice. "One would think you actually have feelings for that human. Odd for a member of your race, a race who claims to have purged themselves of emotions, thinking them unnecessary."

"I don't know…" muttered Draco. "Maybe I've been around humans so long, some of their traits have rubbed off on me… I don't know if that's an asset or a liability now…"

"Very well," said the voice. "She will be spared. But stay with the plan."

The screen vanished.

Draco looked at a small, shiny object on his desk.

He stroked it once. Then he took out a cigarette, and lit it with a lighter.

"You really shouldn't smoke," said Ember, who had just appeared next to him. "Don't you know what it's doing to your health?"

Of course, she was only being polite because she was compelled to do so. She wanted to cuss him out right now; truthfully, she also wanted to strangle him.

However, she couldn't. The same thing that kept her from trying to escape also prevented her from making any aggressive moves against him.

"Ember…" sighed Draco, leaning on his hand, "at this point, cancer, heart disease, and emphysema are the least of my problems…"

_**Jinx had survived. She had defeated one of the most powerful Monsters in the game, a Monster whose power rivaled even some God Cards. And she would keep the promise she made in that hasty prayer. That was the last time she would depend on luck to win a duel.**_

_**In the weeks after this mess was resolved, Jinx would give away all her cards that depended on die rolls and coin tosses, giving them to underprivileged children. She would then work on a stronger deck, one that focused even more on the X-Sabers, which made better use of their unique talents.**_

_**At any rate, she never saw that nasty boggart again. Maybe it had perished in the crash. Good riddance was all she had to say. Having an enemy who existed solely to oppose her was a little too much to handle, especially when that enemy wanted to erase her from existence.**_

_**In the meantime, we had other problems. Jinx had escaped the mad trap, but Gears, Shichiro, and Jalal still had problems…**_

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**SPEED SPELL – THE END OF STORM (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The demon Darkness casting an evil spell.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 10 or more Speed Counters. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Each player takes 300 points of damage for each Monster he controlled that was destroyed by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – The End of Storm" was first used by Jack in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "A Blast from the Past (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WISH DRAGON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 700  
**DEF:** 100

**Card Description:** During your Main Phase, you can Tribute this card to Special Summon 2 "Dragon Tokens". (Dragon/Light/Level 1/0ATK/0DEF)

_Note: "Wish Dragon" was first used by Manjyome's manga counterpart. Creative credit goes to the writers._

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_Coming up next:_

_Gears finds himself in an alternate dimension, and guess who's there to confront him? That's right, Edmund is back, and he's finally decided to face Gears head-on! But he's not using his Worm Deck this time, instead choosing a type of Monster that frightens Gears even more, which he has already lost to! In the Shadow Turbo Duel that follows, Gears must muster all the courage he has to confront creatures without compassion, as he finally faces the wicked worm._

"_Mysterious Triangle" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Gavin Lamont, Speed Demon**

Motorbikes, hot rods, race cars, drag cars, funny cars… All vehicles built for speed. Most of their pilots are simply skilled drivers. But some are much more. Some are speed demons.

Speed demons are Shadowkind or Aware humans who have supernatural skills with their vehicle of choice. To a speed demon, the vehicle is an extension of the rider's body, and a quick thought translates into immediate action. Speed demons live for speed, and can pilot these incredibly fast vehicles with skill that can only be called magical.

With the rise of Turbo Dueling, it was only natural that speed demons who could pilot D-Wheels eventually appeared. The moon elf known as Gavin Lamont has made a name for himself as one of the best in combining the two aspects. To him, the cards are secondary – the D-Wheel itself is the more vital part of the duel.

Originally from Chicago, Gavin eschewed the pro circuit, instead making a name for himself in more private duels. Once he became known as one of the best duelists on the road, he moved to New York, and accomplished the same thing there. He then moved to Los Angeles, and repeated the trick. The same cycle repeated itself in several major cities. Along the way, Gavin worked both with the Shadowchasers and against them, depending on his mood at the time. He has, on occasion, helped topple groups of the Sons of Tyranny (for instance), but he has also aided criminals in escaping mounted Shadowchasers. It seems to depend a lot on what would make the better Turbo Duel.

Gavin has challenged many Turbo Duelists in the United States and Canada, but he knows he isn't done. He has his eye on Neo Domino, where the Turbo Duel circuit is even more intense. His next move may be in that direction. He may dream of eventually dueling the two Signers who can Turbo Duel; like Bommer, he has said that if he ever had to lose, he would want to do so while facing one of the Five Dragons.

**Story Ideas:** Gavin is the perfect opponent for a hero who thinks he's the best there is. His powerful deck (see below) is difficult to use, but difficult to defeat if used right.

It may be possible that other speed demons exist, possibly characters that have already been introduced. The mysterious D-Wheeler named Dark Glass has not yet said much about his past, and he could well be a speed demon in a Shadowchasers story – he certainly isn't the average biker. He may even become a rival of Gavin's, as they play the same type of decks.

Gavin's odd habit of seesawing from one side of the law to another makes him a serious loose cannon. One possible part of a story would be to place him in a situation so dire, he would be forced to choose, once and for all. Depending on his choice, either the forces of Good or Evil could gain a powerful recruit that day…

**Deck Suggestions:** Gavin's deck is a powerful and hard to use Accel Synchro Deck, similar to the one used by Dark Glass. Accel Synchro is an advanced evolution of Synchro Monsters, which combines Synchros into more powerful Synchros and allows Synchro Summoning during the opponent's turn. Very little is known of this advanced form of Synchro Summoning as yet, but more should be revealed as the current season of the anime progresses. At any rate, Gavin rarely duels off his bike, preferring to duel exclusively via Turbo Duel. Of course, he likely _could_ duel using the normal format if he had to.


	59. Mysterious Triangle

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**CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE**

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**Mysterious Triangle**

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_**You ever hear the old slogan, "Suppose they gave a war and nobody came?" That's an American slogan from the Vietnam era, made popular by a woman named **__**Charlotte E. Keyes, a noted anti-war activist. Ironically, people like her were the people who the U.S. Government should have been listening to during those years. **_

_**But as terrible as conflicts like the Vietnam War were, there are rumors of conflicts elsewhere in the cosmos that would make them seem like playground brawls. A library at Shadowchaser Headquarters that I'm not allowed to go into yet tells of the Blood War, the eternal conflict between the devils that rule Hell and the demons of the Abyss. Supposedly, if a single battle in this war doesn't have at least twice as many casualties as the entire Vietnam War did, it isn't a battle; it's a "frivolous engagement". **_

_**And battles in this war that are considered important? Legends say that the armies involved literally have billions of soldiers, and that the fighting is so terrible, that even if you found a safe place to watch (which would likely mean a thousand miles away) you would die of fright. **_

_**In conflicts like these, only lunatics ever try to promote peace. Some folks may want it, but they know it will never happen. Conflicts like the Blood War are not fought over land and resources or for political or cultural ideals like the wars on Earth. They are fought because each side represents a metaphysical concept that opposes the other, in this case, Law and Chaos.**_

_**And Gears was about to see one of the scars of this war, one that cut deeper than most ones that humans see.**_

Gears drove his D-Wheel out of the portal.

As Jinx had, he quickly realized that something was amiss.

He looked around, and saw buildings lying in rubble. Not a soul was in sight. The ground was strewn with ash, and the sky was full of dark smog.

"Hello?" he shouted.

He slowly drove his D-Wheel through the ruined city, until he came to a border.

He gasped.

It looked like the aftermath of a great battle. As far as the eye could see, there were skulls, bones, broken weapons, and smashed remains of war engines.

He pulled up closer, and saw that the rotting bones were not human. They were demonic creatures, some with horns and others with claws.

He covered his nose. A stench was in the air that could only be described as the smell of death.

"Where the Hell am I?" he gasped.

"Depends?" said a voice. "What Hell are you talking about?"

Gears turned his head and saw him.

"EDMUND!" he shouted.

"That's my name," said the worm that walks. "And it's really me this time, not some hologram controlled by any little leprechaun."

"Then you've finally decided to face me?" asked Gears.

Edmund nodded.

"If you want to know where you are," he said, "I'll gladly tell you…

"This is a place in an alternate dimension which is commonly called the Realm of Stupidity by those who travel the planes."

"Uh…" said Gears.

"I know, I know…" said Edmund. "You want to know why it's called that… Well, I'll tell you…

"Long ago, this realm was beautiful… Lush, bountiful, and populated by peaceful creatures…

"Then a mistake in a spell cast by some wizard opened a portal to the worst possible place… The middle of a battlefield where the Blood War was being fought.

"An army of devils came through the portal. Apparently, some infernal commander had been tipped off that some powerful weapon was hidden in this place. A weapon of incredible power that could be used for military applications. He was determined to find it.

"The only problem was, someone told the demons about it. They sent an army after them, intent on finding the weapon first.

"Then, all Hell broke loose, literally. The two armies of fiends tore into each other. The natives fled for their lives, not all of them making it. It took only a day to turn the whole realm into a wasteland. And like all battles in the Blood War…"

He pointed to the piles of bones and skulls.

"Well, you can see the aftermath. The corpses were left to rot. Even the vultures and rats quickly found out that fiends taste horrible, and left for better hunting grounds. To this day, nothing will even grow here. Too much fiendish blood seeped into the ground.

"And it had all been for nothing… The weapon they had been looking for had never even existed. Utter stupidity had destroyed this place…

"But then, who can comprehend the minds of fiends?"

Gears glared at him.

"Why here?" he asked.

Edmund looked at him.

Then, in an aura of dark energy, his robes turned into the dark armor and helmet that he had worn when he first met Gears, and the large, heavy-duty D-Wheel appeared.

"Why do you think?" he said, with a laugh. "The battle forever made this place an epicenter of evil. The perfect starting point for the type of duel I wanted.

"So it's come to this…" said Gears. "A Shadow Turbo Duel just like it ended with the other worm… Fine! I'll defeat you just like I destroyed him."

"You're a fool," said Edmund. "You think you destroyed the first worm you met? You may have won the duel, but he was only _defeated_, not destroyed. He survived, at least past the duel."

Gears stopped short.

"Impossible…" he said. "That guy went up in flames…"

"It isn't that easy to kill a worm that walks," replied Edmund. "If even one of his component worms survives, he'll live again. One of that guy's worms survived, and a Contingency magic sent his deck to a Leomund's Secret Chest in the Astral Plane.

"It took him about a year to reform, and regenerate enough worms to have a complete body. But by that time, almost everything he had was gone. His zombie army was destroyed, and his henchmen were all dead or in jail. I found him in the sewers of Satellite, and was willing to serve him, so long as he shared with me the secrets of the Tome of Kyuss, the one thing of value he had left.

"He trusted me… He trusted me too much. He helped me with most of the ritual, but to complete it, I had to offer a sentient being as a sacrifice. I figured that a down-on-his-luck necromancer who everyone already thought was dead would be ideal…"

"You killed your mentor after he shared his greatest secrets?" asked Gears.

"I thought you hated him," replied Edmund. "After all, he killed your girlfriend and turned her corpse into a zombie. Of course, it wasn't easy after that. I only recently found the command word to summon the Leomund's Secret Chest and gain those cards… Until then, I used several other decks when dealing with Shadows…"

"Like the V-to-Z Deck?" asked Gears.

"Oh, that's not all…" said Edmund. "Time to settle this once and for all, Gears…"

He got on his D-Wheel.

"There's not enough road here for a Turbo Duel," said Gears.

"Roads?" asked Edmund. "This is only the sendoff point, Gears… Where we're going, we're not going to need roads…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Gears blinked.

In the next split second, he and his bike had been transported to a void of stars. He was on a racetrack (or something that might have passed for one) shaped like a huge triangle, floating in the starry void. The strange triangle was huge, almost a mile to each side, and was covered with weird sigils and runes.

"What is this thing?" he gasped.

"Well, Gears, one thing I forgot to mention," said Edmund. "The Realm of Stupidity is a pocket dimension that exists entirely inside the Astral Plane.

"This odd formation that we're on is also in the Astral Plane. You might say it's in close proximity to the place where we left, although distances are measured differently here.

"You see, as an ur-priest, I come to the Astral a lot."

"Why is that?" asked Gears.

"Well, I've never actually seen this myself," said Edmund, "but according to legend, the Astral Plane holds the corpses of dead gods."

"Gods can die?" asked Gears.

"Yes, but not by any power that can be harnessed by mortals," replied Edmund.

He chuckled a little.

"Some of the crazier ur-priests spend their time trying to figure out ways that might possibly be used to kill or imprison deities… They waste their time. It's impossible. The only way a god can truly die is for one to fall in battle against a stronger god, or a group of gods of equal power.

"It isn't a _common_ occurrence, of course, but in the history of the universe, it has been known to happen… From time to time…"

"So the Astral has some sort of cemetery where dead gods are interred?" asked Gears. "Why do you want to find it? To vandalize it?"

"You think too small, Gears," said Edmund. "I'm a necromancer… I study magic of the dead. I'm an ur-priest… I steal power from gods…

"Do you have any idea what power I might be able to gain if I combine the two? Draw energy from a dead god?"

"I'm trying hard not to think about it," said Gears.

"Anyway," continued Edmund, "getting back to the here and now… I never found any dead gods, but I did find this weird triangle… Never found out what the thing was for… I can't decode the runes yet.

"But it will make a splendid arena for a Turbo Duel, wouldn't you think?"

"Fine…" said Gears.

The two Speed World cards activated.

"I'm taking you down once and for all!"

"One safety tip about the Astral Plane," said Edmund. "If an Astral Dreadnaught shows up, don't try to fight it. Run for your life."

"What's an Astral Dreadnaught?" asked Gears.

"Trust me," said Edmund. "If you see one, you'll know."

Two engines started.

**(Gears: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Edmund: 8,000)**

The two D-Wheels sped down one side of the huge triangle.

"Be my guest," said Edmund.

Gears made his first draw.

"I summon Dark Resonator in Attack Mode!" he shouted.

A portal opened behind him, and the cute Fiend wearing a foolscap, holding a tuning fork and a small mallet appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"I'll end my turn there…"

Edmund drew a card. Both Speed Counters rose to one.

"I summon someone who might seem familiar to you," he said. "Appear… Alien Shocktrooper!"

Another portal opened, and a large creature appeared with a snarl. It was a large, reptilian creature, centaur-like in form, with webbed limbs, and blue orbs on its chest. It held a large scimitar that was clearly of extraterrestrial design. (1,900 ATK)

_Good lord…_ thought Gears, getting nervous. _Please tell me he's using a Normal Beatdown Deck, and NOT an Alien Deck…_

"You seem quiet all of a sudden," said Edmund. "I wonder why…"

Alien Shocktrooper rushed at Dark Resonator and slammed its sword into the Fiend. However, the small Fiend only grinned.

"Silly me," chuckled Edmund. "I forgot… Dark Resonator has to be attacked twice before it can be destroyed.

"Oh well… I guess it's your move…"

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

Gears made a draw. Both Speed Counters rose to two, as they rounded the first angle of the triangle.

"I play Speed Spell – Angel Baton," he said, as a Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. "Now, I can draw two cards…"

He made two draws.

"…so long as I then discard one."

He made a discard.

"I switch my Monster to Defense Mode…"

Dark Resonator shielded itself. (300 DEF)

"…and then set one card facedown…"

A reversed card appeared, and then faded from view.

"…And it's your move…"

Edmund drew a card. Both Speed Counters clicked up to three.

"Think I'll set a Monster," he said.

A reversed Monster appeared, and then faded from view.

"Since attacking would be pointless, I'll just end my turn there."

Gears was getting even more nervous. Normal Beatdown Decks didn't typically have Monsters that had to be set.

He drew a card, and the counters rose to four.

_That's the one…_ he said.

"I sacrifice Dark Resonator…" he said.

The small Fiend turned into an orb of energy.

"…to summon Ally of Justice Lethal Weapon!"

A large robot materialized in front of his bike, looking like a cylindrical drone with a small sphere for a head, and several spindly limbs. Each limb ended in a nasty weapon; there was a mallet, a grabber, a circular saw, and most remarkably, a large drill. (2,200 ATK)

"Next, my facedown card activates," said Gears, as his Trap Card spun around. "DNA Transplant. I'll turn all Monsters on the field to Light.

"And now that that's done… My Monster drills the point home to Alien Shocktrooper!"

Lethal Weapon's drill spun with a noisy roar. It flew at the Alien, and plunged the weapon into its chest. The Reptile roared before it shattered.

"Now I can activate Lethal Weapon's effect," said Gears. "When it destroys a Light Monster, I get to draw one card. If the card I draw happens to be a Dark-Attribute Monster that's Level 4 or less, I can show it to you, and then Special Summon it."

He drew a card.

"Read it and weep!" he said, holding it forward. "It's Dark Tinker!"

He threw the card on his console, and the creepy, spider-like Fiend appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Are you quite done?" asked Edmund.

"Not by a long shot," replied Gears. "Because Dark Tinker is a Tuner, I can now Special Summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from my Graveyard."

The weird-looking hedgehog with bolts in its back appeared next to Dark Tinker. (800 ATK)

"Now, I Tune my three Monsters together…"

Lethal Weapon, Dark Tinker, and Quillbolt Hedgehog all glowed with energy, and flew into the sky, turning into nine glowing stars. A flash of light burst in the void.

Ally of Justice Field Marshall rocketed down to the triangular racetrack, flying on a portable jetpack. (2,900 ATK)

"Son of a…" said Edmund.

"Now I get to use Dark Tinker's effect," continued Gears. "I get to flip the top card on my deck, and then decide whether to keep it on top, or put it on the bottom."

He checked the top card of his deck. It was Limit Reverse.

_Perfect,_ he thought, putting it back.

"I end my turn."

**(G: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,700)**

Edmund drew a card.

"Your best Monster, huh?" he asked.

The Speed Counters rose to five.

"It will make destroying it all the more fun. I set another Monster, and that will be all."

Another reversed Monster appeared next to the first.

Gears made a draw. He looked at Limit Reverse, and then stashed it on his gauntlet. Both counters rose to six.

"All right, Marshall," he said, "let's take them one at a time!"

"**Roger, roger,"** said the huge Machine.

It quickly transformed into battle mode, and fired its ballistic barrage at one of the defensive Monsters. A little, thin, grey alien appeared on the card before being blown to pieces.

"Alien Grey?!" shouted Gears.

His hand shook nervously.

"When…" he continued. "When Field Marshall destroys a reversed Monster… I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"And when Alien Grey is flipped," said Edmund, "I get to put an A-Counter on any opposing Monster."

An ugly, purple slug flew at Field Marshall, and latched onto its armor.

"Plus, when Alien Grey is destroyed after being flipped, I get to make one draw."

He drew a card.

"I… I end my turn…" said Gears.

Edmund made a draw. As they turned another angle in the triangular field, they picked up speed, both counters rising to seven.

"I summon Alien Warrior," he said.

A glowing portal opened, and a snarling, feral Monster leapt out. It looked like it was the same species as Alien Shocktrooper, but it was man-shaped, albeit bulky and muscular. It had grey skin, a bestial, reptilian face, and the orbs on its chest were black. It had claws on its hands that were as big as its head. (1,800 ATK)

"Who told you…" started Gears.

"That someone once beat your ass good with these Alien Monsters?" replied Edmund. "That you're afraid of them because of it? My mentor did, of course. He was building this deck, and was planning to use it against you when he gained his power back.

"I suppose you know that A-Counters have a variety of effects… For instance, certain Aliens, like this one, cause the Monster that has them to lose 300 Attack and Defense Points when fighting Aliens."

"Yeah?" said Gears, trying to sound more confident than he really was. "Well, Field Marshall would need _four_ A-Counters before that thing could defeat it. Your Warrior doesn't scare me."

He was lying, but he wasn't going to tell Edmund that.

"Maybe not, but these two facedown cards might," replied Edmund, as two reversed cards appeared behind Alien Warrior.

"I end my turn."

Gears made a draw, and both counters rose to eight. He looked at Alien Warrior.

_I know that thing's effect,_ he thought. _If I destroy it, the Monster that does so will get two A-Counters…_

_I'd better play it safe for now…_

"He who hesitates is lost, Gears," said Edmund. "I activate my Trap…"

One facedown card lifted, and the picture on it looked rather frightening, but also strange. Gears recognized the Monster on it as a powerful Alien called Alien Mother, and it was apparently screaming in agony as several A-Counters crawled over it.

"Mutant Strain?" said Gears, looking at the name of the Trap. "What does that do?"

"I can activate this when I have at least one Monster," said Edmund, "and your Monsters have three A-Counters or less among them.

"It removes the A-Counters from your Monsters, and puts them on mine."

The A-Counter flew off of Field Marshall, and latched itself onto Alien Warrior.

"I know," he continued, "you're wondering why I would do something that dumb. Well, first of all, for each A-Counter my Monsters just got, I get to draw one card…"

He made a draw.

"Also, it paves the way for this other Trap…"

His other facedown card lifted, and this one was even scarier. It showed a swarm of A-Counters attacking Seattle.

"Planet Pollutant Virus!"

"A Virus card??" exclaimed Gears.

"You got it!" laughed Edmund. "And to activate it, I just have to sacrifice an Alien…"

Alien Warrior vanished.

"The first thing this Virus does," continued Edmund, "is destroy all of your Monsters that DON'T have A-Counters! You see, as strange as it may seem, A-Counters act as a vaccine for the initial effects of this Virus."

Gears watched in horror as Field Marshall burst into shards.

"However…" continued Edmund. "All Monsters you summon while the Virus is in effect are treated to the secondary effect. They will all gain one A-Counter as soon as they are summoned.

"And like all Virus cards, this effect lasts for three rounds."

"Well, you jumped the gun, Edmund!" sneered Gears. "You should have waited until I summoned another Monster…"

He threw a card on his console.

"I summon Robotic Knight!"

A portal opened, and the android chevalier appeared. (1,600 ATK)

Another A-Counter flew at the robot, and latched onto its chest.

"Virus or no virus, I'll still beat you!" he shouted. "Crush his hidden Monster! Gatling blast!"

Robotic Knight fired a burst of bullets at the reversed Monster. A second Alien Grey appeared on the card, and exploded.

"Thank you," said Edmund. "Now, Robotic Knight gets a second A-Counter…"

Another of the slimy slugs latched onto the Machine.

"And I get to draw another card…

"Now do you see why I used my Virus right away?"

He made a draw.

Gears sighed.

He threw two cards onto his controls, and two facedown cards appeared.

"End!" he shouted.

Edmund drew a card. The counters each rose to nine.

"You know Gears…" he said, in a sinister voice. "I'm not cruel… I think I'll be nice, and take those A-Counters off of your Monster…"

The two A-Counters on Robotic Knight crumbled to dust.

"Why…" said Gears.

"I'll tell you why," interrupted Edmund. "By removing those A-Counters, I can Special Summon Alien Overlord!"

Another portal appeared, and two glowing, red eyes appeared in it. With a roar, an eight-foot-tall, only vaguely humanoid creature emerged from it. It had a black exoskeleton, violet orbs on its chest, clawed legs and a thick tail, and eight insectoid arms ending in vicious claws. (2,200 ATK)

"What is THAT?" shouted Gears.

"That's Alien Overlord," repeated Edmund. "Quite a looker, isn't he? And he has the ability to put an A-Counter on any Monster on the field every round."

A cavity on Alien Overlord's chest opened, and an A-Counter flew out, latching to Robotic Knight again.

"Attack Robotic Knight!" ordered Edmund. "Vicious rend!"

Alien Overlord leapt at the Machine, and Robotic Knight's Attack Score fell to 1,300. The Alien made a savage slash with all eight claws. Robotic Knight exploded.

"Ergh…" said Gears.

"I throw a card facedown," said Edmund, as a reversed card appeared, "and that will be all.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,700)**

Both of them swerved around another angle in the triangle.

_Calm down, Gears…_ thought Gears. _Sure you're scared… Sure you were beaten by these creepy Aliens before… Sure he's using them in ways you've never seen before…_

_But you can still beat him!_

He drew a card.

"Go, Limit Reverse!" he shouted, as his facedown card lifted. "Now, I can bring Dark Tinker back from by Graveyard."

The Fiend Tuner appeared with a cackle. (1,000 ATK)

Then it gasped as an A-Counter latched directly to its face.

"Don't worry," said Gears. "You don't have to stay…"

Dark Tinker vanished into an orb of light.

"I sacrifice Tinker to summon Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais!"

Another portal opened, and the large, robotic condor flew out. (2,300 ATK)

Again, an A-Counter latched to its underside.

"That thing is worthless," said Edmund. "It may be stronger than Overlord now, but if it actually attacks, it will lose 300 Attack Points due to the A-Counter."

"Oh yeah?" asked Gears. "We'll see about that. But first I'll use Dark Tinker's effect…"

He flipped the top card on his deck. It was Urgent Tuning.

He put it back on top.

"Now, I activate Rare Metalmorph!"

His other facedown card lifted up.

"And I'll hotwire it to Claíomh Solais. This gives it 500 more Attack Points, and gives it the ability to, just once, avoid the effect of a Spell Card that targets it."

(2,800 ATK)

"With twenty-eight hundred Attack Points, one A-Counter won't be enough to save your Overlord…

"Attack!"

Claíomh Solais fired a blast of lightning bolts at the evil Alien. Its Attack Points fell to 2,500, but it didn't make much difference to its target. Alien Overlord screeched, and exploded into a blast of dark energy.

"You'll pay for that…" growled Edmund.

"It's your move, worm," said Gears.

**(G: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,400)**

Edmund growled as he drew a card. Both Speed Counters clicked up to eleven.

"I play Speed Spell – Vision Wind," he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "Now, I can bring back a Level 2 or lower Monster from my Graveyard."

Alien Grey appeared, flying in front of his bike. (300 ATK)

"Now, a Trap Card," he said, as his facedown card lifted up. "Orbital Bombardment!"

A giant flying saucer loomed in the ether behind him.

"I simply have to sacrifice Grey," he said, as Alien Grey vanished, "and…"

A bolt of burning energy blasted out of the spaceship, and DNA Transplant was blown to shards.

"I'll set a Monster and a facedown card, and end my turn."

A reversed Monster and a reversed card appeared, and then faded from view. The spaceship vanished back into the ether.

_Okay…_ thought Gears. _I only have to get through this round, and then I won't have to deal with his Virus any more…_

He drew a card, and looked at Urgent Tuning. He stashed it on his gauntlet with his other five cards.

Both Speed Counters rose to twelve…

"Oh, Gears?" asked Edmund. "Ever wonder what happens when a D-Wheel makes a jump to warp speed?"

"Huh?" asked Gears. "What do you…"

In the next second, reality became undone. Both D-Wheels accelerated, and drove into the void at incredible speed. The stars around them flashed by, then turned into starlines, and then faded into a mottled blue-black background.

Gears couldn't believe it… Had they entered hyperspace?

He would think about it later… He had no choice but to continue the duel…

He played a card.

"I summon Machine King Prototype!" he shouted.

The portal opened, and the first series of Machine King flew into the void. (1,600 ATK) Its Attack Score rose to 1,700.

Another A-Counter flew at it, and latched onto its armor.

"Claíomh Solais, attack his Monster!" he shouted.

Claíomh Solais blasted its lightning at the concealed Monster…

Alien Warrior appeared on the card, and was blown to shards. Two more A-Counters flew at Claíomh Solais and latched onto its hull.

"Machine King Prototype…" snarled Gears, "attack him…"

"Trap Card, activate!" shouted Edmund. "Brainwashing Beam!"

His facedown card lifted up.

"Now, Claíomh Solais becomes mine…"

Claíomh Solais was pulled over to the front of Edmund's bike.

Gears sighed.

"I set one card, and end my turn," he said, as a facedown card appeared. "That means the effects of your Virus are expired."

"My move!" shouted Edmund.

He made a draw.

"I play Speed Spell – Acceleration Draw," he said. "With my Speed Counters maxed out, this lets me make two draws…"

He drew two cards.

"Now, I sacrifice your Claíomh Solais…"

Claíomh Solais vanished into an orb of energy. A portal appeared, and another growl came out of it.

"I summon Alien Mother!"

Gears started to sweat as the Monster appeared, and looked at him. This thing had played a big part of the duel where he had lost.

Similar to Worm Queen, only its name gave any suggestion of gender. It lacked any mammalian female features, and was certainly not beautiful. It was just as tall and muscular as Alien Overlord, with a bone-white exoskeleton covered with spiky protrusions and violet orbs. It had four muscular arms, each one ending in a wicked claw. (2,300 ATK)

"Alien Mother…" ordered Edmund. "Destroy Machine King Prototype! Bite from beyond!"

Alien Mother screeched, and leapt at the Machine. It seized it in her claws, and sank her fangs into its head. It exploded into slag.

Gears found it hard to watch. He remembered only too well how he had taken a direct attack from this thing that had gone almost the same…

"I'm not done," said Edmund. "I activate Alien Mother's effect… Since your Monster had an A-Counter, it now becomes mine."

Machine King Prototype appeared next to Alien Mother. (1,600 ATK)

"Now it attacks directly!"

Gears grunted as a blast of energy shot from Machine King Prototype, striking the front of his bike.

_I can't wipe out here…_ he thought. _I might really be moving through hyperspace…_

He remembered how Han Solo had said it best in the first Star Wars movie. "Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dustin' crops, boy." He had meant that it was incredibly complex.

Heck, it was supposed to be _impossible_, a concept that existed only in science fiction. But stranger things had happened.

"It's your move," said Edmund.

**(G: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,400)**

Gears quickly made a draw, and his Speed Counters went back up to twelve.

He quickly played a Speed Spell.

"Look familiar?" he asked. "I have an Acceleration Draw too."

He made two draws.

"I set another card facedown, and then summon Nanobreaker."

A facedown card appeared next to his other one, and then the portal opened again. Jake flew out, holding the Nanobreaker sword. She glared at Alien Mother. (1,600 ATK)

"I end my turn."

Edmund made a draw, and looked at it.

_Don't need this critter yet…_ he thought, stashing it on his gauntlet.

"Time for something bigger," he said. "The Monster I want to summon is Level 7…

"But since Machine King Prototype was formerly yours, it's all I need…"

The Machine vanished into grains of light.

_No…_ thought Gears, starting to sweat.

He knew what was coming… In the previous duel where he had faced Aliens, the round where this Monster had been summoned was the round where he had lost.

A huge Monster loomed behind Edmund's bike. It looked like a giant brain, twice the size of Alien Mother, covered with vicious slime, with a mass of tentacles behind it, mounted on a dozen crustacean-like legs.

"Meet Cosmic Horror Gangi'el," he said.

(2,600 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect…" he continued. "which lets me put an A-Counter on one of your Monsters every round."

Nanobreaker gave a look of disgust as an A-Counter grabbed onto her chest.

"Alien Mother…" commanded Edmund, "devour Nanobreaker!"

Nanobreaker's look of disgust turned to a look of panic as Alien Mother turned towards her…

"You triggered my Trap!" screamed Gears. "Half or Nothing!"

His facedown card shot up, and the intimidating form of Judge Man loomed over his bike.

"I'm sure you know how this Trap Card works," said Gears.

"Fine, fine!" shouted Edmund. "I end my Battle Phase… And I end my turn too…"

Nanobreaker breathed a sigh of relief as Gears drew a card.

Gears looked at his hand.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Now that he had actually gotten past that point, he saw a strategy for turning the situation around.

"Perfect," he said. "You know, Edmund… I should thank you for playing that Orbital Bombardment card…

"You see, now, because only _one_ of your Monsters is a Light Monster, I can Special Summon Ally of Justice Cosmic Closer."

The portal opened, and the weird, non-humanoid Machine flew out. (2,400 ATK)

"Big deal," said Edmund.

"I'm just getting started," said Gears.

A Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"I play Speed Spell – Platinum Echoes. Now, since I have an Ally of Justice on the field, I can summon one from my Graveyard, so long as it has a lower Level."

Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais appeared with a screech. (2,300 ATK)

"Now, my Trap Card! Birthright!"

His facedown card flipped around, and Robotic Knight leapt out. (1,600 ATK)

"Finally, I sacrifice Robotic Knight and Nanobreaker…"

The two androids glared at Edmund before they vanished into pixels.

"…to summon Perfect Machine King!"

The King of Machines emerged from the portal, flying beside Gears's bike on a blasting jetpack. (2,700 ATK) –) (3,700 ATK)

"Hold on!" shouted Edmund.

"Perfect Machine King," said Gears, pointing a finger, "obliterate Cosmic Horror Gangi'el with mega missile assault!"

The hatches on Perfect Machine King's shoulders opened, and a volley of missiles shot at the huge Reptile. Edmund groaned as his Monster exploded into shards, and his Speed Counters fell to eleven.

"Cosmic Closer, wipe out Alien Mother!" ordered Gears.

Cosmic Closer blasted a bolt at the Alien queen. She screamed before it hit her and she was vaporized.

"Now, Claíomh Solais, attack him directly!"

Edmund screamed as the Ally shot its lightning bolts, and he hung on as his Speed Counters fell to nine.

**(G: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,900)**

The series of attacks seemed to take the two of them out of hyperspace. Gears looked around. Their two D-Wheels were now driving along a pathway of light in the middle of the astral, past giant rock formations and odd spheres of light floating in the silvery void.

"Why don't you stop this and bring us back to Earth, Edmund?" asked Gears. "I've blown your best Monster to oblivion, after all."

Edmund laughed.

"Best Monster, Gears?" he asked. "Whoever said that Cosmic Horror Gangi'el was my best Monster?"

_There's an Alien even stronger than __Cosmic Horror __Gangi'el?_ thought Gears.

He had no idea what Edmund was talking about. Of course, in the previous duel, he hadn't lasted long enough to see anything stronger…

Edmund drew a card, and his Speed Counters rose to ten.

"I summon Alien Ammonite!" he exclaimed.

A small Monster appeared in front of his bike. It looked like a cross between a snail and a small squid. (500 ATK)

_Okay…_ thought Gears. _Never saw THAT thing before…_

"And when Alien Ammonite is Normal Summoned," continued Edmund, "I get to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Alien from my Graveyard."

Alien Warrior appeared once again. (1,800 ATK)

"It will be destroyed when I end my turn, but it won't be around that long. You see, Alien Ammonite is also a Tuner."

Alien Ammonite and Alien Warrior dissolved into five glowing stars…

A dark shadow loomed over both the duelists. Gears watched, as the biggest Alien yet loomed behind his foe.

Well, sort of. It was hard to determine whether this was an alien, or whether it was actually an alien spacecraft. At first glance, it might have looked like an evolved version of Cosmic Horror Gangi'el, but its exterior seemed to be made as much of metal as it was of flesh. It didn't seem any less ugly, however. Most disturbingly, it was covered with tendrils with eyes on the ends.

"I give you…" said Edmund, "_Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar_!"

(2,600 ATK)

"Good lord…" said Gears. "Uh… You do realize that Perfect Machine King is far stronger, right?"

"Attack Points aren't everything," replied Edmund. "But for now…

"Attack Ally of Justice Claíomh Solais! Cosmic blast!"

A volley of bolts that looked like colored lightning shot from the peak of Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar, incinerating Claíomh Solais. Perfect Machine King's Attack Score fell to 3,200.

"I set one more card facedown," said Edmund, "and that will be all for now."

A facedown card flashed into existence, and then faded from sight.

**(G: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,900)**

_I don't get it,_ thought Gears. _This Synchro is his best Monster? It's got the exact same Attack Score as Gangi'el… and Gangi'el is even a higher Level…_

_Of course, this may well be the strongest Level 5 Monster I've ever seen, but it still shouldn't be stronger than a Level 7 one…_

_And he may have weakened Perfect Machine King by destroying Claíomh Solais, but my King is still stronger… What's his game?_

He drew a card.

He looked at the card with a strange look. Then, he stashed it on his gauntlet with his other two cards.

"Perfect Machine King…" he said. "Attack…"

"Not so fast!" shouted Edmund, as his Trap Card lifted up. "I activate… Gravity Bind. An old fashioned Trap, but still useful. Now your Monsters can't attack."

"Useful?" said Gears. "More like _stupid_. In case you didn't notice, _your_ Monster can't attack either."

"Maybe it can, and maybe it can't," replied Edmund.

Gears slowly took two cards off of his gauntlet.

"I throw two cards facedown," he said, "and then move Cosmic Closer to Defense Mode."

The light in Cosmic Closer's portal went out. (1,200 DEF) Two facedown cards appeared, and faded from view.

"My move!" laughed Edmund, drawing a card.

His Speed Counters hit twelve again.

"I activate Cosmic Fortress's first effect," he said. "I get to send every face-up Spell and Trap on the field back to their owner's hands."

Gravity Bind vanished, and appeared in his hand.

"And when I do that, I get to place one A-Counter on any Monster I want, for each card I do that to."

An A-Counter attached itself to Perfect Machine King.

"Your Fortress doesn't have the word 'Alien' in its name," replied Gears. "Perfect Machine King won't be weakened at all if it battles it, no matter how many of those things it has."

"Don't worry," said Edmund, "I'll get to him later. For now…

"Attack Cosmic Closer!"

Gol'gar fired its lightshow, and Cosmic Closer exploded.

"Now I'll toss _three_ cards facedown," he said, as three facedown cards appeared, "and turn it over to you."

_So that's his game,_ thought Gears. _He's going to send Gravity Bind back to his hand on each of his turns, so it only functions during my turn!_

_Talk about a dirty trick…_

He drew a card.

"I set a Monster, and end my turn!" he shouted.

A set Monster appeared, and faded from view.

"My move again?" laughed Edmund. "This is getting fun…"

He made a draw.

"Once again, I play Gravity Bind," he said, as the facedown card lifted up.

"Then, once again, I return it to my hand."

The Trap Card vanished. A second A-Counter latched onto Perfect Machine King.

"And now I activate Gol'gar's second effect… True, it can't weaken Monsters that have A-Counters… But, when it's on the field, I can remove two A-Counters from _anywhere_ on the field to destroy any opposing card."

The two A-Counters on Perfect Machine King crumbled into dust. Then Gol'gar blasted a bolt of energy, and Perfect Machine King was atomized.

"Next, I set my Trap again," he said, as the facedown card appeared, "and summon Alien Hunter."

The portal opened again, and a new Alien leapt out. This one was more lizard-like and streamlined than Alien Warrior, had blue skin, a long tail, black armor, and blue orbs on its chest. It carried a long spear-like weapon. (1,600 ATK)

"Attack his last Monster!" shouted the worm. "Otherworldly electrostaff!"

Alien Hunter leapt at the reversed Monster with its weapon. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to shards.

Both duelists made five draws.

_Here is comes…_ thought Gears, gritting his teeth.

"Gol'gar…" ordered Edmund, "hit him hard!"

Gol'gar fired its cosmic blast, and Gears screamed as the energy ripped through him. His Speed Counters fell to ten.

**(G: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,900)**

Gears glared at his foe with a look of hate.

"If you're done…" he said. "I believe it's my move…"

He drew a card.

"I summon Mechanicalchaser!" he shouted.

The portal opened, and the Machine hunter flew out. (1,850 ATK)

"It's pointless, Gears," said Edmund.

His Gravity Bind activated again.

Then, to Edmund's shock, the Trap Card disintegrated.

"WHAT?" he shouted. "HOW?"

Then Edmund saw another Monster in front of Gears's bike.

"Trap Eater??" shouted Edmund.

It was indeed Trap Eater, the tricky Fiend Tuner made for just such an occasion. (1,900 ATK)

"I have to thank you," said Gears. "This duel has helped me a great deal…

"These Aliens may be pretty ugly, but I realize now that they're no different than the other terrible Monsters that I've faced. Facing up to them again helped me break through the block, and get over the fear I had of them.

"I'm sure that wasn't your intent, Edmund, but I still have to thank you…"

Edmund growled…

"Trap Eater…" said Gears. "Incinerate Alien Hunter!"

The Fiend blew a cone of fire from its mouth, and Alien Hunter was reduced to ash.

"Next, a Trap Card," said Gears, as his facedown card lifted up. "Urgent Tuning. This lets me make a Synchro Summon right in the middle of the Battle Phase…

"Mechanicalchaser… Trap Eater… Let's get 'im…"

The Fiend and the Machine flew into the starry void, and faded into eight glowing stars…

Then, Ally of Justice Light Gazer flew down, hovering in front of Gears's bike. (2,400 ATK)

"If memory serves me correctly," said Gears, "there are four Light Monsters in your Graveyard right now…"

Four phantasms appeared behind Gears and Light Gazer: the two Alien Greys, Alien Ammonite, and Cosmic Horror Gangi'el.

"That means 800 more Attack Points for my Monster."

(3,200 ATK)

"Light Gazer… Wipe out Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar with plasma cannon!"

Light Gazer fired its weapon directly into the heart of the huge living spacecraft. The immense Reptile groaned, and its tendrils started flailing. Then it exploded in a display of pyrotechnics and colored bursts.

**(G: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,000)**

"It's your move, Edmund…" said Gears.

"Oh, you think you're so smart…" said Edmund, drawing a card.

"Gears, you may have cured your neilasparophobia, but I'll still defeat you!"

One of his facedown cards lifted.

"I activate Synchro Spirits! Now, by eliminating Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar from the game, I get to summon the Monsters I used to Synchro Summon it."

First, Alien Ammonite appeared. (500 ATK) Then, Alien Warrior. (1,800 ATK)

"Next," he said, as a second Trap Card lifted, "I use Dimensional Regression. Now, all Monsters that have been removed from play go back to our decks. That means Gol'gar is now back in my Extra Deck…

"And that means I can Synchro Summon it again!"

Both the Aliens faded into five glowing stars again, and with a loud roar, Gol'gar returned. (2,600 ATK)

"Light Gazer will still be stronger," said Gears.

"We'll soon see," said Edmund. "In the meantime, I summon Alien Infiltrator."

He played a card, and the portal opened again. A short, squat Alien with grey skin, tentacles for arms, wearing a breathing apparatus appeared. It was making a clearly audible breathing noise, which sounded uncomfortably like Darth Vader's ominous heavy breathing. (800 ATK)

"Now I activate its effect," continued Edmund. "Since I made sure that you have no Monsters, Spells, or Traps in the column of the playing field that it's in, it can attack directly.

"Get him!"

Alien Infiltrator leapt at Gears, and lashed at him with its tendrils. Gears cringed a little.

Edmund set a card on his dashboard, and a facedown card appeared.

**(G: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 3,000)**

_Another attack from that thing, and I'm finished,_ thought Gears.

He looked at Edmund's facedown card.

_He's only allowed to have one Gravity Bind… I gotta hope and pray that the facedown card is what I think it is…_

He made a draw.

"Light Gazer…" he exclaimed, "destroy Alien Infiltrator!"

Light Gazer aimed its blaster…

"Fool," said Edmund. "I activate my Trap!"

His facedown card lifted. Gears smirked. It was another Planet Pollutant Virus.

Alien Vader vanished into grains of light.

"The only fool around here is you, Edmund!" he shouted. "I was prepared for that this time!"

His own facedown card shot up.

"Kill Switch?" said Edmund. "What does that do?"

"It's a Counter Trap," said Gears. "I can activate it whenever you activate an effect that would destroy one or more Allies of Justice.

"I discard one card…"

He tossed a card into his discard slot.

"And first, your attempt fails…"

The Planet Pollutant Virus card was blown to bits.

"Then, my Trap Card destroys the Monster on the field with the most Attack Points."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard of!" laughed Edmund. "_Your_ Monster has the most Attack Points!"

"True, Light Gazer is the Monster that will be destroyed," continued Gears.

Light Gazer started to glow with an aura of red, intense energy.

"But… When it blows, you'll take damage equal to that Attack Score."

"But that means…" gasped Edmund.

"It means you're finished," said Gears.

Then Light Gazer self-destructed in a fiery blast. Edmund screamed as the explosion engulfed him and his D-Wheel…

**(G: 500) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 0)**

Reality came undone again, and in the next minute, Gears and Edmund were back in the place that Edmund had called the Realm of Stupidity.

Gears slammed on the brakes, and skidded to a halt.

Edmund was apparently not so lucky. Gears watched as he struggled to control his D-Wheel.

He wasn't successful. He crashed into the side of a ruined building, and his D-Wheel exploded. A scream came from the worm that walked.

Gears got off his bike, and looked at the fire. A second explosion consumed the whole vehicle, along with the rider.

He sighed.

_Ironic,_ he thought. _He went up in flames… Just like the last one did…_

He turned back to his bike. A portal had opened next to it. It was time to leave this place…

And then, a realization came to him…

"Just like the last one did??" he exclaimed.

He turned back to the burning wreckage.

Sure enough, he saw a solitary worm scurry away from the burning wreck.

"Not this time…" growled Gears.

He chased after the lone worm, caught up to it, and crushed it under his foot.

He sighed again.

"And that is finally that…" he said.

He mounted his bike, and started it up. He drove through the portal, leaving the forsaken place behind.

He didn't notice one thing that hadn't been there a minute ago. An amulet set with a black jewel lying on the ground.

It glowed with an ominous aura…

_**Was Edmund really dead? Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Maybe a little of both. All I will say right now is, when dealing with a necromancer, very few things can ever be truly certain. Gears had thought he had rid the world of Edmund's wicked influence, but that certainty was a bit premature.**_

_**At any rate, Gears had survived. I tried to be patient at this point, hoping my allies would all make it through the gauntlet and reach the place where I was being held. I had only so much faith, and it was all that kept me going at this point.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ALLY OF JUSTICE LETHAL WEAPON (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Dark  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 800

**Card Description:** When this card destroys an opponent's LIGHT Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, draw 1 card. If the card drawn is a Level 4 or lower DARK Monster, you can Special Summon it.

_Note: "Ally of Justice Lethal Weapon" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 6: Dragunity of the Hurricane" system. It has not yet been released in the United States._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**KILL-SWITCH (Trap Card)**

**Counter Trap**

**Image:** Ally of Justice Catastor in the foreground facing Worm Queen, with a digital countdown in the forefront at 0:15.

**Card Description:** Discard 1 card in your hand. Negate the activation of a card that would destroy 1 or more face-up "Ally of Justice" Monsters that you control and destroy it. Then, destroy the face-up Monster on the field with the highest ATK. Your opponent takes direct damage equal to the ATK of the Monster destroyed by this card's effect.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SYNCHRO SPIRITS (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Junk Synchron and White Magician Pikeru in the foreground, with Junk Warrior looming in the background.

**Card Description:** Remove from play one Synchro Monster in your Graveyard. If the Monsters used in the Synchro Summoning of that Monster are in your Graveyard, you may Special Summon them from your Graveyard.

_Note: "Synchro Spirits" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Second Round Showdown (Part 2)" . Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MUTANT STRAIN (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image: **Alien Mother screaming in pain as she is attacked by A-Counters.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when there are three or less A-Counters total placed on Monsters controlled by your opponent, and you control at least one face-up Monster. Remove all A-Counters from Monsters controlled by your opponent. Then, distribute an equal number of A-Counters among Monsters that you control. Then, draw one card for each A-Counter gained by Monsters you control.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – ACCELERATION DRAW (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** The image on this card was unclear.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 12 Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards from your deck.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Acceleration Draw" was first used by Mukuro Enjo in the __"Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Surprise, Surprise". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_There was once a time that when a prisoner was sentenced to death by a court, he was executed within a week. Those days are long gone._

_In a modern, civilized justice system, when a death sentence is passed, the condemned prisoner often remains on death row for years before being executed, if he ever is at all. Courts have very strict guidelines regarding capital punishment, and make sure that it is never used hastily. Appeals must be made, defense attorneys must be given every option available, and only when guilt is certain and everyone agrees that the sentence is deserved might a date be set for an execution. These guidelines exist for many reasons: Mostly because it would be a horrible injustice if a man was executed who was later proven innocent. _

_For the Shadowchasers, it is no different. But one vital problem is often overlooked with the long process of dealing with death row inmates in their case. What if a condemned inmate truly does deserve the death penalty, and the long, tedious process gives the supernatural-powered Shadowkind an opportunity to escape?_

_The answer is coming soon, as Shichiro confronts someone he collared a while ago. "Exile of the Wicked" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Dorn, Spirit Magician of Shadow**

The world of Duel Monsters contains many mysteries. One Shadow who seeks to unravel them is the jackalwere called Dorn.

Many people confuse jackalweres with lycanthropes, as they resemble werebeasts in hybrid form, with jackals as the animal half. However, jackalweres are not shapeshifters, and do not transmit any curse with their bites or claws. Whether any connection exists between them and true lycanthropes is unknown.

Dorn was born on Earth, in Cairo, the city with the largest clan of jackalweres. His species has a very theocratic society, and they worship the gods of the old religions, in particular the god Anubis, Guardian of the Dead, whom they believe had a hand in their creation. (The Anubis they worship is apparently not the same one as the sorcerer who opposed Pharaoh Atemu, seeing as they depict him as a far more benign deity.) From a very young age, Dorn was trained as an acolyte of his god, and he performed his duties well.

Most modern jackalweres are also trained in Duel Monsters, as they realize that it is the chosen form of combat among Shadows, and Dorn was no exception. But Dorn found this far more interesting than most jackalweres did. He studied the history of the game in his spare time, and started to become incredibly interested when he first learned about the existence of Duel Spirits. And he became very excited indeed when he learned of how Judai Yukai encountered a whole tribe of Gravekeepers, Duel Spirits who apparently worshipped the same gods that his people did.

His curiosity piqued, Dorn started to study Duel Spirits as a hobby, even as his skill with divine magic grew and he matured in his true field. He studied the information he could find on Dark World, Neo-Space, and every other bit of information he could find on these strange creatures. When he was finally officially initiated into the clergy of Anubis, he was informally calling himself a spirit magician, even though he still hadn't truly learned any magic dealing with Duel Spirits or even met one.

Dorn now uses any excuse he can to study abroad, hoping to comb libraries and universities for more information on his hobby. He dreams of someday visiting the strange dimensions where these creatures live, and works towards making his dream a reality.

**Story Ideas:** Dorn travels as a missionary, not getting much more success than most, but he also actively seeks out any information on Duel Spirits that he hears about. He could easily be inserted into any story where Spirits are present.

Dorn's likely weakness, however, is that he doesn't yet realize the danger of confronting these beings. He only knows the basics of Judai's encounters with them, not the details, and doesn't know that not all of them are benign. Perhaps he has yet to comprehend that Duel Spirits are just as complex as other sentient beings. He could easily get into trouble following a lead.

On the other hand, Dorn is quite willing to learn. He is willing to make deals – within reason – with anyone who can help him find out more towards his hobby. And if anyone were to plan an expedition to one of the Twelve Dimensions, he'd likely start a long bargaining process to convince them to let him come. This might be a mixed blessing – having a divine spellcaster along might help immensely, but Dorn might be as hyper as a kid in a candy store.

**Deck Suggestions:** Dorn is still a loyal follower of Anubis, and as such, he can't escape certain motifs as a duelist. His deck is naturally a Gravekeeper's Deck. Like most such decks, his strategy consists of swarming the field and using Necrovalley to limit his opponent's options.


	60. Exile of the Wicked

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**CHAPTER SIXTY**

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**Exile of the Wicked**

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_**Now, as Shichiro hinted at when we first met, the Shadowchasers must be very cautious in any criminal case where the death penalty is warranted. Each race of Shadowkind has different views on capital punishment, and with some of them, it can be a delicate situation. Orcs traditionally demand that a member of another race be beheaded for any at all crime against an orc, but they can't enforce this tradition on others, and other races aren't as lax.**_

_**The Shadowchaser courts have provisions for handing down death sentences, but such sentences are rarely given, and even more rarely carried out. When two Shadowkind Nazis were executed following the defeat of Germany after World War II, it had been the first time the Shadowchasers had used capital punishment in six-hundred years. Since that time, you could pretty much count on one hand the number of Shadowkind criminals who had actually been executed.**_

_**But now and then, a criminal was sentenced to die, and like all cases where the death penalty was involved, it led to a long process of appeals and reviews. Like I said, it was not a matter to be taken lightly.**_

_**And in recent years, the long process had caused the unthinkable to happen. Shichiro was about to come face-to-face with a criminal who had actually escaped from death row, something almost unheard of in most justice systems.**_

**_Of course, the way he had escaped was pretty much unheard of in _any_ justice system…_**

Shichiro drove his D-Wheel through the portal, with Jalal holding on behind. He pulled to a stop.

"Uh… Jalal?" said Shichiro.

They looked around. They were in the middle of dark, dank cavern, lit by several torches set in the walls.

"You think we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque?"

Jalal dismounted the bike.

"Unlikely…" he said, not getting the reference. "I think we're in a small, pocket demiplane, somewhere in the Deep Ethereal…"

Then an evil laugh echoed through the cavern.

"I know that laugh…" said Shichiro, ominously.

He got off the bike.

"Lord Porpen!" he shouted. "Show yourself!"

Two glowing, catlike eyes appeared in the darkness.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" asked Shichiro. "Get out here…"

The figure chuckled, and walked into the light. He was a tall figure, with a head and claws like a black panther, dressed in expensive-looking clothing that suggested Indian origins.

"Got rid of the prison-issue clothes, I see," said Shichiro.

The creature frowned.

"Yes," he replied, "I had time to go shopping before you started your manhunt… But not much else…"

Lord Porpen (the "lord" in his name was self-appointed) was a rakshasa, a demon that was legendary in Indian myth (for some reason, almost all of them arrived in India and neighboring countries after coming from the homeworld of Shadow). Myths gave them a variety of roles, from being common thieves and tricksters to powerful entities who could match the gods themselves in sheer power. The truth was, they were a race of Shadowkind, much like any other.

Porpen had once been the heir of a rich family, and had behaved himself surprising well for a rakshasa (a race that legends say were man-eaters, grave robbers, and evil magicians), but when his parents were arrested due to their ties to a smuggling ring that was run out of Mumbai, he became angered at "the system", as he called it, and became more true to his nature.

Determined to gain revenge on society, he gathered together a group of Mundane outcasts, and started a modernized Thagna cult. Supposedly done out of homage to the goddess Kali (although Jalal suspected that Porpen only wanted the money, and cared little for any goddess) the cult used the same traditional means of robbery as the original Thagna. They traveled in packs in out-of-the-way areas, looking for groups of travelers, and then murdered them using knotted cords. After looting the bodies, they dismembered and mutilated the corpses (supposedly to appease Kali) and buried them to conceal the deed.

However, Porpen didn't realize that this bloody activity could not be easily concealed in modern-day India. People eventually took notice of the people who were going missing. Eventually, members of the cult were discovered, a few were caught in the act, and very soon, the Shadowchasers discovered that a Shadowkind was leading the cult. Shichiro investigated the case, as he had handled rakshasa before, and arrested Porpen just last year.

But then it turned strange. After being found guilty of ordering over seventy murders and personally committing a dozen (and those were only the ones they found evidence of), none of which he showed any remorse for, Porpen was sentenced to death. But after only two months on death row, Porpen apparently cheated the executioner, killing himself by taking cyanide. No one knew how he got it. And then came the clincher – right before the coroner was to perform the autopsy, his body disappeared from the morgue.

The Shadowchasers suspected it was an elaborate escape plan, and that Porpen was actually alive, so a global manhunt started, but he was never found.

"I should have known you were out there somewhere," said Shichiro. "I thought you said at your trial that you weren't afraid to die."

"I _wasn't_," said Porpen with a scowl. "I planned to go to the death chamber and curse you and that half-breed out when I was asked if I had anything to say before I got the lethal injection."

He pointed to Jalal.

"But then I got to death row," he continued, "where there were two other inmates. Want to know how long they had been there?"

"A long time?" asked Shichiro.

"More than ten years!" shouted Porpen. "More than ten years in a cramped, five-by-ten cell, due to mandatory appeals and red tape brought up by idiotic lawyers!

"There was once a time when a condemned prisoner was put out his misery quickly and that was the end of it. The Nazi war criminals that were tried at Nuremberg who were given the death penalty were hanged less than a year after being convicted!"

"And it was a far more merciful fate than the thousands of innocents who were tortured to death in Nazi death camps," added Jalal. "The fact that you even got a trial proves that more mercy was shown to you than you ever gave your victims, Porpen."

"Regardless," said Porpen. "I was not going to spend years in that cramped cell while a stupid lawyer made my decisions for me.

"So I decided to use the money that I intended to pay that lawyer with for more practical purposes. I listened to the guards talk amongst themselves, and eventually found out that one of them had parents who were in the midst of a financial crisis. Then I spoke to him, and bribed him into supplying me with cyanide, and a special chemical that only rakshasa knew how to make.

"He thought I would kill myself with them, and he saw nothing wrong with helping a serial killer end his own life, and making a great deal of money from it. It would help his parents pay the bills, after all. Little did he know, the second chemical was my ticket to freedom.

"You see, by ingesting it before I took the cyanide, the poison affected me in a different way, placing me in a comatose state that couldn't be distinguished from actual death by a casual viewer. As I had hoped, I was taken to the morgue, where the security was much more lax than death row. I made my escape, and fled to this pocket dimension."

"And you've been holed up here all this time?" asked Shichiro. "What were you planning to eventually do?"

"To be honest, I had no idea at first," replied Porpen. "But then an entity contacted me. It said I merely had to do its bidding, and if its plans worked, I could return to an Earth where there would be no Shadowchasers. I wouldn't have to worry about having a status as a fugitive any longer.

"And besides… I want revenge on the one who arrested me."

He placed a Duel Disk on his right arm. He was left handed, as all rakshasa were. Actually, rakshasa had a disturbing physical characteristic: their palms were where the backs of the hands would be on humans. That meant that their right hand was where their left hand would normally be, and vice-versa. This odd feature didn't affect their manual dexterity, but it was quite disturbing for most folks to watch when they did anything that involved using their hands.

Anyway, the Disk was custom-made for southpaws, and was likely quite expensive.

Shichiro sighed.

"Fine…" he said. "I guess it's the only way out of here anyway."

He hit the command on his D-Wheel, and the Duel Disk disengaged, clamping to his gauntlet.

"Careful, Shichiro," said Jalal. "This is one guy I _really_ don't trust."

"Don't concern yourself, boss," said Shichiro. "I beat him once… I can do it again…"

He turned to Porpen.

"So… Still using the same deck?"

"Heh, heh…" chuckled Porpen. "No… I have something much more… disturbing. The judge may have been a little hasty when she rejected my insanity plea…"

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Porpen: 8,000)**

"My draw…" said Porpen.

Shichiro winced a little, as he watched Porpen make a draw. As previously said, a rakshasa using his hands was a disturbing sight.

"I summon the Malice Doll of Demise in Attack Mode," he said.

With a hideous cackle, an evil-looking wooden puppet appeared, carrying a nasty axe. (1,600 ATK)

"Then, I play the Continuous Spell Card, Ectoplasmer," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "This requires each player to sacrifice a Monster at the end of their turns. The soul of that Monster is then transformed into a destructive energy called ectoplasm, which deals damage to the opponent equal to half of the Monster's Attack Points."

_Lovely,_ thought Jalal, nervously. _I've seen this combo before…_

"Okay, Shichiro…" said Porpen. "I'm ending my turn _now_."

Malice Doll of Demise slumped over, and a ghostly phantom flew out of it. It flew at Shichiro with a screech, hitting him in the chest with a slam.

"ERGH!" he grunted.

**(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 8,000)**

_Man, that really hurt…_ he thought. _This isn't like the last time I dueled him… Something is different…_

He drew a card.

"I summon Hayabusa Knight!" he shouted.

In a burst of energy, the armored fencer with a falcon's head appeared. (1,000 ATK)

"Attack him directly!" shouted Shichiro. "Peregrine saber slash!"

Hayabusa Knight flew at the rakshasa and made a swipe at him with its blade. Porpen grunted and took a step backwards.

"And guess what, Porpen?" asked Shichiro. "Hayabusa Knight gets to attack twice!"

Porpen grunted again, as the Warrior made another slash at him.

"I set one card facedown," said Shichiro. "Then I end my turn, and use the effect of your Ectoplasmer."

Hayabusa Knight fell to his knees. Then its spirit rose from its body, and made a savage slash at Porpen a third time. The demon fell over on his behind.

**(S: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,500)**

"So, what do you think?" asked Shichiro.

Porpen chuckled, and got up.

"I think you're in for a rude awakening…" he said.

He drew a card.

A dark burst of energy appeared on his side of the field, and Malice Doll of Demise appeared again. (1,600 ATK)

Shichiro's smile vanished.

_This was what I was afraid of,_ thought Jalal.

"You really didn't think I'd play Ectoplasmer without a Monster that I could combo with it, did you?" said Porpen. "I can Special Summon this guy on the turn after it's sent to the Graveyard by a Continuous Spell Card's effect. It and Ectoplasmer make the perfect team.

"And now I summon Brave Scizzar."

A weird-looking Machine appeared, with a conical body, one glaring eye, eight spindly legs, and two arms, each ending in a pair of shears. (1,300 ATK)

"Kinda reminds me…" muttered Shichiro, nervously. "I'm overdue for a haircut…"

"Brave Scizzar, give him a little off the top!" ordered Porpen.

The Machine rushed at Shichiro, its shears clipping. Shichiro screamed as they stabbed into him.

"Now, my Malice Doll of Demise," continued the demon, "cleaver heaver!"

The Fiend cackled, and hurled its axe.

"I activate… Defense Draw!" shouted Shichiro, as his facedown card shot up.

The axe glanced off an invisible shield.

Shichiro breathed a sigh of relief, and then drew one card.

"Ah, well…" said Porpen. "I end my turn… And that means I can once again use the effect of Ectoplasmer…"

Once again, the ghostly spirit flew out of Malice Doll of Demise, and slammed into Shichiro's chest.

"ERGH!" he grunted.

(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,500)

_Okay, that confirms it…_ he thought, holding his chest. _This is not the typical duel…_

_He's learned how to create a Shadow Duel…_

He slowly drew a card.

_He must have gotten some pointers from that entity he mentioned. Maybe he means Draco…_

_Well, this will solve part of the problem._

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" he shouted, throwing a card into his Disk.

The cyclone tore across the field, and blasted the Ectoplasmer card to pieces.

"Next, I summon Axe Raider!"

Axe Raider appeared in front of him, and grunted at the sight of the demon. (1,700 ATK)

"Destroy Brave Scizzar!" shouted Shichiro. "Axe crash!"

Axe Raider slashed downward with his axe, cutting the Machine cleanly in half. The pieces dissolved into light.

"It's your move…" he said. "Seems the score is tied…"

**(S: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,100)**

Porpen made a draw. In a burst of energy, Malice Doll of Demise returned, this time crouching in Defense Mode. (1,700 DEF)

"I set two cards facedown," said Porpen, "and then summon Bowganian."

Two facedown cards flashed into existence, and then a new Machine appeared. It looked like a large eye with spikes on its lid, with two small mechanical arms, one of which held a metal crossbow. (1,300 ATK)

_Odd,_ thought Jalal. _I can't exactly put my finger on it, but… There's something very familiar about the cards in Porpen's deck…_

_Have I seen these used in the same deck before?_

"My turn is over," said Porpen.

"Draw…" said Shichiro, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"Come on out, Gearfried the Iron Knight!" he shouted.

In another burst of energy, Gearfried leapt onto the field. (1,800 ATK)

"Destroy his Bowganian!" he shouted.

Gearfried flew at the small Machine.

"I activate… Staunch Defender!" exclaimed Porpen, as his facedown card shot up. "Now, all your attacks must be directed towards my Malice Doll of Demise!"

Gearfried turned, and brought his blade down on the Doll, blowing it to shards.

"Ah, well…" said Porpen. "Never liked that guy much anyway…"

"You don't like your own cards?" asked Shichiro. "You have serious issues, Porpen."

"And I suppose you're gonna give me the tired old good guys' speech about cards having to be respected, huh?" asked Porpen. "Save it, Shichiro.

"I don't doubt that the card creatures are living things… I've seen stranger things in my life. But caring about them is only going to distract me.

"I learned a long time ago, you have to look out for number one in this crazy world. Looking out for anyone else just gets you in trouble."

"Seems pretty selfish, if you ask me," replied Shichiro.

"Self-preservation is how I think of it," replied Porpen. "If it's selfish to put your own needs before those of others, I'm hardly the only one who can be called selfish.

"I believe it's my move…"

He made a draw.

"And whenever I start my turn, Bowganian's effect activates, costing you 600 Life Points."

Bowganian aimed its crossbow at Shichiro, and fired. Shichiro's eyes nearly bugged out as it hit him.

"Next, I summon Drillago," continued Porpen.

He played the card, and another Dark Machine appeared. It looked like a mass of drills and screws on two legs. (1,600 ATK)

"And since you have nothing on your side of the field except for Monsters with 1,600 Attack Points or more, it gets to attack directly.

"Attack! Drilling drill!"

Drillago rushed at Shichiro, its drills spinning wildly. Shichiro screamed in pain as the weapons stabbed into him. He fell over.

**(S: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 5,100)**

"I move Bowganian to Defense Mode…" said Porpen, "and end my turn."

Bowganian pointed its crossbow up, and shielded itself with its other hand. (1,000 DEF)

Shichiro got up, and took some deep breaths.

He slowly drew a card.

He looked at Jalal. Jalal nodded, and he nodded back.

"I set one Monster," he said, as a reversed Monster appeared.

"Then I attack with Gearfried and Axe Raider!"

Axe Raider made a chop, blowing Bowganian to pieces. Then Gearfried made a slash with his blade, and Drillago exploded into a blast of flames.

"That's all for me…"

**(S: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 4,900)**

"Seems you still have some fight in you…" said Porpen, making a draw.

He looked at the card.

"Good… Didn't want this to be too easy, after all…"

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"I play Instant Fusion. I pay 1,000 Life Points, and in return, I get to Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck.

"And I choose to summon… Musician King!"

In a blast of energy and sound, a new Monster appeared. It was a 70's style guitarist, wearing battered jeans, no shirt, and a red bandana that held back his bushy, blonde hair. He carried a red electric guitar. (1,750 ATK)

"Of course, since he was summoned with Instant Fusion," continued Porpen, "he can't attack, and will have to leave when I end my turn…

"Unless I give him a little upgrade. I activate Metalmorph."

His other Trap Card lifted up.

"And I'll Equip it to Musician King."

Musician King's skin turned grey and metallic.

"This let's me sacrifice him…"

Musician King vanished.

"…for something better… The powerful Heavy Metal King!"

In a burst of even more intense energy and even louder noise, a new Monster appeared. It looked like Musician King with a new costume and makeup, the type that had been favored by Gene Simmons and artists of the same genre. His guitar had been replaced by a bass version. (2,050 ATK)

"Interesting…" said Shichiro.

"I'll tell you something else that's interesting," said Porpen. "Heavy Metal King retains the effect of Metalmorph. That means, when he attacks, he gains Attack Points equal to half the target's Attack Score.

"So attack his Iron Knight! Requiem blast!"

Heavy Metal King strummed his bass, and a blast of incredibly earsplitting sound shot towards Gearfried. His Attack Score increased to 2,950. The Iron Knight staggered backwards, and then shattered into pixels.

"Ergh…" groaned Shichiro.

**(S: 1,750) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,900)**

"You were right…" he muttered. "These cards you're using… The unifying theme is madness!"

"That's the idea," said Porpen. "This deck I'm using is derived from the Psycho Style of dueling."

"_That's_ where I've seen these combos before!" exclaimed Jalal.

Porpen chuckled.

"Makes sense, Jalal," he said. "You've been around long enough to have heard about it, and your memory is long. Not many duelists today remember it, because it's mostly defunct.

"It used to be a school of dueling that was the arch rival of the Cyber Style of dueling. But eventually, it produced the most arrogant practitioner in its history. He challenged the representative of the Cyber Style to a duel for dominance."

"And I suppose that would have been Ryu Marufuji?" asked Shichiro. "Let me guess… Ryu defeated him, and the Psycho Style had to close its doors?"

Porpen started to chuckle harder.

"What?" asked Shichiro.

"Actually, it turned out very differently," said Jalal. "Ryu tried, but his poor health at the time caused him to collapse in the middle of the duel. He was about to forfeit, when his little brother said that he would take over for him."

"And that's funny because?" asked Shichiro.

"Because _Sho_ defeated him!" laughed Porpen. "It was a complete humiliation for the Psycho Style! After that, no-one who used this strategy could show his face in public.

"Well, until Sho became more respected in the Pro League, that is…"

"I didn't actually see the duel," said Jalal, "but supposedly, that's what happened."

"So why are you using these cards?" asked Shichiro. "Do you get your jollies from using the cards of a once-respected style that fell from grace because of one practitioner's foolish arrogance?"

"Why, yes," said Porpen.

Shichiro looked at Porpen. He was about to say something.

Then he stopped and shook his head.

_Why bother?_ he thought.

He drew a card.

"I set one card facedown, and move Axe Raider to Defense Mode."

A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider knelt and held his weapon in his lap. (1,150 DEF)

"It's your move."

Porpen made a draw. He looked at it and the two cards already in his hand.

_Almost…_ he thought. _I almost have what I need to pull off the combo that defines the Psycho Style… I just need one more card…_

"Heavy Metal King…" he ordered, "destroy Axe Raider!"

Heavy Metal King played his terrible song, and the sonic waves shot towards Axe Raider…

"I activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Shichiro.

His Trap Card shot up, and a dome of energy appeared around him and his Monsters, deflecting the blast.

**(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,900)**

"Ah, well…" said Porpen. "I'll set this then, for later."

A facedown card appeared in a flash.

Jalal raised an eyebrow.

_I don't like the look in Porpen's eye,_ he thought. _If that facedown card is what I think it is, Shichiro might be in big trouble…_

Shichiro drew a card.

"I summon Nitro Synchron!" he shouted.

He threw the card on his Disk, and the robotic propane tank appeared next to Axe Raider. (300 ATK)

"Next, I Equip Axe Raider with Synchro Boost," he said, as he played a Spell Card. "This gives him 500 more Attack Points, and raises his Level by one.

"And now… Nitro Synchron will give him a Tune-up!"

Nitro Synchron's eyes glowed, and the needle on its gauge moved into the red. Then it and Axe Raider flew to the ceiling, where they faded into seven glowing stars.

"Synchro Summon…" said Shichiro, "Nitro Warrior!"

The fiendish, flaming Warrior flew from the ceiling with a roar, leaving a trail of flames in its wake. (2,800 ATK)

"Now, thanks to Nitro Synchron's effect," continued Shichiro, "I get to make one draw."

He drew a card. He looked at it, and added it to his hand.

"Nitro Warrior…" he said, "silence Heavy Metal King with dynamite knuckle!"

Nitro Warrior roared again, and flew at the mad musician, hitting him hard with two flaming fists. Heavy Metal King fell backwards, and shattered into silvery shards.

**(S: 3,800) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,150)**

Shichiro glared at Porpen as Nitro Warrior landed back on his side.

"What next, Porpen?" he asked. "What nightmare are you going to pull out of that deck next?"

Porpen chuckled.

"You'll see soon enough," he replied. "After all… I'm a rakshasa… I'm the _embodiment _of nightmares!"

"No you aren't," snapped Jalal. "That's just a label given to your people by superstitious humans who credit you with more powers than you actually have."

"Eh… Look who knows so much…" growled Porpen, drawing a card.

"I like superstitious folk more than smart ones… People who aren't smart tend to respect us. Hindu myth tells of a rakshasa named Raktabija who was so powerful, Durga herself couldn't defeat him. Every time a drop of his blood was spilled, it turned into a clone of himself, and Durga found herself facing an army."

"But the same story says that Durga found a solution," added Jalal. "She created a new aspect of herself… another goddess who was just as savage as Raktabija in order to fight him.

"Know who that goddess was? Kali, the same goddess you told your Thagna cult you were making your offerings to.

"Seems a little hypocritical, doesn't it?"

Porpen looked a little nervous. Yes, it was hypocritical. The cult he had started had professed to worship a goddess whom his race should have considered an enemy. Of course, he really hadn't cared about Kali or any other deity. So long as he could make a profit from his band of highwaymen, he was satisfied.

He quickly played the card he had just drawn.

"I play Pot of Avarice!" he shouted.

The card appeared, and he took Musician King, Malice Doll of Demise, Brave Scizzar, Drillago, and Bowganian from his discard slot. He shuffled his deck, and made two draws.

"Time to show you what the Psycho Style can truly do," he said. "I summon Jinzo-Returner!"

He played the card, and a small Monster appeared, no more than four feet tall. The infamous Jinzo was a Machine, and as such, it couldn't possibly sire children. But if it could, they might have looked like this. It was basically a pint-size version of Jinzo. (600 ATK)

"Eh?" said Shichiro.

"Now, I play a Spell Card," said Porpen, as a card appeared in front of him. "Psycho Wave.

"To play this, I have to send a specific Monster from my deck to the Graveyard…"

He held up a card. It was a real Jinzo. Then he discarded it.

"…and in return, Jinzo-Returner gets to inflict damage equal to its Attack Score."

Jinzo-Returner produced a ball of dark energy, and threw it at Shichiro. He grunted a little.

"You threw away a Jinzo to inflict only 600 points of damage?" asked Shichiro. "Seems like an uneven trade-off."

"I'm just getting started," continued Porpen. "Jinzo-Returner also has the ability to attack directly!"

Jinzo-Returner fired another blast, and Shichiro groaned again.

"Now, my Trap Card," said Porpen, as his facedown card lifted.

"WHA?!" shouted Shichiro. "That's a Crush Card Virus!"

"It sure is!" laughed Porpen.

Jinzo-Returner vanished into an aura of dark energy. Then Nitro Warrior shattered into shards.

Shichiro gasped as two cards in his hand, Warrior Dai Grepher and Rose, Warrior of Revenge, also shattered.

"I'm not done!" laughed Porpen. "Jinzo-Returner has another effect. When it's sent to the Graveyard, I get to Special Summon a specific Monster _from_ my Graveyard!"

With a roar, the real Jinzo appeared in front of him. (2,400 ATK)

"This is bad…" said Shichiro.

"Hang on, Shichiro!" urged Jalal. "He left out one thing… When Jinzo is summoned this way, it only stays on the field until his End Phase!"

"Well…" chuckled Porpen. "Seems there are a few things that even the great Jalal Stormbringer doesn't know…

"But I digress… Let's continue…

"Jinzo, wipe out his last Monster! Cyber energy shock!"

Jinzo formed an even more intense ball of dark energy, and hurled it at the facedown Monster. Skelengel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

"Now I get to draw one card," said Shichiro.

"Don't forget…" said Porpen, "any card you draw falls under the spell of my Virus…"

Shichiro made a draw.

He turned it around. It was Tuningware.

"Seems this guy is immune to your Virus, Porpen," he said.

"Ah, well, that's worthless anyway…" said Porpen.

"And now for my big surprise… True, the effect would destroy Jinzo when I ended my turn.

"So I'll sacrifice it…"

Jinzo vanished into another dark aura.

"…to Special Summon something better…"

A larger, dark form loomed over the field…

"I give you… Jinzo-Lord!"

The creature that appeared looked like Jinzo at first glance. However, it was not only taller, it had combat armor in place of the familiar robes, it had three optic sensors, and it had six odd straps attached to its back tipped with strange objects that might pass for buckles. (2,600 ATK)

"What in blazes…" said Shichiro, taking a step backwards.

He turned towards Jalal.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," said Jalal. "I've never seen this before!"

"You would have if you had actually seen the duel where the Psycho Style was humiliated," chuckled Porpen. "Only the top practitioners of the school were given this card.

"It enabled them to perform the combo you just saw… The ultimate combo of the Psycho Style!"

"And how, may I ask, did you get it?" asked Shichiro.

"From the entity I cut a deal with," replied Porpen. "There are ways of getting anything…

"I'd love to strike you down with this now, Shichiro… But since my Battle Phase is past, I have to end my turn…"

**(S: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 3,150)**

Shichiro looked at his hand, which now consisted of Tuningware, Big Shield Gardna, and Silent Doom.

_Got to be careful,_ he thought. _Until his Virus is expired, it's not going to be easy to take that thing down…_

_And if it's anything like the true Jinzo, Traps aren't gonna work while it's on the field._

He looked at Jinzo-Lord.

_Ultimate combo of the Psycho Style?_ he thought. _Humph… In that case, the Psycho Style must have been full of poor sports. I mean really, Crush Card Virus is the cheapest card in existence. I'm glad that the Cyber Style was proven superior…_

Then he paused.

_Aw, who am I kidding? The Cyber Style was full of a lot of poor sports too. Does anyone actually believe that it was luck that let Kaiser pull all three Cyber Dragons and Power Bond in his opening hand in every single duel?_

_The only reason no-one ever accused him of deck-stacking is because no-one ever had the nerve to do so…_

He drew a card. He looked at it.

"Come on, Shichiro," said Porpen, motioning with his hand. "Don't keep me waiting…"

Shichiro frowned, and turned the card around. It was De-Synchro. Porpen chuckled again.

"Not much help there, huh?" he said.

"Oh, shut up," said Shichiro, placing a card on his Disk.

A reversed Monster appeared.

_I don't like this,_ thought Jalal. _This sadist is making Shichiro angrier than usual. And losing your temper in a Shadow Duel can easily cause you to lose it…_

_Porpen is a supernatural being, so he can handle a Shadow Duel far easier than any human can. For a mortal like Shichiro, the key to surviving is simply to keep calm, concentrate, and keep focused._

_Because losing focus can lead to disaster…_

"My draw…" said Porpen, drawing a card.

"I give my Monster an Equip Spell," he said. "It's called Amplifier Mach-2."

An odd device that looked similar to the Equip Spell used by the regular Jinzo appeared on Jinzo-Lord's cranium, and fastened in place with a set of bolts. Jinzo-Lord became shrouded in an aura of electrical energy.

"And just how is that different than the original Amplifier?" asked Shichiro.

"Well, for one thing, it fits not only Jinzo, but Jinzo-Lord as well," explained Porpen. "The original only fits Jinzo.

"But like the original, this Equip lets me ignore Jinzo-Lord's effect, and play all the Trap Cards I want."

He fit his last card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"So I'll give you one guess what sort of card THAT is. Heh, heh.

"Anyway, it has another benefit, which we'll get to if we have to. In the meantime…

"Jinzo-Lord… Cyber energy impact!"

Jinzo Lord shot the most intense blast yet, and Tuningware was blown to atoms.

"Your move…"

Shichiro made a draw.

He turned it around. It was Junk Synchron.

"I set one Monster," he said. "Then I play Silent Doom."

A reversed Monster appeared. Then the Spell Card appeared, and Warrior Dai Grepher appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,600 DEF)

"That's all for now," he said.

Porpen drew one card.

He looked at it closely. It was the Spell Card, Class System.

"You look disappointed," said Shichiro.

"Ah, who cares?" said Porpen. "I have to pay 500 Life Points to keep Amplifier Mach-2… But it's a small price to pay.

"Jinzo-Lord… Destroy his hidden Monster!"

The android fired its cyber energy impact, and Junk Synchron was blown to bits.

"So much for him," said Porpen. "It's your move."

**(S: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 2,650)**

Shichiro made a draw.

_Aw, crap…_ he thought, looking at it.

He cringed as it shattered in his hand.

"Gilford the Legend, huh?" asked Porpen. "Don't feel too bad… It's not like I would have ever given you a chance to actually summon it."

_Only one Monster left…_ thought Shichiro. _If I can make it through one more round, I won't have to worry about that Virus any more…_

He set the card on his Disk, and the Monster appeared facedown.

"I end my turn, Porpen," he said. "And with that, your Virus is now out of power."

"My draw," said Porpen, drawing a card. "I pay 500 more Life Points to keep my Equip Spell…

"Destroy his hidden Monster!"

Jinzo-Lord fired its blast again…

However, this time, it hit a barrier it couldn't crack. Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and the impact was halted by his shield. (2,600 DEF)

"Say what?" said Porpen.

Gardna stood up into Attack Mode. (100 ATK)

"Didn't you remember that I had this guy?" asked Shichiro.

"Oh, real smart," said Porpen. "I'll set this card, and end my turn."

A second facedown card appeared.

**(S: 2,600) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 2,150)**

Shichiro made a draw.

"Time to put out your Monster's lights!" he exclaimed. "I play Heavy Storm!"

He played the card, and the fierce storm erupted over the field. Porpen cursed as his facedown Mirror Force and Dimension Wall were blown to pieces.

Then Amplifier Mach-2 shattered into bits…

However, Jinzo-Lord simply glared at Shichiro, looking just as angry as Porpen was.

"WHAT?" shouted Shichiro. "HOW? Your Monster should have been destroyed!"

"Says who?" asked Porpen, angrily. "That was a risk you had to take when you used the original Amplifier, yes… But when the upgraded version was developed, they corrected that little problem. Long story short, destroying Amplifier Mach-2 _doesn't_ destroy Jinzo-Lord."

Shichiro sighed.

_At least I got rid of two powerful Trap Cards,_ he thought.

Big Shield Gardna crouched back behind his shield, moving back to Defense Mode. (2,600 DEF)

"It's your move…"

"Draw!" shouted Porpen, drawing a card.

He smiled an evil smile.

"Just what I needed," he said, playing the card. "The Spell Card, Enemy Controller!"

The video game control pad appeared in the air, and Gardna stood up again. (100 ATK)

_Oh no!_ thought Jalal. _Now Gardna is a sitting duck for Jinzo-Lord!_

"Attack!" shouted Porpen.

Jinzo-Lord blasted its attack, blowing Gardna to pieces and knocking Shichiro on his back.

**(S: 100) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 2,150)**

Porpen fit his last card into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"That's all for my turn," said Porpen. "Uh, no hurry… By all means, take your time…"

_Even if he does manage to summon a Monster stronger than Jinzo-Lord,_ he thought, _Class System will hold off its attack unless it's a higher Level than Jinzo-Lord._

_And I happen to know that Shichiro's deck is rather short on Monsters that are above Level 8._

Shichiro struggled to get up.

He looked at his deck.

_Last chance…_ he thought.

He drew the card.

_Bingo…_

"I play The Warrior Returning Alive!" he shouted. "This lets me retrieve a Warrior from my Graveyard."

Rose, Warrior of Revenge slipped out of his discard slot.

"Next, I'll summon her!"

Rose appeared next to Grepher, striking a pose. (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I'll Tune my two Monsters together…"

Rose's eyes burned with fire. Then she and Grepher flew towards the ceiling, fading into eight glowing stars.

Jalal took a pocket watch out of his armor and looked at it. Then he simply vanished from sight. Shichiro didn't notice it, but Porpen sure did.

"Synchro Summon…" continued Shichiro, "Jalal the Dragonborn!"

In a flash of light, Jalal's avatar appeared in front of Shichiro. Porpen looked confused. It seemed as if Jalal had simply moved from the spot where he had been a moment ago and reappeared on the dueling field, with a change of armor. (2,600 ATK)

"What?" said Porpen. "How… He was… How did he…"

"Don't try to confuse me, you lunatic," said Shichiro. "I'm ending this duel."

"Yeah, how?" asked Porpen, getting his confidence back. "His Attack Score is exactly the same as Jinzo-Lord's. You attack, and the battle will be a draw. If you were smart, you would have summoned Colossal Fighter."

He glanced casually at his facedown Class System. It would stop either Monster for one turn, truthfully, but Colossal Fighter would have been a bigger problem on the next turn.

"Yeah, but I had a better idea that would make beating you more satisfying," said Shichiro. "Jalal can beat that thing if I use his special ability. I have to cut my Life Points in half to do so. Then, I'll remove one Trap Card in either Graveyard from play… Now, let's see…

"I think I know the perfect one…"

Porpen looked surprised as a card fell out of his discard slot.

"My Crush Card Virus??" he exclaimed.

A rune materialized on Jalal's sword.

"Your Jinzo-Lord may negate Trap Cards," said Shichiro, "but now, I can activate the _effect_ of that Trap Card as Jalal's Monster effect, which Jinzo-Lord can't negate!"

The Rune Counter shattered, and Jinzo-Lord exploded into pixels.

"WHAT?" screamed Porpen. "This… This isn't supposed to happen!"

"You don't like it much, do you?" asked Shichiro. "Most folks who use that Trap Card _don't_ like it when someone gives them a taste of their own medicine, Porpen."

"But… But…" gasped Porpen. "You need a sacrifice to use Crush Card Virus… You…"

"…didn't need one," replied Shichiro. "Jalal duplicates the effect of the card, _not_ the cost.

"You're finished. And you have more crimes to answer to now. That is, unless the judge considers trying you for them to be a pointless endeavor.

"Attack him directly!"

The evil rakshasa screamed as Jalal's broadsword slammed into him, knocking him backwards.

**(S: 50) - - - - - - - - - - (P: 0)**

Shichiro sighed.

As he held up the gemstone and Porpen vanished, Jalal reappeared behind him.

"Uh, Jalal…" said Shichiro. "Was I seeing things a minute ago, or did you…?"

"Shichiro…" said Jalal. "There are some secrets about myself that I prefer to keep hidden…"

Shichiro knew when to leave well enough alone. He simply nodded.

A portal appeared in the center of the cavern.

"Let's go…" he said.

They mounted the bike, and drove through the portal.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

They emerged to find Gears and Jinx waiting in the parking garage. An elevator was by the wall behind them.

"Where did you guys…" said Shichiro, getting off his bike.

"Don't ask," replied Jinx.

"Someone put us through the royal ringer," said Gears. "And it's time to take that person down."

They all looked at the elevator.

"Then let's go talk to Mr. Big," said Shichiro.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

The ride up the elevator was quick. Nothing interrupted the ascent.

They got off, just as Ember had, and looked down the long hall.

"Be ready for anything," said Shichiro.

They all slowly walked down the hall towards the office.

"Oh, just come in," said Draco's voice as they approached. "No real need for any more nonsense at this point…"

They walked into the office and saw Draco sitting behind his desk, his hands folded in front of him.

"Where's Ember, Draco?" asked Jalal, in an annoyed tone.

Draco sighed, and stood up.

"No need to worry yourselves, people," he said. "Ember is perfectly fine… See for yourselves…"

He lifted something off the desk…

It was an old oil lamp, like the kind that genies came out of in legends where they were featured.

Draco gave it a stroke, and it glimmered.

In the next instant, Ember was standing next to him. Everyone was pretty shocked – she wasn't dressed in the most dignified manner. She was wearing a very revealing harem girl's outfit.

"Ember!" shouted Jinx. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine…" said Ember, sadly. "Guys… I'm sorry…"

"Draco, I swear…" said Jalal, "if you've harmed a hair on her head…"

"I haven't touched her!" protested Draco.

"Then why is she dressed like that and bound to some lamp?" shouted Shichiro.

Draco sighed.

"Look," he said, "I know you probably won't believe this, but this was the most humane option. I didn't want to tie her up or use other physical restraints… I certainly didn't want to force her to wear any pain-inducing devices. But I had to do something to keep her from trying to escape or attack me. So I used this variant of a genie's lamp that works on humans.

"Ever see _Aladdin_? The genie in that story didn't seem all that upset about having to serve a human. Well, he was the odd man out. When genies are stuffed into lamps and made to serve the humans who own them, it's a curse that makes them into slaves, and almost all of them hate it.

"Turnabout is fair play, don't you know? I got this lamp from an efreeti who wanted revenge. He made a version of the curse that affects humans. However, when he was about to actually use it on a human, he chickened out, thinking about what you guys would do to him if he got caught. So he sold it to me.

"It keeps the prisoner from disobeying the owner or making any hostile moves. And trust me about this, the part about her… change in wardrobe… The efreeti didn't tell me about that part."

"You know, Draco," said Jinx, "if it were me, I probably would have preferred to have been tied up."

"Why, Draco?" asked Shichiro. "Why are you doing this? Since when are terrorists compassionate at all, if you truly are being compassionate? For all we know, you may be lying, and you know of some black market in some other dimension where a human slave girl would fetch a high price. Especially one that's incapable of disobeying."

Ember looked a little frightened by this statement.

"Sit down, Ember…" said Draco. "It isn't true… It isn't true… But you can't blame him for being suspicious…"

Ember slowly sat on the desk chair.

"Very well…" said Draco, stepping forward. "I'll tell you the whole story…

"But I guess I'd better show you all my true form first…"

Draco concentrated, and the magic concealing his true form was cast aside…

The change had caused him to become much thinner, almost to the point of becoming gaunt. His skin was pulled tightly over his bones, giving his face an almost skull-like appearance. His teeth were very sharp, like those of a wolf or dog; clearly his species was carnivorous. His skin had also become pale yellow and mottled. His hair was now grey, and much longer, tied in a long ponytail. His beard and moustache were gone. And his hands had become sharp, bony claws.

"Uh, Jalal?" said Gears. "What…"

"I don't know, Gears!" said Jalal. "I've encountered hundreds of species of Shadowkind during my long life… But I've never encountered this one…"

"I am the only member of my species on Earth," replied Draco. "My people are safe from the hand that snatches Shadows from their homeworld.

"As for what we are…

"We are one of two who were once one… One who was once a slave race subjugated by the evil illithids… One who split into two due to infighting among two factions…

"My people are the ones who remained loyal to the great heroine who first led us against the illithids…"

"Good lord…" gasped Jalal. "So the githyanki are real!"

"Yes," said Draco, nodding. "We are very real. Who else do you know of who could beat an illithid at his own game?

"The githzerai, our rivals, are real as well, but none of them have ever done what I did."

"And what did you do?" asked Jinx.

Draco paused for a minute.

"I was once something that both Gith races call a Rrakkma Warrior," he started. "These respected and decorated knights are trained to hunt down and kill the hated illithids. Rrakkma form bands of at least five members, and travel to other dimensions or worlds, and do not allow themselves to go back home until they have killed at least as many illithids as the original number of members of their band. Of course, most Rrakkma bands don't think so small. The better ones, like mine, managed to rain death upon whole illithid communities.

"I suppose you've read about our queen, Vlaakith CLVII, who has reigned longer than any of her predecessors. For over forty-thousand years, in fact. It was never any secret that she was a wizard, but no-one knew the secret to her longevity. My people are long-lived, but not immortal.

"I trusted Vlaakith at first. She's a strict ruler, yes, but no more so than most of her predecessors. She knighted me, and gave me numerous medals for my achievements…

"Now, every fifty years, Vlaakith holds something called the Grand Competition. It's supposed to be an invitational tournament where only the greatest warriors of the githyanki can compete. It's a violent, bloody test that lasts for a year, where each competitor is pushed to his limits. Most don't survive.

"Those who do survive are ushered into Vlaakith's most private sanctum, where they are said to receive their… reward. The fact that these winners are never seen again isn't brought up much… Most folks assume that they are transformed to a higher state.

"A few centuries ago, I was invited to compete in it…

"But I dug deep, and learned the truth. Vlaakith is actually a lich, an undead wizard, and the Competition is her way of disposing of powerful githyanki who might one day threaten her rule. Since the winners are the greatest threat, the only "reward" that she gives to them is to consume their souls, ensuring that they are permanently destroyed.

"I decided it wasn't going to be me… I fled.

"Vlaakith knew she was in big trouble. So long as I lived, there was a chance that her secret would be exposed. So she sent her private bodyguard after me, a band of fanatically loyal assassins known as the Knives of Gith. Githyanki parents reference these beings when they want to scare their children. No-one knows if they are truly githyanki, or if they are former githyanki who were transformed by some horrid ritual. But some say that when the Knives are chasing you, you don't see them coming until their claws are tearing at your flesh.

"I certainly never saw them… But as I fled, they goaded me with telepathic threats, telling me that my doom was drawing ever closer…

"Now, traveling to other dimensions via the Astral is easy. The place is full of portals that have both insides and borders, and each dimension has its own color combination of the two. A handy travel tip for anyone, which all githyanki knew was, do NOT take a portal whose combination has not been documented. You won't know where you'll end up, and you might not be able to survive on the other side.

"As I fled the Knives, knowing that I was likely only prolonging the inevitable, I saw a portal whose color combination did not match any I knew of. I figured, what did I have to lose at this point? I leapt through it…

"My arrival was not very soft. But when I got my bearings, I found that I was alive, and the telepathic threats from the Knives were no longer echoing in my head. It appeared I had lost them. And while I had taken quite a tumble from going through the portal, as a member of your race would say several centuries later, any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

"I found myself here… In a new world. Specifically, I was in the Middle East, in present day Sudan. The portal was one-way, so there was no going back, even if I had wanted to. So… I decided to make the best of it. I quickly learned that here, most humans couldn't see races with enchantments in their blood for what they were. Folks like me were called Shadowkind. Even better, the githyanki were almost unknown even to those who could see them. It seemed that here, I could truly start with a clean slate. That was about six-hundred of your years ago, not many in the lifespan of my people.

"I used my own powers and abilities to gain as much influence as I could, and I became part of the nobility. As time passed, I used tricks to change my appearance, to make it look like I was aging. And when I had reached the point where a human would die from old age, I stashed most of my wealth in a secret place, faked my death, and used a githyanki technique called the Great Sleep, a form of hibernation where I slept for decades. When I awoke, I started the cycle again, and did it several times over the centuries.

"My most recent Great Sleep lasted longer than I thought it would. I awoke to a world where I found that the nobility of Sudan had changed dramatically with the modernization of the world. Industrialization and international commerce was making it a whole different game. I was resourceful, however. I took my wealth, and invested it wisely in the businesses of this new world, creating a new empire… One of business, finance, and politics.

"Along the way, in each incarnation, I've hunted down and killed every filthy illithid who I learned came to this world… Old habits are hard to break, I guess. Most recently, I helped build my business empire by ruining illithids who owned businesses and taking their companies. DaPen had no idea that half of the people who were working for him were working for me too. I played him like a piano, and got the Regalia of the Day without drawing attention to myself. Like I said, who but a githyanki could beat an illithid at his own game?

"I never intended to go back to the way things once were… But now I must. And in order to rule the world, I have to change it."

"We know about your mad plan, Draco," said Shichiro. "You may rule the world after the Deluge, but how much of the world will be left?"

"My hands are tied, Mr. Osaka," said Draco. "It's too late to pull out now.

"How does that song that DaPen liked so much go?

"'_For some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name…'_

"It's the grim truth now, Shichiro, and I'm going to have to live with it."

"I demand that you release Ember!" shouted Jalal.

He paused.

"Look Draco…" continued Jalal. "If you call this off, it will be beneficent to you like you wouldn't believe. You didn't lose your memories when you came to this world like most Shadows do. Your knowledge of the world of Shadow could benefit every Shadowkind race on Earth."

"I can't Jalal," replied Draco. "And I can't let Ember go just yet. She's my one bargaining chip at this point.

"I needed just one thing more to start the Deluge. The sacrifice of a soul of a heroic spirit. I was just going to leave it completely to fate, and use whichever one of you came here first…"

"Ember came here first…" said Jinx.

"I know," said Draco. "I didn't want to use her, but I decided to stick with my decision. However, it seems she is incompatible with what I needed."

"Why?" asked Jinx, getting angry. "Is her spirit not heroic enough?"

"No!" protested Draco. "It's more heroic than most humans I've ever seen!"

"Wait, I understand…" said Jalal. "Ember's soul is too permeated with the element of Fire. The Deluge is an epic level spell of Water.

"Fire and Water are opposing forces. Trying to use her as a sacrifice to cast such a powerful Water spell would be combining oil and vinegar. It would be a disaster waiting to happen."

"Yes…" said Draco. "Using her would have been far too dangerous."

"Draco!" said Shichiro, stepping forward.

He looked the githyanki straight in the eye.

"If you need a sacrifice, I'll make a wager with you that might let you get one…

"You versus me… If you win, then I'll be your sacrifice…

"But if I win, then you let Ember go.

"Deal?"

Draco looked at him.

"Very well…" said the githyanki. "I agree to those terms…"

As he said this, an aura of darkness started to exude from him.

"May the best man win… Or should I say… May the best _being_ win…"

_**Shichiro had stepped forward, and was willing to risk everything just to save me. All I could do for him at this point was pray. I wanted to warn him about Draco's deck, but Draco forbade it, and as you know, I couldn't disobey him. Even if I could have somehow gotten a warning to Shichiro, it wouldn't have helped. Draco was not going to use the same deck in this duel that he used against me.**_

_**In fact, unbeknownst to anyone, Draco had a D-Wheel, and was going to make this a Turbo Duel like none other. Even worse, he wasn't going to let me out of his sight. I would be riding shotgun in this conflict, and I would soon find that doing so would be an experience I wouldn't want to repeat. **_

_**Like I said, all I could do was pray…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**HEAVY METAL KING (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Machine/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,050  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card can only be Special Summoned from your deck by Tributing a "Musician King" that is Equipped with "Metalmorph". When this card attacks, increase the ATK of this card by half of the ATK of the attack target during damage calculation only.

_Note: "Heavy Metal King" was first used by Step Johnny in the original anime episode "Steppin' Out". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode. (Whether it was an actual card or simply how "Musician King" reacted to "Metalmorph" is uncertain. Here, I presented it as an actual card.)_

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**PSYCHO WAVE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Jinzo in the background, with Jinzo-Returner in front of it, confronting a duelist.

**Card Description:** Select one face-up "Jinzo-Returner" that you control. Send one "Jinzo" from your deck to the Graveyard. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of the selected "Jinzo-Returner".

_Note: "Psycho Wave" was first used by Izimu in a fourth-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh GX". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**AMPLIFIER MACH-2 (Spell Card)**

**Equip Spell**

**Image:** Jinzo-Lord wearing an upgraded version of the Amplifier and radiating a storm of electrical energy.

**Card Description:** Equip only to "Jinzo" or "Jinzo-Lord". The controller of the Equipped Monster can disregard the effect of the Equipped Monster, and activate Trap Cards. Trap Cards controlled by the Equipped Monster's controller are not negated by the Equipped Monster's effect. This card's activation and effect cannot be negated. The controller of this card pays 500 Life Points during each of his/her Standby Phases that this card is Equipped to a Monster. If he/she does not, destroy this card.

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_**Coming up next:**_

_**Shichiro takes on Draco in a Shadow Duel on one of the most dangerous roads in the universe: the Eternal Highway! On this Great Path that links all of realities, the trip can lead to the gates of Heaven of the depths of Hell, if one knows which exit to take. But no road map exists, and you can't call Triple-A if you break down! It hardly matters, however, because Shichiro will be dueling with his very soul, and possibly Ember's as well, at stake, and Draco has a new deck with even deadlier power.**_

"_**Cold Wave" is coming soon.**_

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Eliaster, Apprentice of Hornung**

Some personalities from beyond Shadow are so powerful, they can leave their mark upon this world without even coming here. Nowhere is this more present than with the half-elven wild mage called Eliaster.

For some reason, half-elves are more common than all other Shadow-Touched. No-one is certain why elves are more inclined to enter relationships with humans than other Shadows, but that is the case. Originally from Denmark, Eliaster is the son of a female moon elf and a rich member of Denmark's Parliament, giving him a background of nobility from both sides of his family. (Moon elves are often regarded as noble, regardless of true status.)

Eliaster never considered taking up the very unstable and often dangerous craft of wild magic until a backpacking trip through Germany caused him to find a book that was too tempting not to read – a spellbook authored by the Great Hornung, a wizard believed to be the greatest wild mage who ever lived. Hornung's influence is apparent in wild magic, as many potent spells of the school were invented by him.

But Eliaster found in this book spells that had not been previously documented. He decided to look into wild magic, and with the book's help, quickly became skilled in it.

Eliaster's reply to the danger posed by wild surges is the same as most wild mages: "Accidents will happen." But Eliaster is able to curb the usual accidents that result from wild magic with the valuable information he got from Hornung's book. For instance, he was able to learn how to perfect a very difficult prevention spell called Hornung's Surge Selector, a useful spell that can sometimes let a wild mage control the chaos of a surge. Most wild mages don't bother with this spell, as casting it often creates a more dangerous surge than it might prevent. Only Hornung's notes let Eliaster cast it safely.

Legend states that Hornung eventually met his end after he summoned the Wildfire, the ultimate source of wild magic. However, the story says that his hand fumbled, and he was consumed by the raw Chaos it created. Eliaster has not publicly stated that he wants to attempt the same thing and succeed where his mentor failed, but many fear than he does desire to do so. This is a concern, because other legends say that the Wildfire caused cataclysmic disasters on other worlds, including the Rain of Colorless Fire, an event that destroyed a whole empire.

**Story Ideas:** Eliaster is a nice guy as far as wild mages go. Folks who have visited his house in Copenhagen say that he's a gracious host, at least when he doesn't glow in the dark and smoke isn't coming out of his ears (even with Hornung's Surge Selector, he has been hit by surges several times.) Eliaster is likely to work for the Shadowchasers rather than against them, although many of them are reluctant to accept help from a wizard who uses such dangerous magic.

It's possible that heroes in a story might have to deal with any number of accidents that Eliaster's surges cause. A powerful wild surge could do literally anything. It could make snow fall on Cairo, turn the trees in the Black Forest pink, or even make Niagara Falls flow upward. Such weird acts of Chaos are hard to hide even from Mundane humans, and need to fixed quickly.

Even worse things can happen when more serious wild spells are cast. The more powerful the spell, the more dangerous the potential wild surge. As Eliaster's quest towards perfecting the Wildfire continues, surges might open portals to the Abyss or even the Far Realm, a place where Chaos becomes Madness. (Some say this is where the illithids originated.) The Far Realm is something that even wild mages are afraid of, because nothing good has ever come from this place, and no method known to mortals can channel the Far Realm's power (at least intentionally).

People like Jalal have some ideas about what Eliaster might do if he ever did create and control the Wildfire. Wild mages tend to think rather highly of themselves, and all of them have at least a small desire to become a deity someday. While there's no law against divine ascension, Shadows are discouraged from doing so, as it can be very dangerous. Eliaster hasn't done anything truly illegal yet, but heroes might need to oppose him if he goes too far.

**Deck Suggestions:** Eliaster prides himself on being able to control Chaos, and his deck of choice suggests the power that it possesses. His deck is a Sky Scourge Deck, which uses both Light Fairies and Dark Fiends in order to summon three key players, Enrise, Norleras, and to a lesser extent, Invicil.

All wild mages, Eliaster included, often say off the record that they'd like to own the Sacred Beasts. They most likely are attracted to the power over Chaos that these Monsters have, and it is not known if they are making this comment in jest or not. One only hopes that they are. The Sacred Beasts cannot be controlled by most mortal duelists without serious supernatural aid. Of course, it may be that wild mages indeed know of a wild spell that could tame the three demons; for the moment, whether they can or not remains unknown.


	61. Cold Wave

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE**

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**Cold Wave**

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_**As previously stated, the reason why I wasn't sacrificed (and likely the sole reason I'm still alive to tell you this) is because I have a soul **__**too permeated with the element of Fire, the mortal enemy of Water. I couldn't explain why this was, exactly… It certainly had nothing to do with the year of my birth on the Chinese Zodiac. I was born in a Metal Year (and Metal has nothing to do with elementalist magic), and my sign is the Tiger, whose fixed element is Wood (again, an element that has nothing to do with elementalist magic). It also makes no sense in the Western Zodiac, where I'm a Libra. Libra is an Air sign, which would be closer to Wind when dealing with elementalist spells.**_

_**The only explanation is my choice of deck, and it's hard to explain why I chose Fire, and the Flamvell Monsters in particular, as my theme. But I do remember how my deck got started.**_

_**When I turned twelve, and was trying to put together a deck, my cousin, who was then eighteen, won a tournament with a major cash prize. He took me to a card store, and said he would buy me any card I wanted as a birthday present.**_

_**Well, I considered many of them. A lot of the ones I saw were ones I would have liked to have. There was Angel 07, Tyrant Dragon, Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (I admired Judai Yukai a lot back then); I think that there was even an Ancient Gear Golem for sale.**_

_**But then one caught my eye that seemed to cry out to me… It was Flamvell Urquizas. I knew as soon as I saw this card, I not only wanted it, but it wanted me to have it.**_

_**Once I had it, I set about building a Fire Deck, gathering the other Flamvell cards and various others that fit in. Of course, my cousin told me, as you already heard, that a deck is never truly finished. So I worked on it through the years, up to that time I dueled Debbie.**_

_**Did I have such a rapport with them because of the Fire in my soul, or did I gain a fiery soul because of them? I don't know. But either way, it's what saved me and gave Shichiro and the others enough time to get here. **_

_**Unfortunately, now Shichiro had to put his own neck on the line to try to stop this…**_

Shichiro opened his eyes to a whole new world.

He was on his D-Wheel, which he had been certain he had left in the parking garage below, with his helmet in place, and his Duel Disk already set into the console.

What really surprised him was the surrounding area. He seemed to be on a long highway of some sort, that stretched ahead as far as the eye could see. There were six lanes, two to his left, three to his right (he was on one of the two central ones) and beyond the road, past odd highway barriers, seemed to be desert wasteland. He looked up to the sky, and all he saw was swirling, multicolored clouds.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"The Eternal Highway," replied Draco's voice.

Shichiro turned his head, and saw Draco pull up on a D-Wheel of his own. Draco's ride was clearly far more high-tech than any D-Wheel Shichiro had ever seen. He guessed that a lot of enchantments had gone into making it.

Draco had switched his formal business suit for a leather riding outfit and a visored helmet.

However, what infuriated Shichiro the most was the fact that Ember was seated behind him. She had a helmet, but her outfit otherwise hadn't changed.

"Draco!" shouted Shichiro. "You leave her out of this!"

"What was I supposed to do?" asked Draco. "Leave her in the office where your three friends are waiting? Where Jalal is waiting, who likely already knows how the lamp's curse works? That would be foolish, Mr. Osaka…

"And the only other option I had would have been to ask my partner to look after her, which would have been even more foolish."

"I assume you don't trust this guy?" asked Shichiro.

"Not in the least," replied Draco. "Remember when you suggested I might want to sell Ember at a slave market somewhere? I wouldn't, but I don't doubt that my partner might.

"Trust me, Ember is perfectly safe. She can't disobey me, remember? I tell her to hold on, she'll hold on. And this D-Wheel was made to accommodate a passenger."

Shichiro sighed.

"Fine…" he growled. "So just what is this… Eternal Highway?"

"One of the Great Paths in the universe," replied Draco.

"Great Paths?" asked Shichiro.

"There are many Great Paths," said Draco. "Like the River Styx, Yggdrasill, and this one. If one travels the right way on the Eternal Highway, and knows what exit to take, it can lead him almost anywhere.

"This highway is unique in that it seems to change over time, with new exits and side roads being built over the years. No-one has ever seen the mysterious construction crews that work on the Eternal Highway, at least at a full glance. Some travelers say that they can catch a glimpse of these creatures out of the corners of their eyes at times.

"Anyway… The place is ideal for a Turbo Duel. The only time traffic truly becomes congested is during the Great Modron March."

"The what?" said Shichiro.

"It's an event that happens every time the cogs of Mechanus make a complete turn," replied Draco. "Every five-hundred years or so. During that time, an army of modrons, clockwork creatures that inhabit Mechanus, file their way around the whole universe in a set path.

"No one knows why they do it, but everyone knows that if you see them coming, you'd best get out of their way, because they'll walk right over anything that _is_ in their way.

"Anyway, this highway is a main part of their route. But don't worry, the next March isn't scheduled to take place for a little over a century."

"Uh…" said Ember, nervously. "Does their schedule ever change?"

"Uh, heh…" laughed Draco, nervously. "Well… It once started one-hundred and eighty-nine years before it was supposed to… But the chances of them going against schedule again are pretty slim."

Then there was a beeping noise. Draco sighed, and took a cell phone out of his jacket pocket.

"All right, all right!" he shouted into it.

"Let me guess," said Shichiro, as Draco put it away. "That was your partner telling you to stop wasting time."

"As I said before, Shichiro…" said Draco. "May the best duelist win…"

The D-Wheels stated up, and the Eternal Highway was shrouded by the silvery glow of Speed World. Both D-Wheels took off from their starting point.

"Hang on, Ember!" shouted Draco. "This might get rough!"

_Shichiro…_ thought Ember. _Please don't lose…_

**(Shichiro: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Draco: 8,000)**

"I'll start this off," said Draco, making a draw.

"I'll defend with a Monster, and that will be all for now."

A reversed Monster briefly appeared, and then faded from sight.

Shichiro drew a card, and both Speed Counters rose to one.

_Got to be very careful here…_ he thought. _I still don't trust Draco. If I lose this duel, Ember might be a gonner. _

_Not to mention myself…_

He played a card, and the portal opened. Rose, Warrior of Revenge leapt through. (1,600 ATK)

An excited look crossed Ember's face…

Then Rose actually looked at her.

_It's going to be all right,_ the Warrior seemed to say.

"Attack his Monster!" shouted Shichiro.

Rose flew at the reversed Monster with her dagger. The Monster that appeared on the card looked like a small phoenix, but rather than shrouded in flames, it was covered with frost and ice crystals.

Rose made a swipe with her blade, and it shattered into shards of ice.

"You just flipped Blizzed – Guard of the Ice Barrier," said Draco. "And when it's destroyed by battle, I get to draw one card."

He made a draw.

_Ice Barrier?_ thought Shichiro. _Isn't that the place that Brionac is from?_

"I set one card," said Shichiro, as a facedown card appeared behind Rose, "and that will be all."

The card faded from view.

Draco made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to two.

"I'll set a new Monster," he said, as another reversed Monster appeared. "And I end my turn."

_So is this guy gonna attack or what?_ thought Shichiro.

He drew another card, and his Speed Counters rose to three.

"Come on out, Queen's Knight!" he shouted.

The portal opened again, and Queen's Knight emerged, brandishing her sword. (1,500 ATK)

"Attack his Monster!"

Queen's Knight made an attempt, but her sword glanced off a large creature that looked like a long, segmented worm with icy skin, covered with ice shards, with a long siphon on its front like a mosquito's. (1,800 DEF)

"That's my Intoxicated Bug of the Ice Barrier," said Draco. "It will make an adequate shield."

"Your Monster wins the award for weirdest name a Monster can have," replied Shichiro.

"Well I didn't name it," protested Draco. "Anything else?"

Shichiro looked at his hand of cards.

_This might be trouble,_ he thought._ I never knew that there were other Ice Barrier Monsters besides Brionac…_

_But if Draco is using them, logic states that he is indeed going to use that card! And Brionac is one of the most powerful Synchros in the game if it's used right…_

"I end my turn…" he said.

**(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 8,000)**

And then he gasped in surprise.

The whole scenery had changed. Where they had once been driving down a highway through a desert, they were now driving down a highway through a volcanic mountain range. Active volcanoes spewed lava down their slopes, and rivers of magma bordered the road.

"What's going on, Draco?" demanded Shichiro.

"Oh, forgot to tell you," said Draco. "When you travel on a Great Path with no destination in mind, the locales change rather suddenly. We just left one dimension and entered another.

"But fear not… So long as we stay on the Highway, we're in no danger from any hazards of the dimensions we're traveling through. The Eternal Highway is actually considered one of the safest Great Paths.

"And it's my move…"

He made a draw, and the Speed Counters both rose to four.

"I summon Practitioner of the Ice Barrier," he said.

A chilling portal opened, and a new Monster emerged. It was a stern-faced man dressed in loose robes and a hood (not at all the clothing for someone from a cold climate) holding a rod made of white crystals shaped like snowflakes. (1,300 ATK)

"Not too strong there," said Shichiro.

"Maybe not," said Draco, "but when I have another Monster with the words 'Ice Barrier' in its name, like my Bug, his effect works just like Gravity Bind.

"The word 'Barrier' is there for a reason, Mr. Osaka. I end my turn."

_So what sort of deck is this?_ thought Shichiro, as he drew a card. _Lockdown? Control?_

The Speed Counters clicked up to five.

_I'd better find out fast…_

"I play Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" he exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him.

"Now I'll make two draws…"

He drew two cards.

"Then I'll discard this…"

He made a discard.

"I'll summon King's Knight!"

In a flash of energy, King's Knight appeared next to Queen's Knight. (1,600 ATK)

"Then I'll use his effect to summon Jack's Knight!"

The third Knight appeared with his two siblings. (1,900 ATK)

"I still can't attack, so I'll set another card, and end my turn."

A second facedown card appeared next to the first.

"Not bad," said Draco, making a draw.

Both Speed Counters rose to six.

"I sacrifice Practitioner…"

Practitioner shattered into shards of ice.

"…to summon Royal Knight of the Ice Barrier!"

With a low roar, a more intimidating Monster appeared in front of Draco. It looked like a knight in full plate armor, his armor made of solid ice, but with gold trim, and a flowing cape. He carried a long lance in his right hand that was also made of ice with gold trim. (2,000 ATK)

"By Normal Summoning him, I get an Ice Coffin Token," continued Draco.

A large casket made of pure ice materialized next to the Royal Knight.

"Now attack Jack's Knight! Chilling joust!"

Royal Knight roared again, and flew at Jack's Knight, lance first. Jack's Knight groaned as he was stabbed directly in the middle with the icy lance, and then shattered into pixels.

"It's your move, Mr. Osaka," said Draco.

**(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 8,000)**

Shichiro made a draw and looked at it. The Speed Counters rose to seven.

_He's toying with me,_ thought Shichiro. _It's hard to believe he doesn't have what he needs to summon Brionac yet…_

"I set one card," he said, "and then summon Gearfried the Iron Knight."

A set card appeared, and then Gearfried appeared in another portal of energy. (1,800 ATK)

"Rose, attack the Ice Coffin Token!"

Rose leapt at the large casket and made a slash with her dagger it shattered into ice crystals.

"Ergh…" muttered Draco.

"And Rose has a useful effect," said Shichiro. "When she dishes out damage, you take an additional 300 points of damage."

Rose looked Draco in the eye, and her eyes burned with fire. Draco groaned as a burning feeling came over him.

Rose looked at Ember again as the flames in her eyes went out. She smiled slightly again.

"I end my turn," said Shichiro.

**(S: 7,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,100)**

Draco made a draw, and the Counters rose to eight. They were moving faster now, so it was a good thing that the Eternal Highway was easy to maneuver. It was more or less a long, straight stretch of road.

Draco looked at his console, and saw the three cards in Shichiro's Spell/Trap Zone.

"I don't think I'm going to attack this turn, Mr. Osaka," he said. "I'll simply set a Monster, and a facedown card of my own."

The two set cards appeared.

"And that will be all."

Shichiro drew again, and the gauge on both consoles rose to nine.

Then the terrain changed again.

The volcanic mountain range vanished, and the Highway was now taking them through an ancient, unspoiled forest. Unspoiled, that is, except for the road they were on. Trees towered overhead, their trunks thicker than any redwood on Earth, their leaves forming canopies overhead that covered the Highway in a cool shade. Birds flew overhead, and Shichiro saw squirrels, rabbits, and deer scurrying along as they drove past.

He tried his best to ignore them. He concentrated on the duel at hand.

One of his facedown cards spun around.

"I activate Birthright!" he shouted. "Now, I can bring back Jack's Knight."

The card glowed, and Jack's Knight leapt out, brandishing his sword. (1,900 ATK)

"Now, a Speed Spell," he said, as a second facedown card spun around. "Speed Spell – Half-Size. This takes your Royal Knight, and cuts him down to size…"

Royal Knight gasped, and shrank to half his size. (1,000 ATK)

"…and even better, those Attack Points he just lost are transformed into Life Points, that are added to my score!

"Now to business… Jack's Knight, destroy his Bug with knave's blade!"

Jack's Knight slashed at the weird worm with his longsword. It let out a squeal, and then shattered.

"Now, Gearfried attacks your Royal Knight!"

The Iron Knight made a mighty slash across Royal Knight's armor with his bladed arm. Royal Knight of the Ice Barrier groaned, and then shattered into pixels.

"King's Knight, crush his last Monster!"

King's Knight flew at the reversed Monster. A second Blizzed appeared on the card, and shattered under his blade.

Draco drew one card.

**(S: 8,600) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,300)**

"Time to take you out!" shouted Shichiro. "Ladies…"

Rose and Queen's Knight nodded. They flew at Draco's bike.

"Not yet, Mr. Osaka," said Draco, as his facedown card spun around. "I activate Metal Reflect Slime!"

The infamous Trap Monster appeared, looking no less than an orb of metallic liquid with spiky protrusions. (3,000 DEF)

Shichiro sighed. He had five Monsters, and none of them could get past _that_.

_But I can get past it next round,_ he thought. _I have what I need to summon Colossal Fighter, Rose and another Level 4 Monster. If I do it, I'll have two Warriors in my Graveyard, and one in his. 3,100 Attack Points._

He was about to make the Synchro Summon…

_WAIT!_ he thought.

_On his next turn, if he manages to summon Brionac, he'll have enough cards in his hand to use its effect on all of my cards…_

…_assuming he wants to discard six cards, which I doubt he wants to do. That's the downside of using Brionac. But he'd certainly use that effect on Colossal Fighter._

_Okay… I'll wait until next turn…_

"It's your move, Draco," he said.

Draco made a draw, and the Speed Counters rose to ten.

"I summon Medium of the Ice Barrier!" he exclaimed.

The icy portal opened again, and this time, even Shichiro felt the chill. The creature that emerged was a coldly beautiful woman, with flowing, green hair, and a look on her face that suggested anguish. She was dressed in a long, blue ceremonial dress. (2,200 ATK)

"Hold on!" shouted Shichiro. "She's Level 7!"

"True," said Draco. "But I'm allowed to Special Summon her if there are at least four more cards on your side of the field than there are on mine.

"And that number is about to change drastically…"

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

"With my Speed Counters above eight, I can play Speed Spell – Reckless Driver. First I choose one of my Monsters, and I choose my Medium.

"Then I have to sacrifice a Monster who's a higher Level than she is, so I'll sacrifice Metal Reflect Slime."

The metallic ooze vanished.

"In return, Medium gets to attack every Monster on your side of the field, so long as she's the only Monster that attacks this turn."

"Good lord…" said Shichiro.

"Medium…" ordered Draco, "attack with arctic chant!"

A cold wind started to blow, and Medium of the Ice Barrier started to sing… She started to sing a haunting tune that chilled the two humans present to the bone. The storm intensified, and Shichiro's five Monsters shielded themselves from the fierce winds.

Then Queen's Knight was blown to pieces, then King's Knight. Jack's Knight followed, and then Gearfried.

Finally, Rose shattered into pixels.

"NO!" screamed Ember.

"Ember?" said Draco.

Ember couldn't answer. Tears were running down her face.

"Uh…" said Draco, taking a card from his hand.

"Medium of the Ice Barrier has a useful effect by the way, Mr. Osaka," he said. "While she's on the field, you can only use one Spell or Trap per turn.

"I'll set this, and it's your move…"

A facedown card appeared in front of his bike, and then faded from view.

**(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 6,300)**

_So much for using Colossal Fighter,_ thought Shichiro.

He made a draw, and both Speed Counters rose to eleven.

_Have to improvise…_

"Since I can only use one Spell or Trap per round," he said, "I'll use this one…"

His facedown card revealed itself.

"Soul Resurrection. I'll bring back a Monster I tossed with Angel Baton."

The Millennium Shield appeared in front of him. (3,000 DEF)

"Next, I set a Monster…"

A set Monster appeared.

"…and that will be all."

Draco made a draw, and both Counters hit their limit of twelve. They were now rushing down the Highway at incredible speed, the broken lines flashing by in a blur.

Draco's Trap Card spun around.

"I activate a second Metal Reflect Slime," he said.

Another of the Trap Monsters appeared. (3,000 DEF)

"And then I sacrifice it…"

The Slime froze over, and then shattered into shards.

"…to summon Great Monk of the Ice Barrier."

A new Spellcaster Monster appeared next to the Medium. He wore a very large collie hat that covered most of his head, although his long hair was waist-length and grey. He wore no shirt, a pair of ragged, blue pantaloons, and slippers of the style usually worn by monks. (1,600 ATK)

"I know what you're going to say," said Draco. "His Attack Score is pretty pathetic for a Level 6 Monster. Well, when he's Normal Summoned, he immediately moves to Defense Mode."

Great Monk crouched and shielded himself. (2,200 DEF)

"Also, he has a very useful effect. While he's around all of my Ice Barrier Monsters cannot be destroyed by Spell or Trap Cards.

"And now that we've gotten that out of the way… Medium… Attack his hidden Monster!"

Medium of the Ice Barrier started to sing again. Skelengel appeared on the card, and shattered into bits.

Shichiro made a draw.

"I end my turn," said Draco.

Shichiro drew a card.

"Time to take you down a notch, Draco," he said. "Your Monsters may put up a powerful barrier of ice…

"But they have one weakness… Ice melts.

"I summon Nitro Synchron!"

He played the card, and the small, robotic propane tank appeared in front of his bike. (300 ATK)

"Now, I'll use it to give my Shield a Tune-up!"

The needle on Nitro Synchron's gauge moved into the red. It dissolved into two glowing stars, and Millennium Shield dissolved into five. The seven stars flew into the forest canopy.

Trailing a wake of flames, Nitro Warrior descended onto the Highway. (2,800 ATK)

"Thanks to Nitro Synchron's effect," he continued, "I get to draw one card."

"Not good…" said Draco.

"It's about to get worse," said Shichiro, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "I play Speed Spell – Acceleration Draw. Since my Speed Counters are at twelve, I get to make two more draws."

He drew two cards.

"And since I just played a Spell Card, Nitro Warrior gains 1,000 Attack Points for one attack!

"Go! Attack Medium of the Ice Barrier!"

Nitro Warrior's Attack Score rose to 3,800, and it flew at the Spellcaster. Medium of the Ice Barrier let out a pitiful cry as it hit her, and she shattered into shards of ice. Draco groaned a little as his Speed Counters dropped to eleven.

"I'm not done," said Shichiro, as Nitro Warrior's Attack Score returned to 2,800. "Now I use its other effect, to move Great Monk into Attack Mode, and then attack again!"

Great Monk stood up into Attack Mode… (1,600 ATK)

"Attack Great Monk of the Ice Barrier!" shouted Shichiro. "Dynamite fist!"

The Synchro flew at the second Spellcaster and socked him hard. Draco screamed as his Monster shattered, and his Speed Counters dropped to ten.

**(S: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,500)**

Draco caught his breath.

"Ember?" he said. "You still holding on?"

Ember nodded.

"Well keep holding on," he said. "It's about to get rougher."

He turned to Shichiro.

"It's my move," he said.

He drew a card. His Speed Counters rose to eleven.

He set a card on his console, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"End!" he shouted.

Shichiro quickly made a draw. Draco's Counters were now back up to their maximum.

"Nitro Warrior," he ordered, "crush his Monster!"

Nitro Warrior flew at the hidden Monster. The figure that appeared on the card was a man in religious-style vestments, with a fur collar and belt. He shielded himself with his arm, and Nitro Warrior's punch glanced off. (1,000 DEF)

"That's Acolyte of the Ice Barrier," said Draco. "And just like Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, he can't be destroyed by Monsters with 1,900 Attack Points or more."

"Then I'll set two cards," said Shichiro, as two reversed cards appeared, "and my turn is over."

The cards faded from view.

"My move," said Draco, drawing a card.

"It's time to summon the most powerful Monster in my deck…" he said ominously.

_Oh no…_ thought Shichiro. _Here it comes…_

"I first summon the Tuner Monster, Feng Shui Master of the Ice Barrier," said Draco.

A new Monster appeared next to the Acolyte. It looked like a young girl, wearing a collie hat similar to the Great Monk's, her hair tied in a long ponytail, wearing a blue ceremonial dress. (800 ATK)

"Wait a minute!" said Shichiro. "The Levels of those Monsters add up to seven! You can't use them to summon Brionac!"

"Brionac?" asked Draco. "You thought I was going to summon that loser?"

Shichiro looked dumbfounded.

"You… You weren't?" he said.

"Humph…" said Draco. "Brionac, so-called Dragon of the Ice Barrier… He isn't even a real Dragon, did you know that?"

Actually, Shichiro did know that. Brionac was actually a Sea Serpent. Most folks who knew that assumed the reason for that was so it couldn't be used in combination with cards that support Dragons, as Brionac was pretty powerful on its own.

"The Monster I'm about to summon has the right to be called the Dragon of the Ice Barrier…" said Draco.

Acolyte and Feng Shui Master glowed with icy, blue energy, and then dissolved into seven glowing stars.

At that moment, the terrain changed again. The highway was now going through a mountain range again, but this time it was an arctic range, full of snow and glaciers.

"I summon the mighty lord of the Ice Barrier…" exclaimed Draco, "_Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice__Barrier_!"

The Monster appeared behind his D-Wheel with a loud roar. It was certainly a Dragon; its wings, claws, and overall shape were proof enough for Shichiro. And it seemed to be sculpted out of ice itself, which reflected light from every angle, giving it an appearance that looked beautiful and terrifying at the same time. (2,500 ATK)

"Okay, nice Monster," said Shichiro, nervously. "But Nitro Warrior is stronger…"

"Wait until you see its effect," said Draco. "Once per round, I can toss up to two cards…"

He discarded two cards.

"…and then destroy one card for each card that I tossed."

Gungnir breathed a blast of chilling frost, and Shichiro's Nitro Warrior and facedown Wicked Rebirth both iced over, and shattered into shards.

"Good lord…" muttered Shichiro.

"Attack directly!" ordered Draco. "Death blizzard!"

Gungnir breathed its chilling blast again, and Shichiro screamed as it plowed into the front of his bike. His D-Wheel wobbled, and he struggled to keep control.

**(S: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 3,500)**

"I'll end my turn there," said Draco.

Shichiro shivered. But he hung on.

_My fault, MY fault,_ thought Shichiro. _I spent this whole duel dwelling on one stupid assumption that turned out to be false._

_Well, I won't make that mistake next time…_

He looked at the huge Dragon.

_If there IS a next time!_

He drew a card, and his Speed Counters clicked up to eleven.

It was Junk Synchron.

He looked at it, then at the six cards on his gauntlet, and then at the one card he had on the field.

_On Draco's next turn, he'll have three cards… More than enough to use Gungnir's full effect…_

_But… Maybe I can fool him… And Yusei's favorite Monster can help…_

"I summon Junk Synchron!" he shouted.

In a flash, the cute robotic Tuner appeared. (1,300 ATK)

"Now, I use its effect to summon Skelengel."

The winged cherub appeared, shielding itself with its bow. (400 DEF)

"Okay, let's rev 'em up one more time!"

Junk Synchron yanked its ripcord, and it and Skelengel flew into the sky over the Eternal Highway. They faded into five glowing stars…

With a roar, Junk Warrior landed to face the much bigger Synchro. (2,300 ATK)

"I throw another card facedown," said Shichiro, as a new reversed card appeared, "and my turn is over."

_Shichiro…_ thought Ember, looking scared. _I hope you have a plan here…_

Draco made a draw. He surveyed the field.

_Have to be careful,_ he thought. _Shichiro knows that Gungnir can destroy two cards… Not three._

_The card he set two turns ago… He didn't activate it when I attacked directly last turn, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bluff. It could be something that could increase Junk Warrior's Attack Score…_

_Which means, he can chain-activate it if I use Gungnir's effect to destroy both the facedown cards. Not a good idea…_

_But… The card he just set could well be something that could destroy Gungnir…_

_Perfect. I'll destroy that card and Junk Warrior._

He discarded two cards in his hand.

"Gungnir, wipe out his Monster and the facedown card on the left!" he shouted.

Gungnir blasted his chilling breath again, and both Junk Warrior, and the Trap Card, revealed to be Draining Shield, shattered.

_No…_ thought Ember.

"Attack…" started Draco.

"Hold it!" interrupted Shichiro.

"Eh?" said Draco, as the facedown card spun around.

"I activate Synchro Spirits!" shouted Shichiro. "Now by removing Junk Warrior from play, I can Special Summon the Monsters I Tuned to summon it."

Junk Synchron appeared first, crouching in Defense Mode. (500 DEF) Then Skelengel appeared as well. (400 DEF)

_He's up to something,_ thought Draco.

Gungnir blasted its death blizzard, and Junk Synchron iced over and shattered.

Draco looked at the last card in his hand.

He set it on his console, and it appeared facedown.

"My move!" shouted Shichiro.

_It all comes down to this…_ he thought. _Just hope I get the guy I need…_

He drew a card.

He smirked.

Then he took a card from his hand.

"I play Speed Spell – Synchro Return!" he shouted. "By using this when my Speed Counters are at least five, I can bring back a Synchro Monster that's been removed from play."

A dark portal opened, and Junk Warrior flew out, with its jetpack blazing. (2,300 ATK)

"But he's only here so I can summon someone stronger," continued Shichiro. "I'm bringing out Turbo Synchron!"

In a small flash of light, the little Machine Tuner flew up beside Junk Warrior. (100 ATK)

"This whole thing was a set-up!" exclaimed Draco. "You _wanted_ me to destroy Junk Warrior last round."

"That's right," said Shichiro. "Junk Warrior was no match for your Dragon…"

Junk Warrior and Turbo Synchron dissolved into six glowing stars.

"…but with some help from you, I'm able to summon someone who is."

An engine roared up ahead, and headlights flashed. Turbo Warrior sped into view, glaring at the huge Dragon. (2,500 ATK)

"This guy is bad news for your Dragon, Draco," said Shichiro, "because when Turbo Warrior battles another Synchro Monster, that Synchro Monster's Attack Score is cut in half."

"That may be true, Mr. Osaka," said Draco, "but I'm not beaten yet…"

His Trap Card spun around.

"I activate Absolute Ice Barrier. What this means is, for this round only, you can't destroy any of my Ice Barrier Monsters!"

_No…_ thought Ember. _If his Dragon survives this attack, it will be able to destroy Turbo Warrior with its effect next round…_

"Is that so?" asked Shichiro. "Well, then… It's a good thing I also have this…"

Another Speed Spell appeared in front of him, and Turbo Warrior started glowing with intense flames.

"Speed Spell – Final Attack! As the name implies, this lets Turbo Warrior put all it's got into one mighty blow, with its Attack Score doubled.

"Your Dragon will survive, yes… But I don't think you will…"

Draco stopped short.

"Ember…" he said.

He hit a command on his console.

"This is where you get off."

"What are you doing?" asked Ember, now very surprised.

"No time to explain, Ember," said Draco. "Just let me tell you while I still can… I'm so very sorry I dragged you into all this…

"You're a Shadowchaser now… No matter what happens… Be a good one!"

And then Ember vanished into grains of light.

"What?" said Shichiro. "Draco… What did you do?"

"Do you want to end this or do you want to waste time hearing me explain everything?" shouted Draco. "Just do it!"

Shichiro stared at him.

"Turbo Warrior…" he said. "Strike down his Dragon with Accel Slash!"

Turbo Warrior flew at Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Its Attack Score soared up to 5,000, while Gungnir's fell to 1,250…

It made a slash at the huge Dragon with its claw. Gungnir roared, and Draco screamed…

**(S: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)**

Then something happened that Shichiro didn't expect. Usually, when a duelist loses a Turbo Duel, his D-Wheel is forced to stop. Draco's certainly didn't. It actually sped up.

Shichiro watched as Draco sped away from him at incredible speed, faster than any D-Wheel was meant to go. He saw the engine smoke and flames shoot out of the rear…

Then a huge black hole appeared out of nowhere. Draco's D-Wheel was ripped apart as he was literally sucked into it.

Shichiro quickly skidded to a halt, doing his best to avoid the same fate…

And then he blacked out.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"OOF!" grunted Shichiro.

He had fallen, and he quickly saw that he was back in Draco's office.

"Shichiro!" shouted Jinx. "Ember!"

"Ember?" cried Shichiro. "Where is she?"

"You fell on her!" said Ember's voice.

"Ah heh…" said Shichiro.

He got up, and then helped Ember up.

"Sorry…"

"Did you win?" asked Jalal.

"Oh, you bet," said Shichiro. "Draco is gone. He was sucked into some vortex."

"Then we did it," said Jinx. "It's all over… We're done…"

"Uh, people?" said Gears.

They all turned to him. He was looking out the window.

"If we defeated Draco…" he said. "How come it's suddenly raining cats and dogs?"

They all ran to the window, and saw that it was only too true. A freak storm had appeared out of nowhere, and a driving rain was falling on the city.

Then Jalal turned around.

"People…" he said.

In the center of the office was the Regalia of Day, glowing with eldritch energy.

**0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**Interlude**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**0 0 0 0 0**

In the high-security wing of the detention center of Shadowchaser Headquarters, Hebi-Na reclined on the bed in her cell, reading a magazine.

A television was on in the hall outside, which she shared with five other inmates in the adjoining cells. The inmate with the best behavior record decided what channel it was set to; that wasn't her at the moment, and she really didn't care for what was on right now. (If she watched one more British soap opera, she was going to scream.)

However, she couldn't help but listen when a news bulletin came on.

"We have no explanation as yet for the odd meteorological abnormally that has occurred over eastern Asia at this time," said the newscaster. "Defying all weather patterns, the strange storm seems to have simply appeared over Japan, and is now spreading in all directions… And… What?

"Uhm, new development… This strange storm has now grown in size, and is covering North and South Korea, the east part of China, and some parts of Russia. More on this story as it unfolds…

"What was that?"

Hebi-Na grinned an evil grin.

"So…" she said. "It has begun…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

"So the Deluge has somehow started?" asked Gears.

Jalal was looking at a screen that his armor was apparently generating.

"It appears so," he said. "I think I can pinpoint just how in a minute."

Shichiro picked up the oil lamp, who's curse apparently still had a grip on Ember.

"First thing's first, Jalal," he said. "How do I free Ember from this curse? That outfit she's wearing is not very becoming."

"Well," said Jalal. "The way to free a genie from a lamp's curse is simply to give him the lamp."

"It's that easy?" asked Jinx.

"Yeah," said Jalal. "If a genie is given his own lamp, he becomes his own master, and the curse is forever broken. Most people don't do this, however, because they aren't protected from retribution.

"So if that lamp is anything like a regular genie's lamp…"

Shichiro looked at Ember, and quickly handed her the lamp.

The results were instantaneous. The lamp burst into a cloud of gold dust, the skimpy harem girl outfit was replaced by her normal clothing with a puff of pink smoke. Then her Duel Disk appeared on her arm.

"Thank God…" muttered Ember.

She looked at Shichiro.

"He was swallowed by some vortex?" she asked. "He probably saved me by sending me back here… Do you think losing knocked some sanity back into his head?"

"We may never know…" replied Gears.

"I'd say it's doubtful," said Jalal, looking at the screen. "Draco was apparently double-crossed by his partner. This entity that was going to actually cast the Deluge needed the sacrifice of a soul with a heroic spirit. But Draco failed to get one.

"So, rather than abort the plan, his partner took the only one available… Draco's."

"Hold on…" said Jinx. "Draco's soul contains a heroic spirit? How was he a hero?"

"It depends on whose point of view you're looking at, Jinx," replied Jalal. "The term 'hero' is subjective. To a githyanki's point of view, he was _definitely_ a hero. He was a Rrakkma Warrior, remember? A knight who hunted down and slew illithids, their most hated enemies.

"And even if Vlaakith told her subjects that he fled because of criminal or treasonous acts, it would have been lies. As far as the githyanki race was concerned, Draco had a heroic spirit."

"Is there any way to stop this?" asked Shichiro.

Jalal looked at the screen again.

"Only one way…" he said. "I'm going to have to make amends to every elf and dwarf clan in the world for what I'm about to do, but I must destroy the Regalia of Day."

He waved his hand, and the screen changed.

"So what are you waiting for??" shouted Jinx.

"Give me a minute, Kaede…" replied Jalal. "Artifacts tend to be harder to break than typical objects…"

"Didn't you ever read _Lord of the Rings_?" asked Shichiro

"Let's see here…" he said, reading. "According to the lore of the Goldhammer clan, the Swords can be destroyed by hurling them into the nexus of the powers of Earth and Fire where they were forged…"

"Where is that?" asked Gears.

"Uhm…" said Jalal. "Mount Etna…"

"Mount Etna?!" exclaimed Gears.

"When powerful magical swords are created," replied Jalal, "a smith tends to use a powerful forge."

"Fine!" shouted Jinx. "Use the same magic you used to get to Japan to take them to Sicily, and throw them into Mount Etna!"

"I'm afraid there's more, Kaede…" said Jalal, as he continued to read. "Each Sword can only be destroyed during the time of day that it represents…"

He took out his pocket watch and looked at it. Eleven PM Japan time.

"It's three in the afternoon now in Sicily…" he muttered. "This time of year, it will be four hours before the condition is right to destroy the Sword of Twilight. Epic level spells like this get stronger as time passes. By then it may be too late…"

"Why don't you destroy the Silver Hemisphere?" asked Ember.

"Huh?" said Shichiro.

"Well…" said Ember. "Isn't the Silver Hemisphere what enables the Swords to create such powerful spells in the first place?"

Jalal looked at her. Then he looked at the Regalia.

"You know…" he said. "That's crazy enough to actually work. Without the Silver Hemisphere, the Swords will lack the power they need for a spell like this. And I'll wager that it's far more fragile than the Swords are…"

He drew his sword.

"Stand back people…"

Everyone got back as far as possible as Jalal lifted the sword. He swung it downwards…

But then, there was a blast of energy, and a backlash knocked him backwards.

"Jalal!" shouted Shichiro.

"I'm fine!" said Jalal, getting up. "But it seems that it's not going to be that easy. Whoever cast the Deluge prepared. The Regalia is protected by some sort of spell."

He made the screen appear again.

"Is there _anything_ we can do??" asked Jinx.

"One chance, but it's risky," said Jalal. "The entity is a water elementalist of great magical power. If this sorcerer was challenged and forced to expend energy, the protective spell would greatly weaken.

"But providing a challenge that could do that is tricky. Elemental magic is an incredibly powerful school. With elementalists, the only way to truly hurt them is by confronting them with their opposing elements. Among elements, Wind opposes Earth, and Water opposes Fire."

Everyone paused.

They looked at Ember.

"Oh no!" she shouted. "I wouldn't stand a chance! I couldn't even beat Draco!"

Jalal put his hand on her shoulder.

"That's because you went unprepared," he said. "We're going to fix that right now…

"Eiko Michiko… Kneel…"

Ember just looked at him. Then she knelt.

"I was going to do this at the formal ceremony," said Jalal. "But we have to do this now…"

He placed his sword on Ember's right shoulder.

"Eiko Michiko…" he said. "Do you solemnly swear to uphold the tenants held by the Shadowchasers, and to use them to promote peace between Shadowkind and humans?"

"I… I do," replied Ember.

"Do you swear to act as the hand of Justice, while tempering it with mercy?" continued Jalal.

"I do," replied Ember.

"Do you swear to serve the law and not manipulate it so it may serve you?" continued Jalal. "Do you swear to be the voice of reason in a world where some often prefer chaos?"

"I do," said Ember.

"Do you know that ignorance is not bliss, but knowledge is not power?" asked Jalal.

"I do," said Ember, more confident than before.

"Then, arise…" said Jalal.

With that, he made an upward slash with his blade, leaving a small scar on Ember's cheek, without drawing blood. It was the same mark that Shichiro, Gears, and Jinx had.

"…Shadowchaser."

Ember slowly got up.

"Gee…" she said. "Am I really…"

"Yes," said Jalal. "We'll celebrate later."

He went back to the screen.

"How are we going to do this, chief?" asked Gears.

"We have to work fast," said Jalal. "I can pinpoint whatever watery dimension this entity resides in, and send Michiko to it to confront him."

"No problem, right?" asked Gears.

Jalal paused and looked at the screen.

"Slight problem…" he said. "This wizard sealed all conduits between his dimension and ours. We can't make a portal directly to it."

"Okay…" said Gears. "I guess that means we're… doomed!"

"Not necessarily," said Jalal. "I can send Michiko to a dimension that borders both ours and the one she has to get to, and she can get to it from there."

"Like a bridge?" said Shichiro.

"Right," said Jalal. "Give me five minutes, and I'll find one…"

"Shichiro…" said Ember. "Your Tuner Monster… Rose, Warrior of Revenge…

"Remember when you asked me its purpose? I know its purpose now…

"Every time I see you use that card… I see my own face in hers…

"That card… She's… She's a reflection of myself! I know it makes no sense."

Shichiro looked at her.

Then he took Rose from his deck, and looked at her.

The strange woman in miko regalia had said it clearly. She was only lending him the card until its true owner appeared.

"_A warrior of fire, just like the Monster on the card. And just like a Tuner, this warrior has great potential…"_

"No, Ember…" he said with a grin. "Actually, it makes perfect sense."

He handed her the card.

"This card was never mine. I was looking for its true owner. And it seems I've found her."

"What?" said Ember. "But I never owned…"

"Trust me," said Shichiro. "When the woman who told me to hold onto this told me to find the true owner, she meant you. I've never been more sure."

Ember looked at the card.

Then she slowly shuffled it into her deck.

"Okay, people," said Jalal. "I've pinpointed a dimension that will do the job, and it's most likely the safest. From what I can tell, it's a pocket dimension in the Astral Plane, and its sole occupant is one sentient being."

"Jalal, you once confronted Athentia," replied Shichiro. "Let's not underestimate how dangerous one sentient being can be."

"Point taken," said Jalal. "But we don't have many options at this point."

He held Ember by the shoulders again.

"Ember…" he said. "Once you get there, you'll need to wait for me to create a second portal by remote spell. Be careful. If you get into trouble that you can't get out of, speak my last name, and the first portal will pull you back to Earth.

"And one more thing…"

He handed her a card.

"It was just completed…"

Ember looked at it.

It was her own copy of Jalal the Dragonborn.

"Now you're truly a Shadowchaser," said Jalal. "Good luck, and Godspeed…"

The portal opened in the middle of the room. No more needed to be said. Ember turned to everyone, and then stepped through the portal, not knowing what she would see on the other side, and not knowing if she would ever come back…

_**I was now a Shadowchaser in both name and spirit. Who would expect that on my first official mission as one, the fate of the world would depend on my success?**_

_**I had never been more scared than I was now. If Jalal's inspiring words had not pushed me forward, I might never have agreed to go. But ask anyone who knows Jalal… He can inspire whole armies when the need is right. **_

_**No more tests, no more trials, no more room for failure. It was all or nothing.**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**BLIZZED – GUARD OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 300  
**DEF:** 500

**Card Description:** When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, draw 1 card from your deck.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**PRACTITIONER OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Aqua/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 2  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 0

**Card Description:** If you control at least 1 "Ice Barrier" Monster other than this card, Monsters that are Level 4 or higher cannot declare an attack.

_Note: "Blizzed, Guard of the Ice Barrier" and "Practitioner of the Ice Barrier" were first released in Japan for the original "Duel Terminal" system. They will be released for the TCG in November in the "Hidden Arsenal" pack._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**INTOXICATED BUG OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Insect/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,300  
**DEF:** 1,800

**Card Description:** When this card is successfully Normal Summoned, designate 1 unoccupied space in either Monster Zone. The designated space cannot be used while this card is face-up on the field.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ROYAL KNIGHT OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 5  
**ATK:** 2,000  
**DEF:** 2,000

**Card Description:** When this card is Tribute Summoned, Special Summon 1 "Ice Coffin Token" (Aqua/Water/Level 1/ATK 1,000/DEF 0) in Attack Position. An "Ice Coffin Token" cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon.

_Note: "Intoxicated Bug of the Ice Barrier" and "Royal Knight of the Ice Barrier" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 2: Invasion of Worms!!" system. Their release date for the TCG is not yet known._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GREAT MONK OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 6  
**ATK:** 1,600  
**DEF:** 2,200

**Card Description:** When this card is Normal Summoned or Flip-Summoned, change it to face-up Defense Position. While this card is face-up on the field, "Ice Barrier" Monsters cannot be destroyed by the effects of Spell or Trap Cards.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**MEDIUM OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,200  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** When your opponent controls 4 or more cards than you do, you may Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, your opponent can only activate 1 Spell or Trap Card per turn.

_Note: "Great Monk of the Ice Barrier" and "Medium of the Ice Barrier" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. Their release date for the TCG is not yet known._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ACOLYTE OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Warrior/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,500  
**DEF:** 1,000

**Card Description:** This card cannot be destroyed in battle by Monsters with 1,900 ATK or more.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**FENG SHUI MASTER OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 3  
**ATK:** 800  
**DEF:** 1,200

**Card Description:** Activate by discarding one card from your hand and declaring one Attribute. Monsters of the declared Attribute cannot select this card as an attack target. This effect may only be used once while this card is face-up on the field.

_Note: "Acolyte of the Ice Barrier" and "Feng Shui Master of the Ice Barrier" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 4: Demon Roar God Revival!!" system. Their release date for the TCG is not yet known._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**GUNGNIR, DRAGON OF THE ICE BARRIER (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Dragon/Synchro/Effect  
**Attribute: **Water  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 2,500  
**DEF:** 1,700

**Card Description:** _Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner WATER Monsters_

Activate by discarding up to two cards from your hand and selecting an equal number of cards on your opponent's side of the field. Destroy the selected cards. This effect may only be used once per round.

_Note: "Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 5: Champions of Chaos!!" system. Its release date for the TCG is not yet known._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – RECKLESS DRIVER (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** Dokurorider on a highway, driving at full speed into oncoming traffic.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 8 or more Speed Counters. Select one Monster you control that is in Attack Position. Tribute one Monster that is a higher Level than the selected Monster. The selected Monster is the only Monster that may attack this round, and attacks all Monsters on your opponent's side of the field once each. The selected Monster may not attack directly after attacking any Monsters.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**ABSOLUTE ICE BARRIER (Trap Card) **

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** Brionac surrounded by a globe of energy, as a group of barbarian warriors try to assault it.

**Card Description:** This card cannot be activated during the Battle Phase. When this card is activated, all face-up "Ice Barrier" Monsters on your side of the field are shifted to Attack Position. "Ice Barrier" Monsters that you control cannot be shifted to Defense Position or flipped facedown during the turn this card is activated. "Ice Barrier" Monsters that you control cannot be destroyed as a result of battle until the End Phase of the turn.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**SPEED SPELL – HALF SIZE (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A glowing, pulsating orb of energy.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 3 or more Speed Counters. Select one face-up opposing Monster. Halve the selected Monster's ATK, and increase your Life Points by an amount equal to the amount of Attack Points reduced by this effect.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Half Size" was first used by Jack in a second-season episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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**SPEED SPELL – FINAL ATTACK (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** B.E.S. Tetran in orbit above the Earth, being attacked by Gradius.

**Card Description:** You can only activate this card when you have 8 or more Speed Counters. Select 1 Monster you control that is in Attack Position. Double the ATK of the selected Monster. The selected Monster cannot attack directly. Destroy the selected Monster during the End Phase of the turn.

_Note: "Speed Spell – Final Attack" was first used by Yusei in the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's" episode "Fortune Cup Finale (Part 2)". __Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next: _

_The endgame is about to begin. Ember starts out to confront the true mastermind, but first she must get through the territory of a grouchy curmudgeon who doesn't like visitors. Like Shichiro said, just because a dimension only has one sentient being, doesn't mean that it isn't a dangerous place. _

"_Time Seal" is coming soon._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Daisuke Nakamura, Fractured Mind**

Dealing with demons is always a dangerous exploit. Just ask Daisuke Nakamura, a Shadowkind who regrets doing so with all his soul. All three of them.

Daisuke is a shadow elf, a branch of the elven race so rare, some believe them to be only a myth. Because his people are loners by nature, and known for being stealthy and very charismatic, he was an easy recruit for Red Shroud, a succubus from the dark depths of the Abyss known for running the biggest network of spies in the world. Red Shroud pays well if you're willing to gain someone's trust and then betray it, and money was something that Daisuke needed.

Red Shroud saw potential in Daisuke, and gave him two important assignments. He was assigned to work as a mercenary for a clan of azers, dwarf-like creatures who love fire, and live in volcanic regions. At the same time, he was assigned to get work as a mercenary for a clan of goliaths, powerful Shadowkind nomads who live in arctic regions. Daisuke gained the trust of both clans, but ultimately reported back to Red Shroud, feeding her any information that he thought would be useful.

But dealing with demons is dangerous, and eventually, the stress from doing so, combined with the strain from maintaining two false personalities that dealt with two opposing forces, caused Daisuke to snap. The two false personalities he created literally became real.

Daisuke is now a victim of Dissociative Identity Disorder, meaning that there's more than one individual personality vying for control of his body. Unlike the most severe cases (like Shirley Ardell Mason), this one is slightly different. He knows that the alternate personalities exist, but he doesn't have much control over them. In his case, one side will take over, another will "cut in" and run things, and it goes back and forth until he is able to shove both of them back into the deepest parts of his mind. All of this stress and anxiety naturally makes Daisuke depressed, and it shows in pretty much everything he does. If he loses focus even slightly, one of his 'sides' can break through and take over. Once it happened, he and both the other personalities abandoned Red Shroud and their job as a spy; the only thing all of them could agree on was that it was her fault.

The first alternate personality, alias "Frost", is the one he originally created to work with the goliaths. Frost is along the lines of depressing and fatalistic, much like the attitude of the typical goliath. He is very cold to everyone around him, and he doesn't care who he has to go through to get ahead in life. Frost is more along the lines of a silent type, but he doesn't hesitate when he wants his voice heard. He is also slow to anger, so it takes quite a lot to make him mad. When he is, though, it would be best to avoid him. Also much like the goliaths, Frost believes in fate, with a passion. He feels that every part of life is already planned out, and his successes and failures are written by the gods themselves, as a way of rewarding or punishing him.

The second personality, the one he originally created to work with the azers, is also known as Blaze, and is almost the complete opposite of Frost. Like the azers, Blaze is very emotional in just about everything he does. Whatever he's feeling, one will know almost instantly. With quite the fiery attitude, Blaze is also a bit of a hothead. If he gets ticked off even slightly, the culprit will almost immediately feel his wrath. Unlike Frost, Blaze doesn't like the idea of some outside force being in control of his life. He believes that a person can create his/her own destiny, and whatever happens in life results in whatever they do. This belief is shared by the azers, naturally.

Ask any Shadowchaser, and he'll tell you that making deals with fiends is a fool's game that shouldn't be attempted. Poor Daisuke is living proof of this. All he did was _work_ for Red Shroud, and it shattered his mind into pieces.

**Story Ideas:** Daisuke wanders the world, trying to find his place, trying hard to quell the conflict within himself. Whatever part of him is in control at the time usually dictates his actions. Blaze often gets into trouble due to his hot-headedness, while Frost is often deep in melancholy. Blaze has often considered going back to that clan of azers, and Frost has just as often considered going back to the goliaths; both would jump at the chance to be with kindred spirits. But they both know that if the Blaze or Frost were to gain dominance while with the race that the other is more comfortable with, it would lead to disaster. Thus, Daisuke has very few people he can confide in.

Sometimes both of them try to do good deeds, hoping that penance will lift the curse that they are under, but mostly, they just search for a reason to exist.

Daisuke can be inserted practically anywhere. He can serve as an ally or simply a contact. One possible piece of aid he can provide is information about Red Shroud (who will be detailed next chapter) but it would be very hard to convince _anyone_ to give information on her. Anyone who works for her knows that there's very little she can't find out about, and most folks who have snitched on her don't last long.

The possibilities are limitless when working with someone as unpredictable as Daisuke. Clearly, any story where he shows up has to be worked on hard.

**Deck Suggestions:** Daisuke has three separate decks. One of them is used by Frost, one by Blaze, and the third is a more recent addition that is used when the two manage to cooperate, something that has only happened recently.

When Frost has control for extended periods of time, he uses a pure Water Deck, specifically one that makes use of the Ice Barrier tribe. Besides them, he has other ice-related cards that help reflect his cold personality. Cards such as Ice Knight, Sacrifice Icicle, and Cold Wave help to put his opponents on thin ice. While his finishers mostly involve one of his three Ice Barrier Synchro Monsters (Brionac, Dewloren, and Gungnir) he considers Mobius the Frost Monarch to be the most prized card in his deck.

Because Blaze's nature, it's only natural that he'd use a Fire Deck of sorts when he has total control. He tends to go for sheer power when choosing Monsters, using cards like Gorlag, Infernal Incinerator, and even Volcanic Doomfire. Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch is by far his ace monster. While certainly not the strongest Monarch, it's hardly ever let him down, and he'll use it whenever he gets the chance.

Recently, Daisuke has managed to acquire two copies of Frost and Flame Dragon. Shortly after this, the fight for control of his body went over the edge. As a result, his deck type altered dramatically, at least for the time being. Frost and Blaze have been able to compromise for once, and construct a deck based around the Dragons using a combination of cards from both of their decks. The Monsters are meant mostly for milling through the deck while doing damage in the process. When they have enough of both types in the Graveyard, they'll bring out their big guns, the Frost and Flame Dragons. During duels using this deck, control is based on the cards drawn and whether or not there's a majority of cards of one type on the field. If it's mostly Water-types, Frost will have control; if it's mostly Fire-types, Blaze will have control. Still, there is no guarantee that neither of them will gain control for an extended period again.


	62. Time Seal

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO**

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**Time Seal**

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_**In 1895, H.G. Wells published **_**The Time Machine**_** the first popular science fiction book about time travel. The protagonist of the book was the inventor who built the primitive time traveling device, and his name was never given. However, clues in the book and other works by Wells suggest that he meant the character to be a caricature of himself. This led a few people at the time to believe that Wells actually had built a working time machine, or at least a model of one.**_

_**Now, you may recall that Shichiro had told me that **_**Frankenstein**_** had been based upon real events that only Shadows knew about. I at one point wondered if this was not also the case with Wells' novel. Of course, you know by now that meddling with the flow of time can result in very unpleasant consequences. I recently asked one Incantifer about this, and he told me that Wells was an author, nothing more. (He also thought that he was a pessimist, not exactly a new view about Wells.)**_

_**Then he elaborated. He said that spells like the kind that Edmund used when he met Gears, which can cause two people to move at accelerated speed to seemingly make time stop for the two of them, are indeed possible. Actual time travel, however, is beyond the scope of mortal magic. It simply can't be done by magic that we can comprehend.**_

_**When I asked if that meant it was impossible, he said not really. He said that it simply couldn't be done without the permission of certain entities, and they never gave it. More than likely, they were allies of the platonics.**_

_**I understood. You see, when I walked through that first portal, I met one of these beings…**_

As Ember stepped through the portal, the first thing she noticed was the incessant ticking.

She looked around, and the ticking made sense. She was in a great hall full of clocks.

Everywhere she looked, there were clocks and other timepieces. Simple hourglasses and sundials were spaced in-between wall clocks, desk clocks, cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, and metronomes. All of them were analog; there were no digital clocks. And although not all of them were set to the same time, they all ticked in unison.

It was almost maddening. Ember wondered how whoever lived here who could bear the constant ticking. She hoped that Jalal finished that other portal soon.

She slowly worked her way through the maze of clocks, very afraid that she might accidentally knock one over and break it, and have to explain it to whoever owned this place if he found her. (She didn't know how she was going to explain trespassing in the first place.)

And then, she walked into a large, open area, and stepped back in shock.

Looming over her was the biggest, scariest clock of all. It was ten feet tall, and about twice that wide, made of black steel. It had two faces, the one at the top with the regular twelve Roman numerals, the one below it with twenty symbols that she couldn't identify, and no hands. Strangely, there was no ticking coming from this clock.

"Good lord…" she squeaked. "Jalal… Hurry up…"

"WHO'S THERE?" boomed an angry voice.

Ember almost jumped.

Then she noticed, to her horror, that the voice came from the horrible clock.

She watched, as two angry-looking eyes appeared in front of the upper face of the clock. Then the rest of the being's face appeared. It looked like a glowing old man's face, with a grey moustache and beard, his eyes glowing with energy.

"A mortal intrudes in my domicile?" growled the being, in a voice that sounded pretty annoyed. "Who dares invade the sanctuary of the one who controls all of Time?"

"Uh…" said Ember, not knowing what to say. "So… You're Father Time?"

"Eh?" said the being. "That upstart? Ha! He's merely a pretender.

"I am something greater than Father Time… I am… _Grandfather Time!_"

_Lovely…_ thought Ember. _Shichiro was right… One sentient being can be very powerful… _

_And it looks like this guy is not only powerful, he's downright grouchy._

"Well, you see… _Ojiisan_," she said.

She paused, not knowing how he'd react to the term. He didn't seem to object, so she continued.

"I was kind of just passing through… You really have a nice place here… Lots of clocks…"

"Well only a fool would come here alone," said Grandfather Time. "And these clocks are more than just timepieces, by the way. We are in a place where the life spans of all mortal beings are measured. Hour by hour, minute by minute, these clocks tick out their lives, until they finally run down. When a clock runs down, the mortal it represents perishes."

"So…" replied Ember, "do you know the future?"

"No…" said Grandfather Time. "But yours is going to be pretty bleak if you don't leave immediately.

"Once I find out who you are, it wouldn't take long to find your clock… Then I could set it ahead, crippling you with age…"

Ember gulped.

"Or I could set it backwards," continued Grandfather Time, "reducing you to your infancy!"

Ember started to sweat.

_I just have to say Jalal's last name, and I can high-tail it out of here,_ she thought.

_Oh, but if I do that, I won't be able to confront whoever is causing the Deluge… There'll be no stopping it…_

She thought for a minute.

_If there's a clock here for every mortal being in creation, there must be billions. This sanctuary must be impossibly large, and send everyone who enters it to his audience chamber. Even a being with his power would take a long time to find my clock…_

She looked at her Duel Disk.

"Hmm…" said Grandfather Time, noticing it.

"Uh, you know what this is?" asked Ember.

"Yes," replied Grandfather Time. "A foolish night hag challenged me with such a device a couple of years ago because she was looking for a copy of the Book of Keeping. She should be glad she never found it. Some secrets are better off kept secret."

"Well…"said Ember. "Can you still fight the way you fought her?"

Grandfather Time laughed out loud.

"Are you challenging me, mortal?" he laughed. "Do you actually think you're any better than a night hag in terms of cunning and intelligence?"

Ember just looked at him.

"You're serious, aren't you?" asked Grandfather Time. "Very well… I never refuse a challenge…

"Besides… I have nothing but time on my hands…"

His eyes glowed more intensely, and five large cards appeared, their backs to Ember.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Grandfather Time: 8,000)**

"I've always been taught to respect my elders," said Ember, "so you can make the first move."

Grandfather Time's eyes glowed again, and a sixth card appeared.

"I'll set a Monster," he said.

One of his cards vanished, and then reappeared in front of him horizontally, facedown.

"…and that will be all for now…"

Ember made a draw. She looked at her hand.

"I'll also set a Monster," she said, "and a facedown card."

Two reversed cards appeared in front of her, one in her Monster Zone, and one in her Spell Zone.

She looked at her other four cards.

_I can protect Little Chimera for at least one round with Sakuretsu Armor,_ she thought. _And if I get one more Fire Monster on the field…_

She looked at Ultimate Baseball Kid.

…_this guy will have enough pep to hit a grand slam._

"I end my turn," she said.

Grandfather Time's eyes glowed again, and a sixth card appeared in front of him.

"I'll set a second Monster," he said, as a new reversed Monster appeared. "And that will be all."

Ember looked at him strangely as she made a draw.

She looked at the card. It was Draining Shield.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

"I set another facedown," she said, as it materialized in front of her.

"Then I summon Molten Zombie!"

In an aura of flame, the undead Pyro appeared with a low moan. (1,600 ATK)

"Then I Flip-Summon Little Chimera!"

Her facedown card flipped up, and the small, winged feline appeared. (600 ATK)

"Nice kitty," she said. "And he increases the Attack Score of all Fire Monsters by 500."

Molten Zombie rose to an Attack Score of 2,100, while Little Chimera itself rose to 1,100.

"Little Chimera, attack the facedown Monster on the left!" she shouted.

Little Chimera blasted a stream of flame at the reversed card.

A strange looking cat covered with odd sigils with a big grin leapt up, and shattered into shards.

_Neko Mane King?_ thought Ember. _Why the heck would he need that?_

She looked at Grandfather Time's huge face.

_Man, this guy has a poker face!_

"Molten Zombie, attack!"

The Pyro breathed a cloud of fire. Giant Soldier of Stone appeared on the card, and exploded into pebbles.

_I don't get it…_ thought Ember.

"Uh… it's your move…"

Grandfather Time's eyes glowed, and he made another draw.

Another card in front of him vanished, and another defensive Monster appeared.

"Turn end," he said.

_I wonder if this guy is EVER gonna attack!_ thought Ember.

She made a draw.

"I summon Ultimate Baseball Kid!" she shouted.

There was a burst of fire, and the flaming slugger appeared triumphantly, swinging his bat. (500 ATK)

"This little guy gains 1,000 more Attack Points for every other Fire Monster on the field," said Ember, "and Little Chimera gives him 500 more!"

(3,000 ATK)

"Impressive," said Grandfather Time.

"Molten Zombie," shouted Ember, "attack his Monster!"

Molten Zombie breathed his burning cloud, and the facedown Monster was incinerated in a big explosion.

"Now…" started Ember. "Huh?"

She was interrupted as a swarm of weird little imps suddenly flew towards her side of the field and mobbed her three Monsters, covering them in a dark cloud.

"What's happening?" she shouted.

"You destroyed The Unhappy Maiden," said Grandfather Time. "And when that happens, her little friends step in and force you to end your Battle Phase. That means Ultimate Baseball Kid won't be getting up to bat this inning."

_What is this?_ thought Ember. _A Stall Deck of some sort?_

"I… end my turn…" she said.

Grandfather Time drew a card.

"I play this Spell Card," he said, as one of his cards spun around. "Soul Taker. Now, you gain 1,000 Life Points, but I can destroy one of your Monsters."

A beam of pure energy shot from the card, striking Ultimate Baseball Kid. He let out a cry of shock, and then shattered.

Ember stepped back in complete surprise.

"I set a new Monster…" said Grandfather Time.

A new reversed Monster appeared.

"Then two facedown cards…"

Two reversed cards appeared.

"…and then the Continuous Spell Card, Messenger of Peace."

The Spell Card appeared, and then glowed with energy.

"I merely have to sacrifice 100 Life Points per turn, and this Spell prevents all Monsters with 1,500 Attack Points of more from attacking.

"And my turn is now complete."

**(E 9,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 8,000)**

Ember quickly drew a card. Now _she_ was pretty annoyed.

"I don't know what your game is," she said, "but I do know that Little Chimera isn't affected by Messenger of Peace!

"Little Chimera, attack!"

Little Chimera breathed flame at the facedown Monster…

"Then I'll just have to get rid of it," said Grandfather Time, as one of his facedown cards shot up. "I activate Dimensional Prison!"

Little Chimera vanished in a flash of light. Molten Zombie fell down to its original Attack Score of 1,600.

Ember sighed. She took another card from her hand.

"I'll set a Monster," she said, as a reversed Monster appeared, "and my turn is over."

Grandfather Time drew a card.

"I pay 100 Life Points for Messenger of Peace," he said. "Then my other Trap Card activates."

The Trap Card lifted. Ember had never seen it before, and she didn't like it. It had a frightening picture of an executioner about to chop off a prisoner's hand.

"It's called Left Arm Offering," continued Grandfather Time. "To pay the cost of this card, I must discard every card in my hand."

Ember raised an eyebrow as the two cards in front of her opponent vanished.

"In return," said Grandfather Time, "I am allowed to take any Spell Card I desire from my deck."

A card appeared in front of him.

"Offhand…" said Ember. "Uh, no pun intended… Offhand, you must have wanted that Spell Card pretty badly."

Grandfather Time chuckled.

"Indeed…" he said.

The Spell Card spun around.

"_I cast Final Countdown!"_

Ember gasped and took a step back.

"This was your plan all along!" she exclaimed.

"Naturally," said Grandfather Time. "I have to sacrifice 2,000 Life Points, and after twenty turns pass, your time runs out!

"And this will help you keep track…"

Then the second face on his clock, the one under his face, glowed, and the sigils turned into fiery numbers, the twenty where the twelve would be on a normal clock, the nineteen to the right of it, and all the numbers in between forming an analog countdown. A flaming hand appeared, pointing straight up.

"I'm not done," he continued. "I Flip-Summon my facedown Monster."

The facedown card flipped, and Morphing Jar appeared. (700 ATK)

_Figures…_ thought Ember.

She discarded the two cards she had left, and made five draws. Five more cards appeared in front of Grandfather Time.

"I now sacrifice Morphing Jar to set a new Monster," he said.

Morphing Jar vanished, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"My turn is over."

The hand on the lower clock moved to the 19.

**(E 9,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 5,900)**

_No wonder he hasn't attacked yet,_ thought Ember. _He probably isn't going to bother attacking at all!_

She looked at her facedown Sakuretsu Armor and Draining Shield, both of which were worthless.

Then she looked at her hand.

_I can still fight back…_ she thought.

She drew a card.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" she shouted.

She threw the card into her Disk, and the cyclone blew across the field, blowing Messenger of Peace to bits.

"Now that that's out of my system," she said, "I sacrifice Molten Zombie…"

Molten Zombie vanished in a burst of flames.

"…for Flamvell Devil!"

With a roar, the fiery demon appeared in an aura of smoke. (2,100 ATK)

"Next, I activate the Field Spell, Molten Destruction!"

She fit the card into the slot, and the chamber was quickly transformed into the volcanic wasteland. Grandfather Time growled as Flamvell Devil's Attack Score increased to 2,600.

"Next," continued Ember, "I flip Flamvell Archer into Attack Mode."

The bowman with a flaming beard and a fiery set of arrows sprang onto the field. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"Then I sacrifice him, to boost Flamvell Devil even further!"

Flamvell Archer vanished, and Flamvell Devil burned even fiercer. (3,400 ATK)

"Now attack!"

Flamvell Devil blasted a bolt of violet flames at the facedown Monster. Neo Aqua Madoor appeared on the card, and exploded into a cloud of steam.

She glared at Grandfather Time.

He chuckled a little.

"Seems you're cleverer than I gave you credit for…" he said.

"I end my turn," said Ember.

The clock's hand moved to the 18.

Another card appeared in front of Grandfather Time.

Then a Spell Card in front of him turned around, revealing Pot of Avarice.

"I'll just send these five Monsters back to my deck…" he said.

The images of Neko Mane King, Mystical Elf, The Unhappy Maiden, Giant Soldier of Stone, and Mystical Elf appeared above him, and then vanished.

"…then reshuffle, and then make two draws."

Two more cards appeared.

Then a new Spell Card revealed itself.

"Spell Reproduction?" asked Ember. "Wait… That lets you toss two Spell Cards to use one in your Graveyard…"

"That's right…" said Grandfather Time.

Two cards in front of him turned around and vanished (Ember could see that they were Book of Moon and Monster Reincarnation) and then Soul Taker appeared in front of him again. The beam of energy shot at Flamvell Devil, vaporizing him.

_I'm starting to hate this guy…_ thought Ember, as she glowed with energy.

Two other cards in his hand vanished, and a facedown card and a facedown Monster appeared.

"It's your move…" he said.

The flaming clock moved to the 17.

**(E 10,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 5,900)**

"Draw…" said Ember, making a draw.

She looked at the four cards in her hand. She held her chin for a minute.

"Considering your options?" asked Grandfather Time. "Well, here's something else for you to consider…"

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Pyro Clock of Destiny. This moves the turn count forward by one."

"But that means…" said Ember.

"That's right…" said Grandfather Time. "For you, the hand of doom just moved one round closer…"

The fiery clock ticked to the 16.

"Yeah, buddy?" asked Ember. "Well, here's a move that can stop a clock…"

She played a Spell Card.

"I play Instant Fusion! I have to pay 1,000 Life Points, but thanks to you playing Soul Taker twice, I have them to spare. Now I get to Special Summon Flame Swordsman!"

Flame Swordsman appeared in a blast of flame. (1,800 ATK)

"Next, Guard of Flamvell!"

The fiery Dragon Tuner appeared. (100 ATK)

"Now, I Tune them together!"

Flame Swordsman and Guard of Flamvell split into six glowing stars, and soared into the smoky sky that the Field Spell had created.

With a roar, Flamvell Urquizas landed in front of Ember, his fists blazing. (2,100 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

Grandfather Time's eyes opened wide.

"So I was wrong!" he exclaimed. "You _didn't_ come here alone!"

"Huh?" said Ember.

Urquizas turned to her, and made a slight nod.

"Uh…" said Ember, looking at the last two cards in her hand. "I'm… not done…

"I Equip him with Salamandra!"

She played the card, and Urquizas burned even fiercer. (3,300 ATK)

"Then I play Monster Reborn," she said, playing her last card.

The holy ankh appeared, and Flamvell Archer leapt onto the field. (1,000 ATK) –) (1,500 ATK)

"Then I'll sacrifice him again, to boost Urquizas even more."

Archer vanished, and Urquizas burned like a bonfire. (4,100 ATK)

"Now, attack his facedown Monster! Fist of flame!"

Urquizas rushed at the reversed card. Marshmallon appeared on the card, grinning at Ember and Urquizas with its upside-down smile. The Pyro punched it, but his fist bounced off. (500 DEF)

"Marshmallon can't be destroyed by battle," said Grandfather Time. "And you lose 1,000 Life Points for trying."

"Oh yeah?" said Ember. "Well, thanks to Urquizas's trampling effect, yours aren't going to look so good either."

Then Urquizas threw a giant ball of fire right in Grandfather Time's face. He roared in pain and rage.

**(E 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 2,300)**

"Looks like I finally did some damage to you," sighed Ember. "I end my turn…"

Urquizas's Attack Score fell back down to 3,300, and the fiery clock moved its hand to the 15.

"My draw…" said Grandfather Time.

A second card appeared next to his other one.

"I play The Shallow Grave," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "Now we must each Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

Ember looked at her Disk. Then she took a card from her discard slot, and set it on her Disk. Two reversed Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.

Grandfather Time's final card vanished, and a facedown card appeared in his Spell Zone.

"I end my turn," he said, as the clock ticked down to 14.

"My move," said Ember making one draw.

It was Fire Back, which was no good now.

_That facedown card is a concern,_ she thought, _but if I took a risk, I could win this duel by attacking Marshmallon!_

_It's worth the risk…_

"Urquizas, attack Marshmallon!"

Flamvell Urquizas flew at the small cream puff…

"Trap activate!" shouted Grandfather Time.

His facedown card shot up, revealing Mirror Force. Urquizas grunted, and burst into shards.

Ember sighed, and looked at her defensive Monster.

_At least I still have that,_ she thought.

"I end my turn," she said.

The clocked ticked down to 13.

"Thirteen rounds," she said, as Grandfather Time drew another card. "I still have plenty of time!"

"Not as much as you'd think, thanks to the Spell Card I just drew," said Grandfather Time.

It spun around.

"I play Turn Jump. This is a far stronger version of Pyro Clock of Destiny, moving us forward in time three full turns for each player. That means my clock fast forwards by six."

The clock below him moved quickly, going from the 13 all the way to the 7.

"No fair!" screamed Ember.

If this were a tournament, she would have asked a judge to look up the legality of that card. Her cousin likely would too.

Then the Monster that Grandfather Time had summoned with The Shallow Grave flipped up. It was Morphing Jar. (700 ATK)

Ember discarded Fire Back, and drew five more cards. Five more cards appeared in front of Grandfather Time.

"Now let's use these…" said the entity. "I play the Field Spell, Array of Revealing Light…"

The volcanic wasteland that Ember's Field Spell had created vanished, and a glowing pentagram inlaid with multicolored symbols appeared on the floor around them.

"Not only have I taken you out of your domain," he continued, "I've shifted the field to my advantage. Now I name one Type of Monster, and that Type cannot attack on the turn they are summoned. I name Pyros.

"And just to be extra safe…"

A Continuous Spell Card appeared.

"I'm also playing Vengeful Bog Spirit, which has the same effect on _all_ Monsters.

"It is your move…"

The clock ticked down to 6. Ember made a draw.

_My time is running out…_ she thought.

She waved her hand, and her facedown Monster flipped up. Flamvell Gurnika appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"In case you didn't notice, he's a Dragon," she said. "So your Field Spell doesn't work on him."

"Well then," said Grandfather Time, "I'm certainly glad that Vengeful Bog Spirit still does."

_He's right,_ thought Ember, taking two cards from her hand. _Damn…_

She set two cards, and a reversed Monster and a facedown card appeared in front of her.

"It's your move…" she said.

The clock moved its hand to the 5.

"My draw…" said Grandfather Time, as a new card appeared.

"I move Morphing Jar to Defense Mode," he said.

The one-eyed creature slunk into its jar. (600 DEF)

"Then, I set a Monster, and a facedown card, and play Rain of Mercy."

A reversed Monster and reversed card appeared, and then a Spell Card. A soothing downpour fell upon the field, and Ember felt invigorated as her Life Points went up.

However, it also increased her opponents' Life Points, and she had only three more of her turns to reduce them to zero, or all the Life Points in the world wouldn't help her.

"It's your move…" said Grandfather Time.

The clock moved to 4.

**(E 9,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 3,300)**

Ember drew a card.

_Could this work?_ she thought.

"Pondering?" asked Grandfather Time. "Well, let's cut it even closer…"

His facedown card lifted, which was a second Pyro Clock of Destiny.

Ember's heart had nearly stopped. If it had been another Turn Jump, she would have lost.

She watched the hand move to the 3, and then looked at her hand again.

_This had better work…_ she thought. _Thanks to that Trap, I just lost one of my three turns._

_It should work…_

She paused.

_Here goes everything…_

"All right, fellah…" she said. "I'm going to clean your clock!"

"Eh?" said Grandfather Time.

_But…_ thought Ember. _If his facedown Monster is another Unhappy Maiden, I'm going to be eating those words._

The facedown card she had set last turn lifted up.

"I activate DNA Transplant!" she exclaimed. "Now, I can turn all Monsters on the field into Fire Monsters!"

"And just how will that help you?" asked Grandfather Time.

"I'll show you," said Ember. "I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode… Hiita the Fire Charmer!"

Her facedown Monster flipped up, and Hiita appeared, with her fox by her side, holding her staff. (500 ATK)

"Now she can take control of one of your Fire Monsters. Hiita… Take his Marshmallon!"

Hiita aimed her staff and chanted a hasty incantation. Marshmallon's eyes glazed over, and it was pulled over to Ember's side of the field.

"Now, I sacrifice your Marshmallon and my Charmer…" said Ember.

The two Monsters vanished.

"To summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

With a roar, the huge, fiendish Pyro appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"Have you forgotten about the two Spell Cards that delay your Monsters from attacking?" asked Grandfather Time.

"No," asked Ember. "That's why I'm getting rid of them by using Emperor's effect."

Flamvell Archer and Guard of Flamvell fell out of her discard slot.

"For each Fire Monster I remove from play, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card. So there goes your stall wall."

Vengeful Bog Spirit burst into an explosion of ashes, and the glowing pentagram vanished.

"I'm far from finished…" growled Grandfather Time. "Do the math… You have two attackers, and I have two defenders."

"But I'm not done," said Ember, discarding a card. "First, I send Flamvell Baby to the Graveyard. Now, I can boost the Attack Score of a Fire Monster by 400. I'm giving it to Gurnika."

Gurnika burned with fire. (2,100 ATK)

"Next," she said, holding up her last two cards. "I play Double Attack! Now, by discarding my Level 6 Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch, my Level 4 Gurnika can attack twice!"

She played the card, and discarded Thestalos.

_Now's the time,_ she thought.

"Gurnika…"she ordered. "Attack the hidden Monster!"

Gurnika spit a bolt of flame at the facedown Monster…

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Giant Soldier of Stone. It was blasted to pieces.

"And now you lose 600 Life Points," she said.

Grandfather Time groaned.

Gurnika fired again, and Morphing Jar was incinerated. Grandfather Time groaned again.

"Infernal Flame Emperor!" she shouted. "Attack directly with infernal firestorm!"

The whole room glowed with a hellish hue, and the huge Pyro blasted a great wave of flame at the huge clock. Grandfather Time's scream echoed through the whole sanctuary, and the clocks in the great chamber wobbled.

**(E 9,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GT: 0)**

_Well… I won…_ thought Ember. _But will it even matter? What do I do now?_

"Pain…" moaned Grandfather Time. "I haven't felt pain like this in centuries!"

Then Ember was startled by Jalal's voice.

"_Ember!"_ he shouted. _"Sorry it took so long…"_

A glowing portal appeared next to her.

"_Take it, quickly!"_

Ember turned to the portal.

"Excuse me, young lady…" said Grandfather Time.

Ember paused.

"I don't believe I got your name…"

Ember gulped.

"Let me put it this way…" she said. "A guy like you likes to read history, I assume?"

"Why, yes," replied Grandfather Time.

"Well, in a hundred years, I might be mentioned in a book of history," said Ember. "Either as a reluctant hero who saved a world… Or as a martyr who tried to, but failed.

"Right now, I'm counting more on the second possibility.

"Goodbye…"

She dove through the portal, not daring to look back.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

On the other side of the portal, Ember took some deep, gasping breaths.

She hoped for the love of all that was holy she would never have to go _there_ again.

She looked around. She was in a silvery void, full of stars. A pathway of light was in front of her, leading through the void, towards what appeared to be a large door in the distance.

"_Ember?"_ said Jalal's voice. _"Can you hear me?"_

"Yeah, chief, I hear you," she said. "Where am I, outer space?"

"_Not outer space,"_ said Jalal. _"The Astral Plane, sort of the space between spaces. Do you see a door?"_

"Yeah, I think so," said Ember.

"_Good,"_ said Jalal. _"That door should lead to your ultimate destination. Be careful, because I doubt it isn't guarded."_

"How's it look on your end?" asked Ember.

"_Not good,"_ replied Jalal. _"According to the news reports, the storm has now spread to Africa. Ironically, several countries that are now suffering from famine and poverty are in celebration, thinking the rains to be a godsend. They have no idea that if the storms continue, the end result will drown them."_

"I understand…" said Ember.

"_But we learned something peculiar from reading Draco's notes,"_ continued Jalal. _"Apparently, this isn't the first time that the Deluge has been cast. According to his notes, it has been cast five times before."_

"Five times??" asked Ember. "But the world wasn't flooded five times in the past!"

"_I know,"_ replied Jalal. _"That's what makes it peculiar. No records that any Shadowkind clans have tell of any heroes in the ancient past that stopped it from happening. The only thing that comes close is the Great Flood itself, if you choose to believe that story, and that was supposedly an act of God, not any spell cast by mortals._

"_Be on your guard. We don't know what this means, but it clearly means something…"_

Ember looked at the door.

"Wish me luck…" she said. "I have a feeling I'm gonna need it."

_**I haven't had any unexplained growth spurts since my visit to Grandfather Time's sanctuary, or any reverse growth spurts, so I can only assume he never learned who I was. At any rate, after I later told Jalal about my little side trip there, he was able to pinpoint the dimension, and marked it as interdicted, forbidding any further exploration of it. This was done not only because of the danger posed by its grouchy owner, but of the incredible danger that might occur if someone actually managed to subdue Grandfather Time and steal one of those clocks. If an unscrupulous wizard or demon found the clock that measured and controlled the lifespan of an important mortal, he could use it as the ultimate blackmailing tool. **_

_**Anyway, the entrance to my goal was in sight, but actually getting there would be a problem. One more obstacle would be put before me before I could face the one who was ultimately behind this, and this challenge would be far more painful than the Final Countdown Deck I had just faced…**_

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**LEFT ARM OFFERING (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** An executioner about to chop off a victim's left arm.

**Card Description:** Discard every card in your hand to activate this card. Select one Spell Card from your deck, and add it to your hand.

_Note: "Left Arm Offering" was first used by Marik in the original anime episode "The Final Face-Off (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**TURN JUMP (Spell Card)**

**Quickplay Spell**

**Image:** A pocket watch half-buried in the desert sand, with a pyramid in the background.

**Card Description:** Move the turn count forward by 6 turns (3 turns for each player). All cards are treated as having had their effect(s) active for 3 full turns for both players. The turn in which this card is activated continues as normal.

_Note: "Turn Jump" was first used by Little Yugi in the original anime episode "The Dark One Cometh (Part 1)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

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_Coming up next:_

_Jalal was correct to assume that the door was guarded. Next chapter, Ember comes face-to-face with the guard, and it's someone she's met before. That's all I'm going to tell you at this point. The name of the chapter is "Spirit Barrier". Be there._

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**Shadowchaser Files**

**Red Shroud, Queen of the Cross-Trade**

Like the FBI, the Shadowchasers have a Ten Most Wanted List, although theirs is older. The list has changed many times in its history, as members are apprehended or die. But one name that has remained constant for the past century is the demon known as Red Shroud, leader of the biggest web of spies in the world.

No-one knows how this succubus first came to Earth or when. Succubus are unique among demons in that they can come to the mortal world without being summoned, but that doesn't mean she wasn't called here by a foolish conjurer who let the magic keeping her restrained slip. Apparently, Red Shroud had been one of several wives of some demonic general in the Abyss, which meant her life had been one of practical slavery. It is with little wonder then, that however she came to this world, she decided not to leave.

Being a demon and a temptress by trade, Red Shroud was well-aware that mortals in high positions of power often have secrets that they'd rather keep secret. So she decided that the best way she could rise to the top among Shadowkind was to learn these secrets, and profit from them. After a few years, she had gathered a web of spies, and gradually inserted them into every place of power she could. Over the past century, she has grown incredibly wealthy gathering information and selling it to whoever wants it and is willing to pay. This has made her a rather large fortune, but has also made her quite a lot of enemies. Originally, folks like the ophidia and the dark elves admired Red Shroud, but even they started to hate her after they realized she had _their _secrets up for sale. However, she tries her best to remain untouchable.

Those who have seen Red Shroud report that her sinister beauty is hard to forget. She is known to be exceedingly vain, and is always accompanied by a group of servants whose job is to fix her hair, apply her makeup, and handle similar duties. One of them does nothing but carry around a large, full-length mirror for her to admire herself in. What few people know is, these beauticians are also bodyguards, and if their employer is ever threatened, they quickly switch the beauty equipment for concealable weapons.

Red Shroud knows every trick in the book to protect herself from people who might want to retaliate against her. When she's in a public place, she always sits with her back to the wall. She never stays in the same hotel longer than one night. (If she has a private home, its location is a mystery.) Her network of spies can tell her long in advance if someone is looking for her, so if the Shadowchasers find out she's in town, she's usually left by the time they get there.

Not that Red Shroud is at all helpless herself. According to one defector from her organization (who is now one of Submitted) Red Shroud only duels folks who make her angry, and it takes a lot to actually do that. Usually, the only things that will make her mad is betraying her, or insulting her beauty. Supposedly, such a victim is dragged into her presence and left alone with her, where Red Shroud wagers her own life against his in a Shadow Duel. There was no reason to doubt this claim, and if every duel that Red Shroud fights is mortal combat, she clearly must never have lost.

Jalal does what he can to curb Red Shroud's activities, but it's hard. She is the main reason that security was tightened at Shadowchaser Headquarters ten years ago. Any visitors who desire to enter, whether they are Shadowkind applying for a license or the most important of ambassadors, must be searched, not only with a metal detector but with several magical scans. Cameras and other recording devices are not allowed, and the search is done again when a visitor leaves. Everyone admits it's a hassle, but too many Shadowkind clans have already been victimized by Red Shroud. No-one wants her to learn the secrets kept in Jalal's stronghold.

**Story Ideas:** In the world of Shadow, if someone wants to know something that others don't want known, they go to Red Shroud. Word in the underworld is that there's nothing she can't find out. Red Shroud's price often varies. If it's money, it can range from a few hundred to several millions of dollars. Sometimes Red Shroud asks for something other than money, such as services, goods, frivolities, or anything that will make her extravagant lifestyle easier. Some people have been shocked when she says that she will exchange the information in exchange for a kiss. (Accepting this offer is a mistake. Anyone who willingly accepts a succubus's kiss becomes her slave.)

Red Shroud could make the perfect archvillain for a storyline. Eventually, she's going to uncover information that could threaten the world. She might find a copy of the Book of Keeping, the rare tome that details the information on the summoning of yugoloths. (A group that will _not_ like being blackmailed.) She might even uncover a copy of the Book of Vile Darkness, one of the most powerful collections of black magic in existence.

Red Shroud's ultimate goal (a goal shared by many demons) is to find the fabled Book of Lies, a tome that magically records every untruth spoken by mortals. She could blackmail almost anyone with the information contained therein, if the book actually exists. Keeping her from this goal might be the central point of a story.

**Deck Suggestions: **No-one knows for sure what kind of deck Red Shroud uses, as there has not been a single survivor of a duel against her, and no witnesses. One can only imagine what powerful and sinister creatures of darkness that she can summon from her deck. This option is left completely open-ended, and left for anyone with a creative bent to fill in.


	63. Spirit Barrier

_Author's note: The Shadowchaser File at the end of this fanfic was originally designed by fellow fanfic author Mystic Clown. Credit goes to him._

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE**

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**Spirit Barrier**

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_**I never told Jalal this, but I think that his father had the wrong idea. If Jamor really wanted to live forever, what he should have done was become a super-villain.**_

_**Anyone who reads comic books probably knows what I'm talking about. Villains can be defeated, sure, but never for good. At the end of some epic story, some great battle with the heroes occurs, and the villain goes out with a bang, usually explosively. The heroes barely survive, and when they search through the rubble, they find no trace of their foe. No body, no proof of death. This, of course, proves that he didn't die, and he'll return to plague the heroes again. It's happened so many times in that medium, it's become a cliché. **_

_**Jalal has tried his best to make sure that Shadowkind criminals don't come back. Convicted Shadowkind are given the same conditions for early release as human criminals are in a democratic system, and the Shadowchasers do have parole officers of a sort. And for some reason, the rate of **__**recidivism is low, at least among most races. Criminals are often looked down upon by their clans, and they don't want to become repeat offenders. Even races such as orcs and dark elves are often ashamed for the sole fact that they were caught. **_

_**But one criminal who we thought was gone was about to come back with a vengeance. He had already fought three of us, including yours truly…**_

_**I truly hoped that now would be the final time.**_

Ember felt very nervous as she walked on the winding pathway through the silvery void. The door ahead was a bit further away than she had at first assumed.

Of course, moving _any_ distance through the Astral Plane wasn't easy. This was the Realm of Thought, and how fast you could get somewhere depended on how well you could envision your destination in your mind. Simply moving physically was like moving through the void between planets. The only difference was, here, you could breathe.

Still, Ember was a quick learner, and was able to focus on the door eventually, and was thus able to move towards it.

But when she was about twenty feet away from it, she stopped short.

_Okay…_ she thought. _I don't like this… This is WAY too easy… Something should have tried to attack me by now…_

Then two auras of intense light appeared in front of her.

"Oh, I hate it when I'm right!" she exclaimed.

Two ugly Monsters appeared in front of her, and scowled. One was a scaly, ovoid creature with legs and four arms, and a vertical, lipless, toothy mouth. (1,400 ATK) The other was a pale white thing with wings on its back, also with a vertical jaw. (1,200 ATK)

Ember had clearly seen these guys before…

_Worms?_ she thought. _Can it be?_

She activated her Disk, and drew the top card.

_Hope this works…_

She played the card, and Great Angus appeared. (1,800 ATK)

The Beast roared at the two Reptiles. Then it blasted a cone of flames from its mouth, and Worm Barses and Worm Cartaros were incinerated.

Then a beam of energy shot from above, and incinerated Great Angus.

"Edmund!" shouted Ember. "I know it's you! Show yourself!"

With barely a word, the evil wizard appeared, blocking her advance. But there was a major difference. He no longer had a mask. Ember looked, and saw that in its place was the face of a handsome, young man.

Then Ember noticed something else. He was partially translucent. She could see slightly through him.

"What happened to you?" she asked. "Draco let me watch your duel with Gears… You went up in smoke… Gears stomped on the last worm…"

"Yes…" said Edmund, crossing his arms. "My biggest mistake was telling Gears how a worm that walks can survive the destruction of his body. Curse my foolish ego…

"But fortunately for me, I had one contingency plan remaining… All necromancers can do this, but only as an absolute last resort."

An amulet set with a black gemstone appeared around his neck.

"What's that?" asked Ember.

"The focus for a spell that all necromancers learn called Magic Jar," replied Edmund. "Most of the worms that made up my body were burned up in that fire, and Gears crushed the one that my spirit tried to escape in. My life as a worm that walks is now over.

"But I had cast Magic Jar ahead of time, and had prepared this amulet as the focus. At the very last second, my spirit was transferred into it. It became just what its name implies, a 'Magic Jar' that holds my spirit.

"A great deal of my powers are temporarily suppressed. I am able to create a projection of sorts resembling my original body to communicate…"

"You don't have your powers?" asked Ember, with a grin. "Well… If you're just a phantom, how are you going to stop me from just walking past you?"

Edmund smiled wickedly.

"The Magic Jar gives me one power I didn't have before, Ember…" he said, evilly. "Since I have no body right now, I can use it to take someone else's…

"I think yours will do nicely…"

Ember gasped and stepped backwards.

"Wha…" she said. "God, that's ghastly!"

Edmund walked towards her.

"I'm a necromancer, Ember," he said. "I work with corpses and bones and dead flesh. I'm well used to 'ghastly' things.

"Once I have a new body, I'll be able to start over again. And now that Draco is gone, the master has promised me rulership of what remains of Earth after the Deluge finishes its job."

Ember didn't know what to do. She had nowhere to run. And there was no-one who could help her…

Or was there?

As Edmund's ghostly hand reached for her, a burning fist appeared out of nowhere and punched the specter. Edmund let out a cry, and toppled backwards.

Ember looked in surprise to see Flamvell Urquizas standing next to her.

Edmund quickly got up.

"You have a spirit guide?" he exclaimed. "I had no idea…"

_That makes two of us,_ thought Ember. _This must be what Grandfather Time meant when he said I wasn't alone._

She looked at Urquizas, and he looked back at her. It all made sense now… No wonder he had always been her favorite card…

"Well, this certainly complicates matters…" muttered Edmund. "Good thing I saved this…"

He lifted his arm, and his Duel Disk appeared on it.

"You want to get by me to see the true mastermind," he said, "and I want a body. We can't both get what we want."

"So we duel then?" asked Ember. "Fine… I've beaten your slimy Worms before…"

"It was a normal duel before, Ember…" he said, with an evil smile.

Ember realized what he meant. She remembered his threat as he fled last time… How he would not spare her the pain of a Shadow Duel the next time they met…

She gulped.

_What she doesn't know is, _thought Edmund, _I've added something to my deck that neither I nor my mentor ever dared use before. Legend says it scared even the Worm King._

_But there's really no point in worrying about safety at this point, now is there?_

Both Disks activated.

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Edmund: 8,000)**

"You think you've seen all that the Worm Empire has to offer?" asked Edmund, making his first draw.

He set a card on his Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"You can't begin to imagine the horrors I have yet to unleash!

"Make your move…"

Ember drew a card.

_Better be careful,_ he thought. _Can't forget, these things are big on Flip-Effects…_

"I summon Tenkabito Shien!" she shouted.

With a loud whiny, the samurai on his coal-black horse appeared in an aura of flame. (1,500 ATK)

"Crush his Monster!"

Shien galloped towards the reversed card. He slashed with his nodachi, cutting Worm Apocalypse in twain.

"What a shame," said Ember. "No Spell or Trap Cards on the field… Nothing to use its effect on."

"Are you quite done?" asked Edmund.

"Yeah," replied Ember.

Edmund made a draw.

"I activate the Spell Card, Snake Rain," he said, as a Spell appeared in front of him. "First, I toss one card from my hand…"

He discarded Worm Barses from his hand.

"…and in return, I get to discard four Reptiles from my deck."

He quickly discarded Worm Ugly, Worm Links, Worm Erokin, and Worm Noble.

"Why would you throw away five Monsters?" said Ember, opening her eyes wide.

"All things have a purpose," said Edmund, "and their purpose was to be buried. Now then, I set a new Monster, and end my turn."

A new reversed Monster appeared.

_Something weird is going on here,_ thought Ember, drawing another card.

"I summon Molten Zombie!" she shouted.

With a low moan, the decayed, flaming Pyro appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Shien, destroy his Monster!"

Shien made a slash with his blade, and Worm Jeetrikups burst into black slime.

"I'm sure you remember its effect," said Edmund. "When flipped and destroyed, it returns to the field in Defense Mode."

Worm Jeetrikups reappeared, shielding itself with its tentacles. (0 DEF)

Ember frowned.

"Molten Zombie…" she said.

The Pyro breathed a cloud of flammable gas, and the Worm was burned to a cinder.

"It's your move, you creep," she said. "I haven't seen much new yet…"

Edmund drew a card.

Then he played one, and a Monster appeared. It looked like an octopus with barbs on the ends of its tentacles, and a lamprey-like mouth underneath. (1,700 ATK)

"Okay, _that's_ a new one!" replied Ember.

"Now I'll use the effect of Worm Tentacles," said Edmund.

He held up Worm Apocalypse, and it vanished.

"By removing one Worm in my Graveyard from play, it can attack twice in one turn.

"Get her Monsters…"

Worm Tentacles reached with two of its tendrils, and grabbed Molten Zombie and Shien, lifting them off the ground. It squeezed, hard, until they both shattered.

"Ugh…" said Ember.

**(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 8,000)**

"It's your move…" he said.

Ember growled as she drew.

"Come back out, Great Angus!" she shouted.

With a bellow and a snort, the tusked, humanoid angus bull appeared again. (1,800 ATK)

"Attack!" she shouted.

Great Angus breathed fire, and Worm Tentacles groaned before bursting into shards.

"Onmoraki, anyone?" asked Ember.

"You make jokes when your world is facing oblivion…" growled Edmund. "Have you no respect for the stakes of this battle?"

Ember sighed.

"Edmund…" she said. "If I dwell on it too much, I may very well crack. So pardon me if I try to keep my sanity in my own way.

"It's your move…"

**(E: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,900)**

Edmund made a draw.

"I set a new Monster, and a facedown card," he said, as a reversed Monster and a card in his Spell Zone appeared.

"That will do it for now…"

Ember made a draw.

She considered the cards in her hand before choosing one.

She played it, and Flamvell Gurnika appeared. (1,700 ATK)

"Attack…" she started.

"Hold up…" said Edmund.

His facedown card lifted up.

"A Feint Plan?" sighed Ember. "Fine… I end my turn…"

Edmund chuckled a little as he made a draw.

"I'd like your Gurnika to meet someone special," he said, as his facedown Monster flipped up. "Meet Worm Milidith."

The creature that appeared was hideous. It looked like a big spider with long, thin, stalk-like legs, wasp-like wings on its back, and a tiny mouth that drooled a foul liquid. (400 ATK)

"Eww…" said Ember.

"Don't get Milidith wrong," said Edmund. "It's _really_ friendly. It just _loves_ to give big hugs."

As he said that, Milidith leapt at Flamvell Gurnika, grabbed onto his back, and wrapped its legs around his torso.

"What's going on?!" shouted Ember.

"Milidith is a Monster that can Equip to an opposing Monster like an Equip Spell Card," replied Edmund. "But it gives no benefit. Now, during each Standby Phase, the controller of the Monster whom it is Equipped to will lose 400 Life Points.

"In the meantime, I'll set a new Monster, and a facedown card."

Another hidden Monster and a new reversed card appeared.

"Your move."

Ember drew a card.

She suddenly felt sick, as if she had just received a shot of poison. It was clearly Milidith's effect.

She looked at the card she had drawn. She quickly played it.

"I play Molten Destruction!" she shouted.

The silvery void turned fiery red, and burning balls of flame appeared in mid-air. Great Angus rose to an Attack Score of 2,300, while Gurnika rose to 2,200.

"Now I summon Blazing Inpachi!" she shouted.

In another burst of flame, the fiery wicker man appeared. (1,850 ATK) –) (2,350 ATK)

"My Monster may have a Worm stuck to him, but he can still roast your other Worm!" she shouted. "Gurnika, attack!"

Flamvell Gurnika blasted a stream of fire…

The Monster that appeared on the card looked odd. It seemed to be a pyramid-shaped thing made of gelatinous material with eyes and a toothy mouth floating within it. The blast of flame just glanced off of it. (2,300 DEF)

"Twenty-three hundred Defense Points?" shouted Ember.

"Actually, Worm Solid has 1,600 Defense Points, at least to start," said Edmund. "But it gains 100 more for each Worm in my Graveyard, and I have seven there right now."

"My Inpachi can take down your Solid!" shouted Ember.

"No it can't, because Solid has another effect," replied Edmund. "When it battles, and you take damage, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

The Field Spell faded away, and all three Monsters lost 500 Attack Points.

Ember sighed.

_I'm getting nowhere fast…_ she thought. _Something's wrong here…_

_Is he stalling for some reason until he can summon something powerful?_

"I end my turn…" she muttered.

**(E: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,900)**

"I draw one card…" said Edmund, making a draw.

He grinned. Ember felt sick again as Milidith's venom poisoned her.

Then Edmund's facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Limit Reverse," he said. "Now I can bring a Monster back from my Graveyard with up to 1,000 total points. So I choose Worm Ugly."

"ALL your Worms are ugly," said Ember.

Then a small Monster appeared in front of him. It looked like a sphere floating in the air, covered with gooey mucous and slime, with one small eye, and the same vertical jaw that all Worms had. (100 ATK)

"Ugh!" shouted Ember. "I stand corrected! That's even uglier than all the others!"

"A Monster doesn't have to be handsome to be powerful," replied Edmund.

"Powerful?" asked Ember. "It has 100 lousy Attack Points."

"So I'll sacrifice it," said Edmund. "I summon Worm Prince."

Worm Ugly dissolved into grains of light. With a roar, the tall, humanoid Worm with an orange exoskeleton and bony spurs on its back appeared next to Worm Solid. (2,200 ATK)

"And this activates Worm Ugly's effect," continued Edmund. "When it is sacrificed to summon another Worm, it is Special Summoned… To _your_ side of the field."

Ember stepped back in surprise as Worm Ugly appeared in front of her. (100 ATK)

"WHA?" she shouted. "I don't want it!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" said Edmund. "Then I'll get rid of it… Worm Prince, attack Worm Ugly!"

Worm Prince rushed at the smaller Worm, and slashed with its claw. The blow hit Ember like a hammer, and knocked her on her back.

"While you're getting up," said Edmund, "I'll use Worm Prince's effect, which lets me take any Worm I desire from my deck when it destroys a Monster.

"And I'll end my turn…"

**(E: 4,700) - - - - - - - - - - (E: 7,900)**

Ember slowly got up. She took some deep breaths.

She drew a card.

She groaned from Milidith's poison again.

"All right, Edmund," she said, "I'm taking out Milidith and Solid in one move!

"I sacrifice Gurnika, and that takes Milidith with him!"

Gurnika vanished, and as a result, so did Worm Milidith.

"And as a result, I summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

With a roar, Thestalos appeared, towering over the field. (2,400 ATK)

The two cards in Edmund's hand appeared in front of him, backs to Ember. Thestalos threw a ball of flame at one of them. Worm Illadan's card appeared, and burst into flames.

"Now you lose 500 Life Points!" said Ember.

"That may be true…" said Edmund. "But with two more Worms in my Graveyard, Worm Solid becomes even more solid. Too much for Thestalos."

(2,500 DEF)

Ember closed her eyes, now very frustrated.

"Your Prince won't be so lucky!" she shouted. "Thestalos, attack Worm Prince!"

The Firestorm Monarch lunged forward, and socked Worm Prince with a fiery punch, blowing it to shards.

"Ergh…" said Edmund. "You just increased Solid's Defense even further…"

(2,600 DEF)

"It's your move…" said Ember.

**(Em: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 7,200)**

Edmund growled, and made a draw.

He quickly set it in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

He glared at Ember.

"I take it it's my move…" said Ember.

She made a draw.

"I'll set two facedown cards…" she said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then I'll set a Monster, and my turn is done."

A reversed Monster appeared to the left of her three other Monsters.

Edmund drew a card.

Inside his dark soul, he smiled inwardly. He had drawn the key to his current strategy. Still, using it would take some additional help.

His facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Graceful Revival," he said. "Now, I can Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard, up to Level 2.

"I think I'll bring back my Worm Ugly."

The hideous little creature appeared again. Ember grimaced. (100 ATK)

"Now I'll sacrifice it," he continued, "for Worm Queen!"

With a loud cry, the huge female monarch of the Worm Empire leapt onto the field, towering over even Thestalos. (2,700 ATK)

Worm Ugly appeared on Ember's side of the field again. (100 ATK)

"Worm Queen," ordered Edmund, "crush Worm Ugly!"

Worm Queen lunged at the much smaller Worm…

"Activate… Draining Shield!" shouted Ember.

Her Trap Card shot up, and Worm Queen's claw slammed into an invisible barrier.

"Very well…" said Edmund. "But I'm not done… I activate Worm Queen's effect. By sacrificing a Worm, I can Special Summon one from my deck of an equal or lower Level.

"So I'll sacrifice Worm Queen herself…"

Worm Queen shattered.

"…to Special Summon Worm King!"

In an explosion of energy, the bigger, more muscular Worm Monarch appeared. It let out a roar of pure bloodlust. (2,700 ATK)

"And now I activate Worm King's effect!" he laughed. "By sacrificing a Worm…"

Worm Solid vanished.

"I can destroy one of your cards!"

Twin beams of light shot from Worm King's eyes, and Thestalos was incinerated.

"It's your move…" said Edmund.

**(Em: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 7,200)**

Ember's hand quivered as she made her draw.

She looked at the three cards in her hand, Ultimate Baseball Kid, Blue Flame Swordsman, and Royal Firestorm Guards.

_Should I go with these guys?_ she thought.

She looked at Worm King.

_He's planning something even bigger…_ she thought. _I'm going to need something else…_

_Here goes nothing…_

Her facedown card flipped up.

"I Flip-Summon Morphing Jar!" she shouted.

Morphing Jar appeared with a cackle.

She discarded her three cards, and Edmund discarded his one card. Both of them made five draws.

"There!" said Ember. "I sacrifice two Monsters…"

Morphing Jar and Worm Ugly vanished into plumes of fire.

"…to summon Infernal Flame Emperor!"

With a savage howl, the lord of Pyros appeared on her side of the field. (2,700 ATK)

The two royal Monsters glared at each other with looks of hate…

"Time to take your King down," said Ember. "I play the Equip Spell, Salamandra."

She played the card, and Infernal Flame Emperor burned even fiercer. (3,400 ATK)

"Attack his King!" she shouted. "Infernal firestorm!"

The silvery void turned hellish red again, and a wave of flame blasted towards Edmund's side of the field. Worm King roared in rage, and shattered into golden shards of light. Edmund briefly shielded himself.

"And now that you're defenseless," said Ember. "Great Angus, Blazing Inpachi, both of you, direct attack!"

Edmund howled as Blazing Inpachi socked him hard, and Great Angus blew super-hot flames on him. Ironically, had this been a normal duel, it wouldn't have hurt him at all, as he was just a spirit. But a Shadow Duel caused pain that reached far deeper than the body…

**(Em: 7,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 2,850)**

Edmund glared at Ember.

"The time has arrived…" he said.

"It's my draw…"

He drew a card.

"I first summon Worm Gurus."

He played the card, and the Worm on all fours, covered with a dripping, slimy exoskeleton appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Now, I play The Shallow Grave," he said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of him. "We must each Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode."

Two reversed Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.

"Now," he said, playing a new Spell Card. "I play Book of Taiyou!

"Behold… You're about to see what few ever see… One of the mightiest Worms in existence…

"I flip Worm Victory into Attack Mode!"

Ember braced herself, as an explosion rocked the field. When she looked, a titanic form was looming over her. It was a Worm that stood nearly thirty feet high, with a burnt red exoskeleton and insectoid features. It made the "V for Victory" sign with all six of its hands. (0 ATK)

"Well…" gulped Ember. "That's certainly big… But…"

"I know, I know…" said Edmund. "Zero Attack Points. But it has some impressive effects. First, when it's flipped, it destroys all face-up Monsters on the field except for Worms."

Worm Victory's eyes glowed with fiery light, and Great Angus, Blazing Inpachi, and Infernal Flame Emperor exploded into bonfires of burning flame.

"And to make up for its nonexistent base Attack Score," continued Edmund, "it gains 500 Attack Points for each Worm in my Graveyard. I have thirteen of them there right now."

(6,500 ATK)

"And don't forget…" added Edmund, "Worm Gurus gains 300 Attack Points every time a Monster is flipped face up."

Gurus glowed with energy. (1,800 ATK)

"Gurus…" he ordered. "Destroy her final Monster!"

Worm Gurus vomited a blast of slime from its jowls. Ultimate Baseball Kid appeared on the card, and was dissolved into sludge.

Worm Gurus' Attack Score increased further, to 2,100.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Ember," said Edmund with a sneer. "Ever since you humiliated me in that first duel…

"Worm Victory, slay her with Cosmic Catastrophe!"

Ember took a step back in fear as Worm Victory raised its upper-right hand…

It was hard to call what happened next an attack. It was more like a meteor falling, and unfortunately, Ember was at the point of impact. There was no terra firma, so the ground didn't shake, but there was a great explosion, and a flaming conflagration.

"Well…" said Edmund. "That should do it…"

He watched as the smoke began to clear.

"Now all I should need to do is…"

Then he stepped back in shock.

To his unbelieving eyes, Ember was still alive. She was down on one knee, struggling to get up.

(**Em: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 2,850)**

"Impossible…" gasped Edmund. "How the Hell could anyone have survived a hit that powerful in a Shadow Duel?!"

"Dunno…" said Ember. "Maybe you just stink at creating Shadow Duels."

Edmund growled… Ember pulled herself up.

"And I believe," she said, "it's my move…"

She drew a card. Sweat poured down her face.

_That's it, Ember…_ she thought. _Try to sound more confident than you really are… Don't let him know that you're in more pain than you sound._

Her facedown card lifted up.

"I activate Pot of Avarice!" she exclaimed.

She took Tenkabito Shien, Thestalos, Great Angus, Gurnika, and Blazing Inpachi from her discard slot, and shuffled them into her deck. She made two draws.

_Hey…_ she thought, looking at one of them. _I haven't gotten a chance to use this guy yet…_

She chose a card.

"I play Monster Reborn," she said. "I'll bring Blue Flame Swordsman back from the Graveyard."

Blue Flame Swordsman appeared, kneeling and holding his sword down. (1,600 DEF)

"Then, I'll summon Flamvell Firedog!"

There was a loud howl, and a large hound that seemed to be made entirely out of molten rock appeared next to the Swordsman. (1,900 ATK)

"Do you think that puppy scares me?" asked Edmund. "It can't hurt Worm Victory."

"That isn't my target," replied Ember. "I'll have Blue Flame Swordsman give up 300 of his Attack Points…"

Blue Flame Swordsman's Attack Score was reduced to 1,500.

"…and give them to Firedog."

Firedog's Attack Score rose to 2,200.

"Now, Firedog attacks Worm Gurus!"

Firedog howled again, and breathed fire from its jaws. Worm Gurus groaned, and then exploded.

"Fool…" said Edmund. "Don't you realize you just made Worm Victory stronger?"

Worm Victory growled a little. (7,000 ATK)

"Well, Firedog has an effect of his own," said Ember, taking her deck. "When he wins a fight, I get to Special Summon from my deck any Fire Monster with 200 Defense Points or less, except another Firedog.

"In other words, I can Special Summon almost any low-Level Flamvell Monster. So I'll bring out Flamvell Archer."

The Pyro bowman appeared, kneeling and holding his bow on his lap. (200 DEF)

Ember took another card, and set it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

"Your move…"

**(Em: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 2,750)**

Edmund looked closely at that facedown card. Then he drew a card.

It was Trap Stun.

_Curses!_ he thought. _Why couldn't I have drawn this one round sooner?_

He looked at Ember.

_Underestimating her is what made me lose last time. Ember knows that putting a Monster in Attack Mode with Worm Victory on the field would be suicide… Unless that facedown card is something powerful…_

_Well, I'm not going to fall for it… Not when I'm so close…_

"No attack this round, Ember…" he said. "I'll simply set a Monster and two facedown cards of my own."

A reversed Monster appeared, and then two cards appeared in his Spell Zone.

"And I end my turn…"

"Draw…" said Ember, drawing a card.

Then her facedown card lifted.

"I activate Enemy Controller! Your Worm Victory is moving to Defense Mode!"

Worm Victory struggled, but eventually, it knelt, and shielded itself with its six arms. (2,500 DEF)

"Nice try," snarled Edmund. "But it has 2,500 Defense Points. Do you have a Monster that can beat that?"

"I can sure try," said Ember. "I summon Magna Drago!"

In a small burst of flame, the Dragon Tuner appeared. (1,400 ATK)

"Now, I Tune together him and Blue Flame Swordsman…"

Magna Drago a Blue Flame Swordsman dissolved into six glowing stars. They flew into the silver void.

Flamvell Urquizas flew down, like a flaming comet. (2,100 ATK)

"Not strong enough…" said Edmund.

"We'll see about that," said Ember, as a Spell Card appeared in front of her. "I play Fire Back! Now I'll discard this…"

She discarded a UFO Turtle.

"And Ultimate Baseball Kid comes back!"

In a burst of fire, Ultimate Baseball Kid leapt onto the field. (500/1,000) – (3,500/1,000)

_Grr… Him again…_ thought Edmund. _Well… No matter…_

"Now…" said Ember, "I sacrifice Flamvell Archer to increase the Attack Score of Urquizas by 800 points."

Flamvell Archer vanished. Ultimate Baseball Kid fell down to an Attack Score of 2,500, and Urquizas rose to 2,900.

_Huh?_ thought Edmund. _Why would she purposely weaken her Kid?_

"Flamvell Urquizas," ordered Ember, "kill Worm Victory!"

Urquizas flew at the titanic Worm…

"Not so fast!" shouted Edmund, as one of his facedown cards lifted up. "I activate Enemy Controller!"

Urquizas fell backwards, and crouched in Defense Mode. (400 DEF)

"See, Ember?" he said. "I had one too!"

"Well, I'm not done," replied Ember. "Firedog… Attack the facedown Monster!"

Firedog belched a burst of flame, and Worm Hope appeared on the card before exploding into chunks of gelatin.

"Now I get to draw one card," said Edmund, making a draw.

He grinned slightly when he saw that it was Monster Reborn.

"Then I have to discard one card."

He discarded his other card, Book of Eclipse.

"And I use Firedog's effect," said Ember. "I summon Flamvell Gurnika from my deck."

Flamvell Gurnika appeared once again. (1,700 ATK) Ultimate Baseball Kid's Attack Score rose to 3,500 again.

Edmund stepped back in shock. He realized now why Ember was willing to lower his Attack Score.

"And my Battle Phase isn't over," said Ember. "Ultimate Baseball Kid, attack Worm Victory with home run slammer!"

Ultimate Baseball Kid conjured up a flaming baseball the size of himself, and whacked it with his bat, sending it into the direct center of the colossal Worm. Worm Victory let out an unholy scream as it erupted in flames. Explosions rocked over its exoskeleton, until finally, the entire thing burst in an explosion of fire and light.

"Flamvell Gurnika, direct attack!" shouted Ember.

The Dragon breathed its flame at the wicked wizard, and he groaned in pain.

**(Em: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 1,050)**

"I'm not finished yet, Ember!" he cursed.

He looked at the Monster Reborn in his hand.

_I can't possibly lose,_ he thought. _She's down to two cards, and if she sets any as Traps, my Trap Stun will render them useless on my turn. Then I can use this to bring back Worm Victory!_

"Oh Edmund?" said Ember. "Still my turn, I believe… Don't you remember how I won last time?"

Edmund looked at her.

Then he looked at Ultimate Baseball Kid.

"It can't be!" he screamed.

"Oh, but it is," said Ember.

Flamvell Gurnika, Flamvell Firedog, and Flamvell Urquizas all transformed into balls of flame. Ultimate Baseball Kid made three swings with his bat, sending three screaming liners towards the evil magician.

Edmund was propelled backwards, crashing into the door he was guarding, defeated once again.

**(Em: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (Ed: 0)**

"Well, I guess it's true what they say," said Ember. "Sometimes, history does repeat itself."

She glared at him.

"Let me by, you lunatic," she demanded.

Edmund stared at her with a look of hate, and his eyes turned blood red.

"Let you by?" he asked. "Oh, I'm sorry… You must have mistaken me for someone who keeps his word…"

Then he leapt up, his face turned to a bare skull, and his hands turned into bony claws. He flew at Ember with a demonic howl…

Then Flamvell Urquizas appeared to block his path again.

"That's enough!" said the Duel Spirit, speaking for the first time.

He grabbed the amulet, the "Magic Jar", and ripped it off of Edmund's neck.

"What are your doing?" screamed Edmund. "Don't… You can't…"

Urquizas ignored him, and crushed the jewel in his fist, reducing it to black powder.

Edmund let out a scream of agony. Then he fell to the ground, and his phantom form seemingly dissolved into sand, that blew away in a wind that Ember didn't feel.

His Duel Disk remained. Ember started to walk towards it, but it vanished.

She sighed. Edmund seemed to be gone, and she figured he was likely gone for good this time. But the Worms had escaped. Would they trouble her or her friends again?

She looked at the door. The point would be moot if she didn't defeat whoever was truly behind this.

She looked at Flamvell Urquizas.

"So…" she said. "How long have you been with me?"

"A long time," he replied. "Folks like me aren't Shadowkind, but we seem to be attracted to folks like you who have the gift. Being Aware and being the type who attracts Duel Spirits is sort of related."

"Okay…" she said, lifting her Disk. "We have work to do…"

Urquizas vanished, and her Disk glowed briefly.

"Jalal?" said Ember. "Can you still hear me?"

She waited for a second, but there was no reply.

"Of course you can't…" she muttered. "That would be too easy…"

She looked towards the door, and it slowly opened.

The smell of salt water and sea spray reached her nose as a glowing portal appeared.

_This is it…_ she thought. _It all comes down to this…_

_Heaven help me…_

_**I had survived every obstacle that this mysterious mastermind had put in my path. Now it was time to face him, or her, or it, or whatever it was. I had no idea what to expect at this point. Would this mastermind agree to duel me at all? And if so, would I be facing a Water Deck? I had no idea, and I knew I had to expect the unexpected. It seemed that the only thing you could rely on with these creatures is that they couldn't be relied on. (And sometimes you couldn't even rely on that.)**_

_**It was time to see just how far I could go…**_

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**WORM MILIDITH (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 400  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** FLIP: You can treat this card as an Equip Spell and Equip it to a Monster your opponent controls. During each Standby Phase, the controller of the Equipped Monster takes 400 points of damage.

_Note: "Worm Milidith" was released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 3: Justice Strikes Back!!" system. Their release date for the TCG is not yet known._

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**WORM SOLID (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,000  
**DEF:** 1,600

**Card Description:** This card gains DEF equal to the number of "Worm" Monsters in your Graveyard x100. If your opponent takes battle damage from a battle involving this card, destroy one Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls at the end of the Damage Step.

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**WORM TENTACLES (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 4  
**ATK:** 1,700  
**DEF:** 700

**Card Description:** Remove from play one "Worm" Reptile-Type Monster in your Graveyard. This card can attack twice during the same Battle Phase. This effect can only be used once per turn.

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**WORM UGLY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 1  
**ATK:** 100  
**DEF:** 100

**Card Description:** When you Tribute Summon a "Worm" Reptile-Type Monster using this card as a Tribute, you may Special Summon this card from your Graveyard to your opponent's side of the field.

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**WORM VICTORY (Monster Card)**

**Card Specs**

**Type:** Reptile/Effect  
**Attribute: **Light  
**Level:** 7  
**ATK:** 0  
**DEF:** 2,500

**Card Description:** FLIP: Destroy all Monsters on the field except for "Worm" Reptile-Type Monsters. This card gains 500 ATK for each "Worm" Reptile-Type Monster in your Graveyard.

_Note: "Worm Solid", "Worm Tentacles", "Worm Ugly", and "Worm Victory" were released in Japan for the "Duel Terminal 5: Champions of Chaos!!" system. Their release date for the TCG is not yet known._

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_Coming up next:_

_Ember finally learns the identity of the true mastermind! Or does she? The explanation she gets is a little incomplete, and the villain's motives are confusing, but the stakes of the confrontation are made quite clear. A duel starts, and this one is going to be too intense for me to fit into one chapter! _

"_The Beginning of the End" is coming soon._

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**And now, the last Shadowchaser File for this fanfic:**

**Dist, the Construct King**

Most Aware discovered are quickly recruited into the Shadowchaser's ranks, so it's rare to find one outside them. But it's even rarer to find a Shadowchaser gone rogue.

Dist was a promising Shadowchaser who showed more interest in magic than skills with the sword. He would always be seen with a spellcaster, ever improving on his chosen craft. As he continued his studies, his attention turned to one particular aspect of the magical world: constructs. Mindless automatons animated by magic. He was pleasantly pleased to find they weren't just made of metal or stone either. Glass, crystal, even ropes were fair game. Soon he dedicated his time not just to magic, but to the building of constructs.

And he was very good at it too. He was a skilled craftsman, and with the help of a small team (team of which depended on which medium he was using), he was able to create beings of great beauty and power. He even figured his golems would be superior in battle than some Shadowchasers. However, when he put this theory to the test, that's when the problems arose. He tracked down a large gang of criminals made up of orcs and a few bugbears, and bringing a few of his iron golems with him, beat them up and captured them. But that's where the problem was. He simply beat them up and captured them, disregarding the Fair Fight Clause of the Treaty entirely. Before the case was even brought to trial, the charges had to be dismissed on the grounds of unlawful arrest.

Jalal naturally reprimanded Dist on the violation of protocol, and he quickly objected to it. He stated that the Fair Fight Clause too easy to take advantage of, giving criminals an unfair chance when a swift capture would end the problem. Jalal would hear none of it. If the Shadowchasers themselves didn't obey a vital part of the Treaty, what was to stop dangerous races of Shadow like the ophidia from breaking the more vital laws stated in it? What was to stop them from deciding they could prey on humans like wolves among sheep?

To enforce the Treaty, the Shadowchasers simply had to follow it. He ordered Dist to regulate his golems to the security force of Shadowchaser Headquarters and the organization's other strongholds, and nothing more.

While most golem makers would love this, Dist took it as an insult. Who would be mad enough to attack the headquarters? (If he had actually asked Jalal this, which he didn't, the answer he would have gotten would have been, "more than you think.") In his eyes, his masterpieces would simply be standing around, going to waste.

And so, the construct king simply up and left, taking his equipment and golems with him. When Jalal realized he was gone, he sent several Shadowchasers out to find him, fearing that Dist was planning use his expertise for criminal purposes. To this day, while the search isn't top priority, it's still out there. Meanwhile, Dist simply set up a workshop on Montague Island near Alaska. He's been there ever since, though he does travel to places from time to time.

Dist has dabbled into every type of golem imaginable, from iron, to alchemical, to even flesh and dragonflesh golems (though he quickly gave up on those due to the difficulty of obtaining raw materials). Jalal's fears for him using his skills for evil are essentially unfounded. Dist doesn't desire power or conquest, he simply wants to be appreciated for his skills. However, this sucker for praise also allows him to be manipulated at times.

**Story Ideas:** Dist, in essence, is an eccentric, but overall good natured creator of golems, if he likes you that it. If you earn his ire, you will definitely know about it. The easiest way to get into his good books it to appreciate his work. Dist would make a great ally if one is in need of some power, particularly the brute force his golems provide.

However, his love for praise could also make him an enemy. Villains could easily take advantage of his desire to be appreciated to recruit him, usually through lies and flattery. In the millennia-long history of the Shadowchasers, only ten (called the Lost Ones by some) became truly evil and enemies of the organization. All of them went to terrible ends, and Jalal mourns each one of them. If another was lost to the darkness, it would be another tragedy, but it would be dealt with accordingly. Although it is possible to convince him to switch sides, one would have a difficult time getting to him with the golems he has around him.

If there is anyone that Dist truly hates, it is Jamon the Splitter, the world-renowned golem hunter. Several of his golems have been reduced to piles of junk by this specialist, and Dist simply cannot understand how anyone could possibly defeat a golem with his bare hands. Dist has tried building several golems with Jamor in mind, designed to combat someone who tried to attack hand-to-hand (such as golems with greater-than-average reach, or ones covered with spikes and barbs) but when Jamor actually encounters one of them, he always defeats even these strategies. This only serves to frustrate Dist further.

Dist would mostly be a comical character. His fanatic devotion to his craft, as well as his childish tantrums when angered or flustered, or a good source of comic relief. Always good for a laugh.

**Deck Types:** For the most part, Dist would use either Ancient Gears or Gadgets (or combine the two, using the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Machines), mainly because these are possibly the closest he could get to the constructs he loves in Duel Monsters. Essentially, any deck type that caters to his love of constructs his acceptable.

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_Hey everybody!_

_Do you like these Shadowchaser Files? Do you have an idea for one in the back of your head?_

_A sequel to this fanfic is in the works, and I'd love to hear them! If you have an idea for a Shadowchaser File, a snippet about an ally, enemy, or person of interest to the Shadowchasers, or some celebrity or power player among Shadowkind, write it up and let me know! I'll look them over and you might just see them when my new fic is presented._

_There's no rush, and this is not a contest. Take your time. PM me with any ideas you have._


	64. The Beginning of the End

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR**

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**The Beginning of the End**

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_**Louis DaPen, an illithid who never had a real name, as his race didn't use them, was dead. He had gone to the special place in Hell reserved for those who try to dominate others to fulfill their selfish goals.**_

_**Edmund Mason, the evil necromancer and ur-priest who blamed the gods themselves for the death of his beloved, was gone. Having cheated death several times, it had finally claimed him. I cannot imagine what fate in the afterlife awaited the soul of a dark wizard who stole power from the gods, but I doubted it was be pleasant.**_

_**I assumed that Anthony Draco, a once-noble githyanki knight whose true name I never learned, was dead too. At this point, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, and hoped that he had found at least some measure of peace. **_

_**And now, I was facing the one who was ultimately behind all three of them. **_

_**All I felt at this point was confusion. The explanation I got was incomplete, and didn't make much sense. But the terms of the wager I made is quite clear. **_

_**Losing is not an option. I'll go down in Shadowchaser records as the one who saved the world from the Deluge, or my opponent will remind me for the rest of my life how I failed to do so…**_

Ember looked around.

She seemed to be in a city, full of buildings of alien, exotic architecture. But the buildings had clearly seen better days. Not a soul was around. The whole place seemed quiet, as still as the dead.

"I wasn't exactly expecting a parade…" she muttered. "But…"

She slowly walked down the street, and saw that it terminated at a dock of some sort. It seemed that an ocean surrounded this whole berg. The sea looked stagnant and cold. She looked up, and saw that the sky was dark and full of smog.

She turned a corner, and saw a large ziggurat-shaped temple in the middle of the city. An inner voice told her to go there. She took a deep breath, and walked towards it.

No guards or locked gates halted her entrance. She walked into the temple, directly into a large antechamber. The place was lavishly decorated, and painted with murals that, while well-done, were frightening. They depicted demonic sharks, octopi, and sea serpents crushing smaller creatures.

She looked towards an altar where a female figure was kneeling, her back to her.

Ember stopped short. Was this who she was looking for? Could she sneak up and catch her by surprise?

"So, you're here," said a voice from the figure.

_Guess not,_ thought Ember.

The figure stood up, and turned around. Well, not exactly. She more levitated into a standing position, where she hovered slightly off the floor, and then turned around.

Ember couldn't help but look with wonder. This was a woman who would stand out in the largest crowd.

She seemed the same age as Ember, dressed in a bustier and skirt made of black leather, and knee-high boots. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail that reached down to her waist. She wore dark eye shadow and black lipstick, and her skin was pale, giving her a sinister appearance. She looked seductive in the same way that a thunderstorm is beautiful.

She held a long staff in her right hand made of blue metal, tipped with a large blue gemstone on the end.

"Who…" said Ember.

"I am the Archmage of the Currents," replied the strange woman, "Queen of the Driving Gale, Mistress of the Bottomless Deep, water elementalist extraordinaire.

"But, just between us girls, you can call me Sonja."

_Looks like I've found our mastermind…_ thought Ember.

"Now where's Jalal?" asked the strange woman. "I was hoping he'd come, not some flunky."

"He couldn't make it," said Ember. "So you're behind the Deluge?"

"Of course," said Sonja.

She paused and looked at Ember. She floated slightly towards her.

"What, you want to know why?" she asked. "The Deluge will grant me great power, and allow me to strike at Jalal once and for all. I was hoping he'd come here so I could dispatch him personally."

"How did you talk Draco into this?" asked Ember.

"I can be very persuasive," replied Sonja. "At first, he wanted no part of it, but I happen to know that his queen back in the Astral still has every bounty hunter looking for him, promising incredible power and wealth to whoever brings him to her in shackles. I simply had to threaten to tell her where he was, and he was more willing to cooperate.

"I gave him a choice… Either reign in Hell, or be a prisoner of a darker Hell."

"So you blackmailed him?" gasped Ember.

She was now feeling sorrier for Draco than she ever had before. She might even at this point have been able to forgive him for locking her up in that lamp and making her wear that demeaning harem girl outfit.

"Why? Why have you done all this?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?" asked Sonja. "Eh, no matter… I'm sure you will eventually…"

Her eyes narrowed.

"In the meantime, if I have to dispose of you before I enact my ultimate revenge upon that halfbreed, I'll just have to do it."

"Why?" cried Ember. "What has Jalal ever done to you?"

Sonja's face turned incredibly angry for a second.

Then she sighed. She floated close to Ember.

"Oh, nothing…" she said, softly, "nothing much…"

Then her face turned angry again.

"Except take what rightfully belonged to me!" she shouted. "He took my birthright! My heritage! What was most precious to my family… He and his blasted father stole it away!"

She gave Ember a shove. She staggered backwards, but didn't fall over.

Ember activated her Duel Disk.

"Oh, please…" said Sonja.

She pointed her staff and her eyes glowed. Ember was swept off her feet, and then slammed against the wall. She tried to struggle, but she was pinned there.

Sonja floated up and looked her in the face again. Then she gently stroked her chin. Ember's blood ran cold.

"Why bother dueling you, little girl?" she asked. "I could just force water into your lungs and drown you… Or suck all the moisture out of you and turn you to dust…"

Ember shivered in fright.

"Shivering?" asked Sonja. "I'll make you shiver… I could freeze you solid into a block of ice, and then send you to the frozen realm of Cania to shiver until the end of time…

"Yes, I think I'll do that…"

Her eyes glowed again. She started to prepare a spell.

_Sorry, Jalal…_ thought Ember, as tears flowed down her cheeks. _I tried as hard as I could!_

Then suddenly, Sonja stopped.

Ember saw that Sonja was looking at the altar. She nodded.

She gestured, and floated away, and Ember fell to the floor.

"What made you change your mind?" asked Ember.

"Maybe I will duel you," said Sonja. "I thought of a way to punish you that's far crueler.

"Tell me, Ember… Did Jalal ever tell you about the wager his father made with Athentia?"

Ember nodded.

"I propose a similar wager," said Sonja, "using Duel Monsters as the medium."

"I don't want immortality," replied Ember.

"No problem," said Sonja. "I don't have the power to grant it. But if you beat me… as if, I'd be willing to stop the Deluge.

"But if I win… Your end of the bargain would be the same as the one Jamor made."

"I'd have to be your servant forever?" asked Ember.

"Take it or leave it," replied Sonja.

Ember sighed. She didn't know why this sorceress had agreed to make a wager when she could have just banished her forever. But the fact is, she had agreed to make one, and that at least gave Ember a chance. She knew that Sonja likely wouldn't be a pushover, and she also knew that this would be a Shadow Duel, likely a far more painful one than any that Edmund could create.

But at least she had a chance.

"I guess I have to take it," she said.

Sonja grinned. She held up the staff, and it turned into blue energy. Then it changed shape, forming into a Duel Disk around her left arm that seemed to be made entirely out of glass.

"Then let the battle begin!" she exclaimed.

**(Ember: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Sonja: 8,000)**

"Duel!" they both shouted.

"You're going to regret ever coming here…" said Sonja, as she made her fist draw.

"I activate a Field Spell," she said, placing a card in her Field Slot. "It's called Magical Citadel of Endymion!"

"Never heard of it," said Ember.

"I guarantee," said Sonja, "you'll never forget it either."

The temple interior faded away, and the buildings of a grand city shot up around the two duelists. The buildings were of enchanting, exotic architecture, not unlike the ones of the city outside, but these were brand new. Most intimidating of all, a great tower rose behind Sonja, with three rings of magical energy around its apex.

"I don't even know what this card does," said Ember, "and I already don't like it."

"Well, one thing it does is store Spell Counters," said Sonja, playing a card. "It gains one for each Spell Card that either of us plays. So first, I'll play Gather Your Mind."

In a soft light, the peaceful female yogini appeared behind her.

"Now my Citadel gets one Counter, and I get a second Gather Your Mind from my deck."

A card appeared in her hand.

"Now, another Spell Card," she said. "It's called Spell Power Grasp."

She played the card, and the tower glowed with energy.

"Spell Power Grasp lets me place a Spell Counter on any card that can hold one," she said. "So not only does my Citadel gain a second Counter from a second Spell Card being played, it gains a third from the Spell's actual effect.

"The card also lets me take a second Spell Power Grasp from my deck…"

Another card appeared in her hand.

"…but like Gather Your Mind, I can only use one per turn.

"Next, I set a Monster and one facedown card…"

A set Monster appeared, and one card appeared in her Spell Zone.

"…and with that, my turn is complete…"

Ember looked hard at the facedown card. Then she made a draw.

"I summon Tenkabito Shien!" she shouted.

There was a galloping of hooves, and Shien rode onto the streets of the Magical Citadel. He glared at Sonja with his fiery eyes. (1,500 ATK)

"That Trap Card doesn't scare Shien," said Sonja, "because Traps don't work on him!

"Shien attack her Monster!"

Shien galloped towards her Monster, swinging his nodachi…

But then his horse was spooked, as a huge bookshelf appeared to block his advance. (2,000 DEF)

"Immune to Traps he may be…" said Sonja, with a grin, "but Royal Magical Library is too tough for him to tear down."

_So much for getting a good start,_ thought Ember.

"I have to end my turn," she said.

**(E: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 8,000)**

Sonja made a draw.

"My Trap Card activates…" she said, as her facedown card lifted up. "Tower of Babel!"

In the next instant, a tall, thin, and very unstable-looking stone tower shot over the skyline of the Magical Citadel.

"You know the story of the Tower of Babel?" continued Sonja. "According to the Bible written in your world, the united humanity wanted to build a great city, with a tower to glorify their majesty, whose peak would reach into Heaven. And for their arrogance, the Lord cursed them to all speak different languages, so that they couldn't communicate with each other, and the city and tower couldn't be built."

"Yes, that's the general story," said Ember.

"Of course, the truth is," continued Sonja, "the real Tower of Babel was likely a temple in Babylon, with a sacrificial altar dedicated to Moloch at the top.

"But I digress…

"Every time a Spell Card is played, it will gain one Spell Counter. When it gains four, it will fall, and it will fall right on top of whichever one of us played the Spell that gave it the fourth! Whoever that is will lose 3,000 Life Points.

"Unnerving, isn't it?"

She took two cards from her hand.

"I play my second Gather Your Mind, and my Second Spell Power Grasp, which I'll use to place a Counter on my Citadel again."

Two lamps on the Royal Magical Library lit, and the Tower of Babel started to wobble.

"Now I get my third copies of both Spell Cards," she said, as two cards appeared in her hand, "Royal Magical Library and Tower of Babel gain two Spell Counters each, and my Citadel gains three. It now has six.

"Next, I'll summon Maiden of Macabre!"

The Monster that appeared made Ember flinch a little. It was a sinister-looking woman in a geisha outfit and makeup, holding a nasty scythe. (1,700 ATK)

"Execute Tenkabito Shien!" shouted Sonja.

Maiden of Macabre smiled a wicked smile. Then she leapt at Shien, and made a brutal slash, cutting him in half. The remains shattered.

"Ugh…" said Ember, holding her chest.

"And when she kills a victim, she gains a Spell Counter," continued Sonja. "She gains 200 Attack Points for each one."

Maiden of Macabre glowed with energy. (1,900 ATK)

_Okay…_ thought Ember. _It's clear she's big on Spell Counters… Makes sense… She is a sorceress…_

**(E: 7,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 8,000)**

"My move!" she shouted.

She drew a card. She was surprised to see what it was.

_How lucky can you get?_ she thought.

"I play Heavy Storm!" she shouted, playing it.

A ferocious wind erupted over the Magical Citadel. Maiden of Macabre held her dress in place as the Tower of Babel was blown to pieces…

But as the winds subsided, something was wrong. The Citadel was still standing.

"How…" gasped Ember.

"The foolish man built his house upon the sand," the Sonja, "but the one who built this city was wise, and built it upon sturdy foundation.

"This Field Spell does more than collect Spell Counters. For instance, if you try to destroy it with a card effect, it can survive by getting rid of one of its Spell Counters.

"But… Since Heavy Storm is a Spell Card, it immediately gained that Spell Counter back! Not to mention the fact that you gave one to Royal Magical Library."

"No way…" said Ember.

"But there's more…" continued Sonja. "If another card with Spell Counters on it is destroyed, its Spell Counters go to the Citadel. You destroyed Tower of Babel when it had two Counters.

"That gives Magical Citadel a total of eight Spell Counters as of right now."

Ember sneered, and set a card on her Disk. A reversed Monster appeared.

"It's your move…" she said.

Sonja made a draw.

"I use the effect of Royal Magical Library," she said. "By removing its three Counters, I get to draw one card."

The three lamps went out, and she made a draw.

"Next, I play the Spell Card, Akashic Record."

A new Spell Card appeared.

"This gives my Citadel another Counter, but more importantly, it lets me draw two more cards. However, if either has been used previously, both are removed from play."

She made two draws.

She smirked, and turned them around. They were Magical Marionette and Apprentice Magician.

"Next, I sacrifice Royal Magical Library…"

The large bookshelf vanished.

"…to summon Dark Red Enchanter!"

In a burst of red smoke, a new Spellcaster appeared. He wore a flowing red robe with golden shoulder pads, a golden helmet, and carried a golden staff topped with a red orb. (1,700 ATK)

"Not very strong for a Level 6," said Ember.

"But when I summon him," replied Sonja, "he gains two Spell Counters, and he gains 300 Attack Points for each one."

(2,300 ATK)

"Now I use another effect of my Citadel. Once per round, if I ever have to activate an effect where I am required to remove Spell Counters from a card, I can remove them from the Citadel instead.

"So rather than remove Dark Red Enchanter's Spell Counters to use his effect, I'll remove two Counters from my Citadel, and…"

Dark Red Enchanter fired a beam of red energy from his staff. It struck the Blazing Inpachi in Ember's hand, and it vanished.

"HEY!" she shouted.

"Maiden of Macabre," ordered Sonja, "attack her Monster!"

The evil geisha lunged at the Monster…

Then Guard of Flamvell appeared on the card, shielding itself. (2,000 DEF)

"Looks like I'm safe for now…" said Ember.

Sonja growled. She pointed, and Dark Red Enchanter fired a blast of dark magic, blowing Guard of Flamvell to shards.

"I set a card," she said, as a facedown card appeared, "and that will be all…"

**(E: 7,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 7,900)**

Ember drew a card.

"I remove Blazing Inpachi from play…" she said.

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"…to Special Summon Inferno."

The blazing pyre with glowing eyes appeared in front of her. (1,100 ATK)

"And now I sacrifice it…"

Inferno vanished.

"…for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch!"

With a loud roar, the flaming Monarch appeared, towering over Ember's side of the field. (2,400 ATK)

"Now let's see how you like it!" shouted Ember.

The four cards in Sonja's hand appeared in front of her. Thestalos threw a ball of flame, and hit one of them, burning it to ashes.

"Not my Magical Marionette!" she gasped.

"Now you lose 500 Life Points!" said Ember.

Sonja groaned a little as a red aura surrounded her.

"Next," continued Ember, "I send Flamvell Baby to the Graveyard…"

She discarded a card.

"And that gives Thestalos a little boost."

Thestalos burned with even more intense flames. (2,800 ATK)

"Now, Thestalos… Attack Dark Red Enchanter!"

Thestalos lunged forward, and slugged the crimson Spellcaster with a burning fist. He was propelled backwards before shattering.

"Seems you aren't half bad," said Sonja. "But anyway… His death wasn't all for naught… Don't forget, every time you destroy a card that has Spell Counters, my Citadel picks them up. That brings its total up to nine."

_And just what happens when she gets a certain amount?_ thought Ember.

She inserted a card into her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

"That's all for now…" she said.

**(E: 7,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 6,900)**

Sonja quickly made a draw.

"I'm taking out that big eyesore of yours right now," she said. "I play the Spell Card, Lightning Vortex!"

She played the card, and discarded her third Gather Your Mind. Thunder started to rumble…

"Not so fast!" shouted Ember.

Her facedown card shot up.

"A Counter Trap?" gasped Sonja.

"Flamvell Counter," said Ember. "It quells your storm, and all I need to do it remove from play a Fire Monster with 200 Defense Points from my Graveyard."

Flamvell Baby fell out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"Fine…" said Sonja. "But since the rules of the game say that a card still counts as activated even if it's countered, so my Citadel gains another Counter.

"I activate my Trap Card, Hidden Book of Spell."

Her facedown card lifted up, and glowed with energy.

"Now I get to take two Spell Cards from my Graveyard, and shuffle them back into my deck…"

She took the first two Spell Power Grasps, and added them to her deck. The Disk automatically shuffled.

"Next, I play my third Spell Power Grasp to give my Citadel two more Counters. And since I just sent the first two Grasps back to my deck, I get one of them again."

The Spell Card glowed, and a card appeared in her hand again.

"I'll set a Monster, and then move Maiden of Macabre to Defense Mode."

A set Monster appeared, and Maiden of Macabre sat and held her scythe in her lap. (0 DEF)

"It's your move…"

Ember made a draw.

"I summon Molten Zombie!" she shouted.

In a burst of flame, Molten Zombie appeared. (1,600 ATK)

"Destroy Maiden of Macabre!" she shouted.

Molten Zombie breathed a cloud of flame, and the wicked geisha screamed as she was burned up.

The tower behind Sonja glowed as it absorbed her Spell Counter.

"Now, Thestalos attacks your other Monster…"

Thestalos shot a wave of fire at the reversed card. Apprentice Magician appeared on the card, and burst into pixels.

"I activate her effect…" muttered Sonja. "I get to set a new Spellcaster from my deck, that's Level 2 or lower…"

A new reversed Monster appeared.

"Your move then…" said Ember.

She couldn't do anything else, as she had no cards in her hand anyway. She was very glad that she had countered that Lightning Vortex…

Sonja drew a card.

_I'll save this for later…_ she thought.

She played the Spell Power Grasp she had gotten last turn, and the Citadel glowed with energy again. Ember was getting worried. Did this thing even _have_ a limit? By her count, it now had fifteen.

The final Spell Power Grasp appeared in her hand.

"I think I end my turn there," said Sonja.

"I draw one card…" said Ember.

She quickly played it. Flame Ruler appeared. (1,500 ATK)

"Flame Ruler, attack her Monster!" she shouted.

Flame Ruler shot a blast of fire from his hands, and a second Apprentice Magician appeared on the card. She was burned up.

Sonja lifted her hand, and another reversed Monster appeared.

Molten Zombie breathed its fiery gas, and the third Apprentice Magician was incinerated.

Sonja sighed.

"Unfortunately…" she said, "I do not have any more Monsters that qualify…"

"In that case…" said Ember. "Thestalos… Attack Sonja directly!"

The Firestorm Monarch charged at Sonja, and hit the evil sorceress in the stomach with his burning fist. Sonja let out a scream and was propelled against the entrance of the tower behind her.

**(E: 7,300) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,100)**

"How do you like that?" asked Ember.

Sonja levitated to her feet, and her eyes started glowing again. She stared at Ember, and Ember's blood ran cold again.

"Uh…" said Ember, nervously. "I guess you… didn't like it all too much… How silly of me…"

"It's my move…" hissed Sonja, drawing a card.

"I play Nightmare's Steelcage!" she shouted, throwing the card into her Disk.

Flames erupted around Ember and her Monsters, and a large, dome-like cage studded with spikes appeared around them.

"Now you can't attack me for two full turns," said Sonja. "And it's your move…"

"I draw one card…" said Ember, making a draw.

She looked at the card.

_Oh, Flamvell Paun?_ she thought. _Not exactly the King of Pyros…_

"Pass…" she said.

Sonja made a draw.

"I play Pot of Avarice," she said, playing the card.

The Spell Card appeared, and the Citadel glowed as it absorbed more power. She took all three Apprentice Magicians, Royal Magical Library, and Dark Red Enchanter from her Graveyard and reshuffled. Then she made two draws.

"I think I'll end my turn there…" she said.

"I draw…" said Ember, drawing a card.

She looked at it.

"And I'll pass again."

The Steelcage rusted over, and then dissolved into mist.

"Then it's time to stop fooling around," said Sonja, making a draw.

"First, I set one card," she said, as a reversed card appeared.

"Then, I play Instant Fusion!"

A new Spell Card appeared in front of her.

"And I chain-activate Emergency Provisions, sacrificing my Instant Fusion and facedown Spell Power Grasp to gain 2,000 Life Points."

Another Spell Card appeared, and the first two vanished. She glowed with golden energy.

"And due to Instant Fusion," she continued, "I can pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon Musician King."

The same odd Fusion Monster that Porpen used appeared in front of her. (1,750 ATK)

"This guy may not be the most dignified Spellcaster," said Sonja, "but he fits my needs. I now summon Night's End Sorcerer…"

A flock of bats flew out of the sky above the citadel, and a mysterious-looking Spellcaster appeared. He looked like a young boy clad in a leather jerkin, with a tattered cape, holding a scythe. (1,300 ATK)

"What is it with you and scythes?" asked Ember.

"Maybe it has something to do with his effect," replied Sonja. "When he's Special Summoned, I get to remove two cards in your Graveyard from play."

"You Normal Summoned him!" replied Ember.

"No matter…" said Sonja. "The reason I summoned him is because he's also a Tuner…"

Night's End Sorcerer's eyes glowed with red light. Then he and Musician King faded into seven glowing stars, that flew up to the peak of the tower.

"I Tune both my Monsters together…" said Sonja, "to Synchro Summon… Arcanite Magician!"

In a flash of energy, a new, more intimidating Spellcaster appeared. He resembled Yugi Mouto's Dark Magician at first glance; even the hat was similar. But his robes were pure white, and the shoulders were flared. If Ember had to guess, she would say that this was a Light-Attribute Spellcaster rather than a Dark one. (400 ATK)

"A Level 7 Monster with only 400 Attack Points?" asked Ember.

"Yes, but when he's Synchro Summoned, he gains two Spell Counters," replied Sonja. "And he gains 1,000 Attack Points for each."

(2,400 ATK)

"And that's not all. If I remove a Spell Counter from any card I control, he can destroy one of your cards. So I think I'll use that effect, and remove one from my Citadel…

"Heck… I'll use that effect three times."

Lightning flashed, and Thestalos, Flame Ruler, and Molten Zombie were blown to shards.

"You may have burned me," said Sonja, with a sneer, "but I'm paying you back with interest!

"Arcanite Magician, attack directly with arcane flames!"

Arcanite Magician flew at Ember, and she screamed as a surge of white-hot energy ripped through her. She fell to her knees.

**(E: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 5,100)**

"I set one card facedown," said Sonja.

A reversed card appeared.

"…and it's your move, little girl. Don't forget, I can use that effect as often as I like, so long as I have at least one Spell Counter available. In case you haven't been keeping track, my Citadel has sixteen Counters remaining."

"Then I'd best…" muttered Ember.

She slowly got up.

"…then I'd best get rid of him quickly…"

She drew a card.

"Heh, heh, heh…" she chuckled.

"The pain must be making you delusional," said Sonja. "What's so funny?"

"I'll show you," said Ember. "I play Fire Back!"

She played the card, and discarded Flamvell Paun. Flame Ruler appeared once again. (1,500 ATK)

"Next, I sacrifice him…"

Flame Ruler vanished into a ball of flame.

"…for Infernal Flame Emperor!"

With a roar, the lord of Pyros appeared. (2,700 ATK)

"Well, fine…" said Sonja. "Attack my Magician if you have the courage."

"Don't BS me," said Ember. "I see that facedown card perfectly clearly…"

Flamvell Paun slipped out of her discard slot, and she pocketed it.

"A facedown card that my Monster can incinerate."

Sonja gasped as her Mirror Force caught fire, and went up in smoke.

"Destroy Arcanite Magician!" shouted Ember.

Infernal Flame Emperor conjured up a huge ball of flame, and hurled it at the sorcerer. There was an explosion that rocked the whole Citadel, and he was annihilated.

"Curse you!" shouted Sonja. "Why must you be so stubborn?"

"Let's see, you're trying to destroy the world…" said Ember. "If trying to stop you is being stubborn, just call me a mule."

"I will!" said Sonja. "In the meantime, my Citadel gained one Counter from your Spell Card, and two from Arcanite Magician being destroyed.

"And it's my move…"

**(E: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,800)**

She drew a card.

Then she threw back her head and laughed.

_I think she got a good draw…_ thought Ember.

"Tell me, Ember…" said Sonja. "The name of this Field Spell is Magical Citadel of Endymion…

"Ever wonder where that name came from?"

"What difference does it make?" asked Ember.

"Give you a hint…" said Sonja. "It got its name the same way the Eiffel Tower got its name."

Ember looked at her for a minute.

_Wait…_ she thought. _The Eiffel Tower was named after Gustave Eiffel, the engineer who designed it…_

"You mean it was named after someone?" she asked.

Sonja grinned, and showed her the card she just drew. It was a Level 7 Monster called Endymion the Master Magician.

"Hold on!" shouted Ember. "That guy's too powerful! You'd need a special card or something to summon him without a sacrifice!"

"Oh, but I do," said Sonja. "Endymion has a special connection to his Citadel. When the Field Spell is in play, his own effect lets me Special Summon him by removing six Spell Counters from it."

A bonfire of dark energy appeared in front of Sonja.

"The King of Games in your world was so fond of his Dark Magician…" she said. "Well my magician is darker yet!

"Behold… _Endymion the Master Magician_!"

A Spellcaster even more intimidating than Arcanite Magician appeared to face Infernal Flame Emperor. He wore a long, black robe with arcane symbols covering the embroidery, flared shoulders, and a metal ring covered with arcane sigils on his back. He wore a black mask-helmet combination with flared sides that looked like wings, and held a long, metal staff with a crescent moon on the end with a purple orb in the center. (2,700 ATK)

"Okay…" said Ember. "Not bad… But his Attack Score is the same as my Monster's…"

"Endymion isn't the Master Magician for nothing," said Sonja. "Because I summoned him that way, I get to recover one Spell Card from my Graveyard…"

One Spell Power Grasp slipped out of her discard slot.

"And he has another effect… By discarding a Spell Card, he can destroy any card on the field!"

She quickly discarded the card she had just recovered. Endymion lifted his staff, lightning flashed, and Infernal Flame Emperor screamed. In the next second, he was obliterated.

"No…" said Ember.

"Now, Endymion…" said Sonja, "attack that fool directly with eldritch blast!"

Endymion called lightning to his staff again. Ember likely would have run, but she was paralyzed with fear…

She screamed as the black magic ripped through her, far more intensely than Arcanite Magician's had.

She fell on her back.

**(E: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,800)**

"By the way, Ember…" she heard Sonja's voice saying, "even if you manage to defeat Endymion, I can Special Summon him from my Graveyard the same way I Special Summoned him from my hand.

"My Citadel has thirteen Counters left… That means I have enough to do it twice."

_Thirteen…_ thought Ember. _An unlucky number… _

_For me… What do I do? How can I destroy this Field Spell when it has the ability to protect itself? Does it have any weakness?_

Then her eyes opened wide.

Maybe it did have weakness…

Her memory turned to two years ago…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember was dueling against her cousin, Akira. Ember seemed to have the advantage for now. She had Thestalos on the field, while he had Aurkus and Ehren in Defense Mode.

Akira drew a card.

"I play the Field Spell, Realm of Light!" he exclaimed.

Ember gasped, as a glorious, ancient cathedral flanked by colossal stone pillars rose behind Akira. The whole structure radiated light that was almost blinding.

"Not again!" shouted Ember.

"Don't be afraid of it," said Akira. "Who knows? Maybe this time you'll be able to beat it."

Five minutes later, it turned out that was not the case. Ember had lost, and she was sitting on the nearby park bench sulking.

"It's too hard!" she moped. "That Field Spell of yours is practically indestructible!"

"Tell you what, Michiko," said Akira. "I'll let you in on a secret. It isn't as indestructible as you may think.

"Giant Trunade is a big problem… So is Caius…

"But its biggest weakness is other Field Spells."

"But it can protect itself from being destroyed…" replied Ember.

"By card effects," corrected Akira. "Now, if my opponent plays his own Field Spell, that's _not_ an effect, now is it? That's the Realm of Light's biggest weakness.

"Don't go spreading that around, now…"

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember got up.

_So then…_ she thought. _If that's Realm of Light's weakness, I'm willing to bet it's Magical Citadel's weakness too._

_If I were to play Molten Destruction, I could tear this blasted Field Spell down…_

She got up.

_But I have no cards in my hand, and if I don't draw something to defend myself with, it's not going to matter…_

She drew a card.

She quickly set it on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared.

"Your move…" she said.

"You do realize…" said Sonja, "I only have to draw a Spell Card, and both you and your pathetic world are doomed."

Ember stared at her defiantly as she made her draw.

Sonja looked at the Trap Card.

"All right, you're safe," she said.

_For now,_ she thought.

She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Attack!" she shouted.

Endymion cast his eldritch blast, and Blue Flame Swordsman appeared on the card. He was blown to shards.

Ember raised her hand, and the regular Flame Swordsman appeared. (1,600 DEF) Sonja growled.

"Make your move…" she said.

Ember drew a card.

She set it on her Disk, and a reversed Monster appeared next to Flame Swordsman.

"Move," she said.

Sonja drew a card.

Once again, it was a Trap Card. Pitch-Black Power Stone, not something she could use right now.

"Disappointed?" asked Ember.

"Oh, what's it to you?" snarled Sonja.

Endymion cast his spell again, and Flame Swordsman was blown to shards.

"I end my turn…" she growled.

"Draw!" shouted Ember, drawing a card.

She drew the card, and it shone in the light of the Magical Citadel…

"I play Molten Destruction!" she shouted.

The name of the card fit what happened next perfectly. It was destruction. Geysers of lava erupted all over the streets of the Citadel, and flows of magma covered it. Sonja watched in horror as the tower behind her collapsed into a pile of burning rubble, and a volcanic lake covered the field.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she said, in a voice full of bile. "Endymion will make you die slowly…"

"We'll soon see," said Ember, as her facedown Monster flipped up. "I flip Morphing Jar!"

Morphing Jar appeared with a loud cackle. (700 DEF) Sonja discarded the one card in her hand, and then they both made five draws.

Ember looked them over…

"I play Monster Reborn!" she shouted.

The holy ankh appeared in mid-air in front of her.

"I'll raise a Monster from _your_ Graveyard!"

Night's End Sorcerer appeared in front of her. (1,300 ATK)

"I seem to remember you saying that when this guy is Special Summoned, I can remove two cards from play," said Ember. "So I'm getting rid of your Magical Marionette and Magical Citadel so I don't have to worry about them again."

Sonja gasped as the two cards fell out of her discard slot.

"Then I summon Little Chimera!" shouted Ember.

The small, winged cat appeared next to the other two Monsters. (600 ATK) –) (1,600 ATK)

"Now, I Tune all three Monsters together!"

Night's End Sorcerer, Morphing Jar, and Little Chimera all faded into light, and then into six glowing stars. They flew into the smoky sky…

A flaming meteor fell to the ground, and Flamvell Urquizas appeared with a roar. (2,100 ATK) –) (2,600 ATK)

"You may have destroyed my Citadel," cursed Sonja, "but the Master Magician won't be vanquished so easily!"

"Oh really?" asked Ember, playing a card. "I play Salamandra!"

Flamvell Urquizas burned with even more intense energy. (3,300 ATK)

"Time for Endymion to perform his greatest trick," said Ember. "The one where he makes himself disappear!

"Urquizas… Attack Endymion with fist of flame!"

Flamvell Urquizas flew at the Master Magician, and punched him hard with both fists. Endymion groaned, and then exploded in a blast of magical energy. Sonja was thrown backwards from the impact.

**(E: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 4,200)**

Urquizas landed back on her side of the field, and his Attack Score rose to 3,600.

Sonja raised her hand.

"I still have this…" she growled.

Her Trap Card shot up.

"Wrath of Endymion…" she said. "This Trap Card activates when both Endymion and his Citadel are destroyed in the same turn.

"Now I get to take any Trap I want from my deck…"

She stood up, and a card appeared in her hand.

"Fine…" said Ember, looking at her strangely. "Uh… Your makeup is running…"

Sonja gasped. Her staff appeared in her hand again, and she looked at her reflection in the jewel.

Ember saw that her features were changing. Her face now looked like a female lion or other great cat. Her hands were like paws with opposable thumbs, and a long, feline tail jutted out from her behind.

Sonja growled, and it sounded like the growl of a large cat this time.

"I thought I was using the long-lasting disguise potion," she muttered. "You know, there was once a time when the spellbook said it lasted for an hour, and what do you know? It lasted for an hour!"

"Who are you?" asked Ember. "_What_ are you?"

"I am a very dangerous person…" said Sonja. "You may think you have gained the advantage now, but be warned…

"I am not yet beaten… and this duel is not over yet…"

_**Her true form was now revealed, and it only made me more confused. Who was this evil sorceress who seemed to combine the features of human and great cat? What secrets was she hiding?**_

_**The duel would indeed continue, but not before I learned the whole story… I had come this far… I had wagered my freedom… I was deserving of answers…**_

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)**

**Normal Spell**

**Image:** A dinosaur skull with a few bones scattered.

**Card Description:** Draw two cards from your deck. If a card with the same name as either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both of the drawn cards from play.

_Note: "Akashic Record" was first used by Johan (possessed by Yubel) in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "The Ultimate Face-Off (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode._

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

**WRATH OF ENDYMION (Trap Card)**

**Normal Trap**

**Image:** The tower of Magical Citadel of Endymion being destroyed as it is struck by lightning, with Endymion's face in the sky.

**Card Description:** You may activate this card when a "Magical Citadel of Endymion" and an "Endymion, the Master Magician" are both destroyed in the same turn. Select one Trap Card from your deck and add it to your hand.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_Coming up next:_

_What is the method to Sonja's madness? What is her true motivation? And will Ember survive to tell anyone? All that and more will be revealed next chapter, in the conclusion of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Shadowchasers". Be here._


	65. Knight's Title

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**CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE**

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**Knight's Title**

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_**We had seemed to reach a crucial point in the duel. Sonja may have had more Life Points than me right now, but I had wiped out two of her best Monsters, and torn down her Field Spell, a vital part of her strategy. Even better, I now had one of my own best on the field.**_

_**But the attack I made had caused the spell she had been using to disguise herself to end prematurely. Her true form was now revealed to me, one that seemed to combine the features of a human woman with those of a female lion, or some other great cat. I have to admit, this was sort of a surprise. I had entertained the possibility that she was a Shadowkind, but this? She was supposed to be a master water elementalist, and I thought cats hated water.**_

_**Clearly, she had other secrets, and I was starting to have a feeling about what her true motivations were… This duel would continue, but not before I had all the answers…**_

Ember surveyed the field.

She had Flamvell Urquizas, Molten Destruction, and Salamandra Equipped to Urquizas. Her opponent had a clear side.

But even more importantly, Sonja's true face was no longer hidden. Ember was not about to continue until she knew what the whole deal was.

"What are you?" she asked. "A rakshasa? A lycanthrope?"

Sonja glared at her.

"Your species may call me a Shadow," she replied, "but I am no common demon or shapeshifter…"

"Then what?" asked Ember. "A wookie?"

"I'm no pop-culture creature either," replied Sonja, with a snarl.

"This is weird…" said Ember. "I'm starting to wonder if there isn't a deeper reason why you wanted to recreate the wager that Jamor made with Athentia."

"Of course there is…" snarled Sonja. "I'm her daughter."

Ember almost fell over in shock.

"_Daughter?"_ she exclaimed.

Then something occurred to her.

"Wait… You mean Athentia had a mate? A male sphinx?"

Sonja sighed.

"Of course she did…" she replied. "It's usually like that, isn't it? The male sires the child, and the female carries it.

"His name was Kelemvor. He was almost never seen by mortals, because while Athentia represented knowledge and wisdom, he represented strength and power. He only appeared when his mate was threatened by an enemy whom she could not affect with her Conundrum Curse. The only folks who saw him were the ones he had to protect her from, so they never survived to tell anyone that Athentia had a mate.

"And they had a more important purpose. Although Athentia would impart her wisdom on anyone who came to her who was willing to accept her Curse as a payment, she and Kelemvor were to guard a special portal, the only means of access to a realm of great importance to their master."

"Their master?" said Ember. "Who…"

Sonja grinned, showing elongated canine teeth.

"My parents served a great power…" she said. "The entity who taught the first ur-priest how to steal power from the gods… The being that spawned the Worm Empire and pointed it towards its goals…"

"The Light of Ruin!" gasped Ember.

"That's right…" replied Sonja. "Then one day, Jamor came, and proposed the contest, asking for immortality should he win. My mother was going to refuse, but the Light was tempted and enticed by the thought of gaining a powerful dragon as a slave. Due to an agreement she had made centuries earlier, the Light rightfully owned anything that she acquired. It ordered my mother to accept the challenge, thinking she could never lose."

Ember's eyes opened wide.

"Wait…" she said. "This agreement… Did _you_…"

"Uh huh…" said Sonja.

"So if I lose this duel…" said Ember.

Sonja nodded.

"The Light doesn't make requests often," she said. "It usually lets me do as I please. So when it makes a request, I deliver."

"What does it want with me??" gasped Ember.

"Don't know, don't care," replied Sonja. "It isn't my place to ask questions. It could make you into a zoo exhibit for all I know.

"But as I was saying, it thought my mother couldn't lose, but lose she did. What was she supposed to do, break her word? Break her word with so many celestial beings watching, including Rao himself? You break your word in front of the Lord of Reason, you can expect an army of platonics to be after you the next day. Kelemvor would likely have taken down a few of them, but he would have been overwhelmed, and his mate would have been next. So she gave Jamor the gift of immortality…"

She growled a little.

"But immortality was a gift she was only able to give once!" she shouted. "There would be none to give her daughter, who was only a cub at the time!"

Ember looked at her.

"Hold it…" said Ember. "Did your mom ever tell Jamor that?"

"Huh?" said Sonja, somewhat surprised.

"Did your mom tell Jamor that she could only give immortality once?" asked Ember. "Did she tell him she was saving it for her daughter?"

There was a long pause. Sonja didn't answer.

Ember crossed her arms.

"Of course she didn't," continued Ember. "Athentia the Great Sphinx was supposed to be an almighty, omnipotent being, who once counted the Titans among her peers. She would never tell anyone that her powers had limits!

"If she had, Jamor might never have proposed the wager… He might have looked elsewhere. Ever consider that?"

Sonja still didn't answer.

"So…" continued Ember. "When Jamor was poisoned, your mom told Jalal what to do to transfer the gift… Why be merciful?"

"She wasn't going to at first…" growled Sonja, now sounding as much depressed as she was angry. "She was at first going to crush Jalal, and make Jamor suffer twofold, both from the poison and from knowing his son had perished trying to help him.

"But just as she about to pounce and devour Jalal, she came to her senses. What if Jamor somehow recovered? What if he developed immunity to dragonsbane? It was possible to do so with other poisons, such as snake venom… If Jamor was restored to full strength, then a powerful dragon whom she could not outsmart with riddles would be alive, immortal, and would be burning with anger, hungering for revenge for the death of his son. She didn't want such an enemy.

"So she told Jalal how to do it, hoping that Jalal would live in mourning forever. Or even better, would succumb to the dreaded immortality insanity.

"But even this backfired. Soon after, Jalal founded the Shadowchasers, a group that would work to establish peace between humans and Shadow, a goal that was the antithesis of the Light's goal. The Light does its best to sow discord among sentient races, for it feeds on hatred and despair caused by unrest and conflict. It feeds on destruction… It feeds on death…

"Any organization that promotes peace is an enemy of the Light."

"It must not think highly of the United Way…" muttered Ember.

"Silence!" shouted Sonja. "From its faraway realm, the Light saw the Shadowchasers grow stronger with each passing year, spreading around the globe, becoming more and more a thorn in its side, and it was powerless to stop them.

"The Light blamed my mother for losing the contest in the first place, and for not killing Jalal when she had the chance, and my father was guilty by association. One day, they looked into the sky of their home dimension, and saw the mystical glyphs they had hoped they would never see… The warning signs that said their master was coming for them. They weren't naïve. They knew that they would face the harshest of punishments when brought to the Light's home realm.

"I was allowed to stay behind, spared of punishment but deprived of my parents. The last thing they told me before they were taken away was to take back what was mine, one way or another.

"I resolved to do so…

"When the time in my life came when I became able to evolve into the titanic, bestial form that my mother had assumed, I forfeited that chance, keeping my humanoid form and giving up the raw power that would come with it for the ability to study sorcery.

"I discovered a great secret… One of the greatest sources of power in the universe is actually Water. The Power Primordial!"

"What?" gasped Ember. "The power source unleashed at the beginning of Creation?"

"The one and the same," replied Sonja. "It makes sense… All life begins in water, and water has the power to create whole worlds… It can create life… And take it away.

"I started to study the magic of Water, determined to learn how to tap the Power Primordial, the force that would give me unlimited power. Eventually, I learned how to channel my power though certain focuses not unlike the Regalia of Day to cast spells more powerful than I would normally be capable of, and I devoted all my time to learning the forbidden writings that would enable me to cast the Deluge. Eventually, I learned it, and I used it to flood one world, and use its dying energy to rejuvenate myself."

"And you've done this a total of five times?!" gasped Ember.

"It was the only way I could increase my power and attain a facsimile of immortality," replied Sonja. "Sure, I would become a parasite, but it was necessary to prepare for my ascension.

"If it makes any difference, all five of the worlds I flooded were home worlds of scoundrels and riff-raff who I knew no-one would miss. Take the world we're on now. The dominant humanoid race that lived here were called the Gutharn. Probably the most violent, warmongering people in existence.

"They were anything but subtle. A Gutharn who saw an enemy charged. One who didn't see an enemy went looking for one. They made orcs look like boy scouts.

"And they were proud of their toughness. Their language's word for someone who couldn't fight was the same as their word for dung. Someone once said that a Gutharn would care more for his armor and weapons than he would for his mate.

"But that's not saying much, really. Their race was not only patriarchal, it was chauvinistic and misogynistic. To them, a woman's worth depended solely on the strength of her male children, nothing more."

Ember didn't know what to say. She knew that genocide was never justified, but still…

"They were smart enough to be afraid of magic, though…" continued Sonja.

She chuckled.

"This was their strategy for dealing with a wizard," she chuckled. "Get this… On a battlefield, at the first sight of anyone casting a spell, the commander leading the troops would point to that person and shout the word for 'wizard' in their language, and every archer in the company would fire at him at once."

"I assume that wouldn't work?" asked Ember.

"Of course it wouldn't," replied Sonja. "Smart wizards never go into a large-scale battle without multiple layers of spells that can protect them against things far more powerful than arrows. And smart wizards know that the first order of business in a large-scale battle is to wipe out the archers. That's what the first spell would do. Those fools were ignorant. Most other worlds were grateful that the Gutharn spent most of their time fighting each other.

"They never expected to be devastated by a flood… Something that no number of swords could fight against.

"But I don't have to waste my time with the scum of the universe any longer. I'm closer to the Power Primordial than I have ever been. With the power that Earth holds, I can finally claim it. And in doing so, I'll strike against Jalal, and his own world, the place he holds dear.

"Jalal took from me my birthright… He took all I had… I'm taking all that he has."

Ember stared at her.

"Lady…" she said. "You're nuts! If you had any sense, you would have blamed the Light of Ruin for forcing your mom to accept that contest. But I'm guessing that would be biting the hand that feeds you.

"And it wasn't the only one to blame. Your mom's enormous ego was at fault too. She couldn't admit to a weakness, and made Jamor think that immortality was something she could give out freely.

"Well, I have news for you… I'm not going to let you make Earth number six!"

"We'll see about that…" said Sonja. "This duel is not finished…

"And I believe it's my move!"

**(Ember: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (Sonja: 4,200)**

Sonja drew a card.

"I play Trap Booster," she said, as a Spell Card appeared in front of her. "So I toss one card…"

She discarded her Chaos Command Magician.

"…and I get to activate a Trap Card directly from my hand."

_A Trap Card?_ thought Ember. _The one she got from that Wrath of Endymion card?_

"I play Pyramid of Light!" exclaimed Sonja, as the card appeared.

Thunder flashed over the field, and a glowing, golden pyramid rose behind Sonja. The light coming from it was almost blinding. Ember almost had to cover her eyes.

Sonja raised her staff to the heavens…

"Mother… father…" she chanted. "I call upon your power to strike down this foe… Send me your aspects so our vengeance may be complete!"

Outside the ziggurat, a super-intense beam of light fell from the heavens, striking the apex of the temple…

"What's going on?" shouted Ember.

"You deal with me, you deal with my whole family," said Sonja. "So I pay 1,000 Life Points… Actually, I'm paying 500 twice…

"And behold!"

Ember stepped back as two titanic creatures materialized in front of Sonja. Each one was easily twenty feet high, and radiated an aura of incredible evil.

The first one resembled the traditional sphinx, described in Grecian myth. She had the body of a bestial cat, covered with grey fur, with small wings, which would likely be too small to actually provide flight. Her head was that of a beautiful, comely female, with violet hair worn long. She sat on her hindquarters. (3,000 DEF)

The other one seemed to be an inverse of the classic design. He had the body of a human (more or less) clothed in an armored tunic, with savage-looking claws and the head of a demonic lion with a full mane. (3,000 ATK)

"Your parents?" gasped Ember.

"Not truly," replied Sonja. "These are merely aspects. As such, they are known by different names.

"Meet Sphinx Teleia and Andro Sphinx!"

The two sphinxes looked at Ember and grinned evilly…

"I seem to remember you saying that my mother had too much pride to admit a weakness," said Sonja. "Well I'll admit one… These Beasts can't attack this turn.

"So I'll throw a card facedown, and end my turn."

A reversed card appeared.

**(E: 2,200) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,200)**

Ember slowly drew a card.

She looked at the three cards in her hand.

_No Monsters to summon,_ she thought. _Only three Trap Cards…_

She looked at the two sphinxes.

_Flamvell Urquizas has 3,600 Attack Points!_ thought Ember. _He can easily beat his Attack Score or her Defense Score…_

She was about to order Urquizas to attack…

Then she noticed the facedown card.

She glared at Sonja.

"You almost fooled me…" she said, narrowing her eyes.

She took one of the cards from her hand.

"Well, let's see if this discourages you just as much…"

A facedown card appeared behind Urquizas.

"I end my turn."

"My move!" shouted Sonja, drawing a card.

"Since you didn't fall for this," she said, as her facedown card lifted up, "I'll trigger it now… Dust Tornado!"

A tornado ripped across the field, and the Salamandra card was blown to bits. Urquizas fell to an Attack Score of 2,900.

Sonja chuckled.

"And to answer your question," she continued, "I will not be intimidated by any Trap Card. I move Teleia to Attack Mode…"

Sphinx Teleia sprang up, ready to pounce. (2,500 ATK)

"Andro Sphinx… Crush Flamvell Urquizas! Vengeful roar!"

Andro Sphinx loomed over Urquizas, and let out a bellow that shook the whole chamber.

"Not gonna happen!" shouted Ember, as her facedown card shot up. "Activate… Draining Shield!"

A dome of energy surrounded Urquizas, and he braced himself from the powerful sonic attack.

"So you survive one more round," said Sonja. "Well, your Monster won't be so lucky…"

She quickly played a card.

"I play the Spell Card, Shrink! Now Urquizas loses half of his base Attack Score…"

Urquizas fell down to an Attack Score of 1,850.

"…which means Teleia can finish what her partner started…"

Teleia's beautiful face suddenly turned just as savage and hideous as the rest of her body. She slammed her right claw down, pinning Urquizas under it. She lifted her other claw…

Ember forced herself to look away as the savage creature made the killing strike.

**(E: 4,550) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 3,200)**

"Well…" said Sonja. "That's enough for one turn…"

Ember closed her eyes.

She made a draw.

She looked at the Monster on the card.

_Hope this works,_ she thought.

"I summon Royal Firestorm Guards!" she shouted.

In a fiery aura, a new Monster appeared. It was a bizarre creature, somewhat reptilian, with a humanoid torso atop a serpentine lower body. Its face had four eyes and a scalp covered with horn-like protrusions, and its long arms had four wing-like appendages on their undersides. (1,700 ATK) –) (2,200 ATK)

"Guards?" said Sonja. "As in plural? I only see one creature. Why is it called Guards?"

"You know…" said Ember. "I often wonder that myself…

"But anyway… By Normal Summoning it, I get to take four Pyro-Type Monsters from my Graveyard…"

She took Urquizas, Flame Ruler, Inferno, and Molten Zombie from her discard slot.

"Then I add them to my deck, reshuffle, and make two draws."

She shuffled, and then drew twice.

"Think I'll use both of them! I first play Double Summon!"

She quickly played the Spell Card.

"Now I get a second Normal Summon. And I'll use it to summon Rose, Warrior of Revenge!"

In a burst of flame, the leather-clad female Warrior holding a dagger appeared next to the Pyro. (1,600 ATK) –) (2,100 ATK)

"Now… I Tune both of my Monsters together!"

Rose's eyes burned with flame. Then she and Royal Firestorm Guards flew into the sky, and faded into eight glowing stars…

"Synchro Summon… Jalal the Dragonborn!"

In a flash of light, Jalal's avatar alighted on Ember's side of the field. The two sphinxes growled in anger… (2,600 ATK)

"So…" said Sonja. "I summon the aspects of my benefactors, and you summon the aspect of yours to face them… How ironic…

"How utterly useless. Andro Sphinx is stronger."

"But I'm going to use Jalal's effect," said Ember. "I pay half my Life Points… And I get to remove one Spell or Trap Card in either Graveyard from play.

"And I think I know just the one…"

She glowed with a red aura, and a card fell out of Sonja's discard slot. She was surprised to see that it was her Lightning Vortex.

Jalal's sword glowed, and a golden rune appeared on it.

"Now, I remove the Rune Counter from Jalal's sword, to duplicate the effect of that Spell!

"I'm sending your sphinxes back where they came from…"

Jalal raised his sword to the sky, and lightning flashed. Sphinx Teleia and Andro Sphinx let out unearthly screams as lightning struck them and they were reduced to ashes.

Then Ember noticed something was wrong.

The whole room had become shrouded with an eerie fog… And Sonja was _smiling_.

"Fool…" she said. "You did just what I wanted you to do…

"My parents were not only mates, little girl… Like Kronos and Rhea, like Zeus and Hera, they were also siblings…

"But they only had _one_ parent… Their parent was one of a group of abominations that existed on Earth even before the Titans, a primordial being of unspeakable power…

"And I can Special Summon it to the field by paying 500 Life Points when both its children are destroyed in the same instant. Come forth…

"_Theinen the Great Sphinx!"_

Ember stepped back in fear as a Monster even bigger than the previous two Sphinxes towered over the field. It was just as big as Worm Victory. The best way to describe it was to say it combined features from both Sphinx Teleia and Andro Sphinx. From the waist down, it had Sphinx Teleia's body, but was far more muscular and had bigger wings. From the waist up, it had a humanoid torso, but was bare-chested and looked even more demonic than Andro Sphinx. The most frightening part was its head, which had two faces. It had a male face on the front, and a female face on the back, both of which didn't suggest anything but rage and bloodlust. (3,500 ATK)

Ember gulped hard. She looked at the two remaining cards in her hand.

_This is going to take perfect timing…_ she thought.

She fit both of them into her Disk, and both appeared facedown.

"It's…" she stammered. "It's your move…"

**(E: 2,275) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

Sonja chuckled as she drew a card.

"Perfect," she said, looking at it. "If one of those facedown cards is a Trap that can destroy Theinen, then by all means, feel free to use it!

"Theinen, murder that mongrel! Primordial roar!"

Theinen's eyes glowed with a savage energy. It opened its jaws to let loose a howl that would likely be twice as devastating as the one uttered by Andro Sphinx…

"Go, Trap Card!" shouted Ember, as one of her facedown cards shot up. "DNA Transplant! Now, I can change Jalal's Attribute to Fire!

"That means he gains the benefit from the Field Spell…"

Jalal's Attack Score rose to 3,100.

"Fool…" chuckled Sonja. "Your Trap Card affects Theinen as well! So he also gains the benefit!"

Theinen's eyes glowed even fiercer… (4,000 ATK)

Then it let out its roar, and this time, cracks appeared in the roof of the temple around them. Ember was barely able to trigger her other Trap.

"Go, Martyr's Flame!" she shouted, as it shot up. "Since Jalal is a Fire Monster now, this forces Theinen's attack to hit me instead, and cuts the damage in half!"

Then Ember screamed as the most intense wave of force she ever felt slammed into her, sweeping her up like a leaf, and throwing her backwards and against the wall.

She slowly looked up. She coughed, and blood dribbled out of her mouth.

**(E: 275) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

"You must be insane…" said Sonja. "No sane being would have _willingly_ taken Theinen's roar that was meant for someone else…"

Ember got up, and held her chest.

"I… I lost 2,000 Life Points…" she moaned. "But I saved Jalal… And he's the only one who stands a chance of defeating that thing…"

"I'd like to see him try it…" said Sonja.

She fit the card in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

"Make your move…"

Ember paused.

_She dared me to use a card that would destroy Theinen,_ she thought. _That means that the one card she had in her hand last turn, the one she just set, was My Body as a Shield. It can negate any card effect that destroys a Monster._

She looked at her deck.

_Here goes…_

She made a draw.

"I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita!" she exclaimed, playing it.

In a burst of fire, the older version of Hiita, holding her ruby-tipped staff, with her fox by her side, appeared. (1,850 ATK) –) (2,350 ATK)

"Big deal," said Sonja.

"It is a big deal," said Ember, "because I'm using Jalal's effect a second time.

"I'll cut my Life Points in half again…"

**(E: 138) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 2,700)**

Another Spell Card slipped out of Sonja's discard slot.

Sonja gasped. It was her copy of Shrink.

Jalal's sword glowed, and the Rune Counter appeared on it.

Then he lifted his sword, and it glowed with eldritch energy. Theinen the Great Sphinx roared in rage. (2,250 ATK)

"This can't be!" she shouted.

"Oh, but it is," said Ember. "Hiita, topple that titan with fire magic!"

Hiita leapt into the air towards the colossal Beast. It bellowed, but she made a mighty blast of arcane energy with her staff.

The Great Sphinx fell to the ground with a great crash, and then exploded in a fiery conflagration that shook the whole temple even further.

"Jalal…" ordered Ember, "attack directly and finish this duel!"

The Dragonborn charged at Sonja, and smote the evil sorceress with his blade. She screamed, and was propelled against the altar.

She slumped over.

**(E: 138) - - - - - - - - - - (S: 0)**

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Back in our world, in Draco's office, Shichiro, Jinx, and Gears were looking out the window, watching in dismay as the rain came down harder.

"People!" shouted Jalal.

They all turned, and saw that the aura surrounding the Regalia of Day was fading.

"Ember did it!" said Jalal. "The protective spell is disrupted somehow!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" asked Shichiro.

Jalal drew his sword.

"Brace yourselves people…" he said. "When powerful magic items go, they tend to go big…"

He swung his sword down, smashing through the Silver Hemisphere…

The four Shadowchasers hung on as a wave of energy ripped through the whole floor of the building and the two floors directly above and below, shattering every window…

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Sonja got up. She didn't levitate this time. She stood up.

"What's happening?" she gasped.

She concentrated.

"No… NO!" she shouted. "The Regalia of Day is losing power! The Deluge being dispelled!"

She started to concentrate again.

"NO!" she screamed. "I can't renew it! I've lost the focus!"

Ember looked at her.

_So she never intended to stop it,_ she thought, _regardless of who won the duel. Why doesn't that surprise me?_

"YOU!" shouted Sonja, pointing to Ember. "I don't know how this happened, but I'm sure it's your fault!"

She pointed her staff at Ember. Ember slowly backed up.

Then Sonja froze in fear. Thunder rolled.

She turned to the altar, where a glowing aura of light was starting to appear…

"Tell me, Sonja," asked Ember, "did the Light of Ruin have anything to gain from you destroying the Earth?"

Sonja didn't answer. She was paralyzed with fright.

"I think it did," continued Ember. "And now that plan is ruined…

"Well, Sonja… Seems you have some explaining to do…"

Ember would have loved to see what punishment the Light had in store for Sonja, but seeing as the Light of Ruin was an evil cosmic entity dedicated to, well, evil, she figured she was better off not staying around to find out. She turned and ran the way she had come, not daring to look back.

As she did, lightning started to flash over the abandoned city, and the whole place started to shake.

"Stormbringer!" she shouted. "Stormbringer!

"Aw, crap, it's not working!"

"_Ember!"_ called a voice.

Ember stopped short. She knew that voice…

"Mr. Draco?" she exclaimed.

"_Yes, it's me, Ember!"_ said the voice. _"Or what's left of me. Follow my voice…"_

"You think I'm going to trust you?" asked Ember.

"_What choice do you have?"_ asked Draco. _"This island city is going to sink in a few minutes. You do not want to be on it!_

"_I was a knight at heart, Ember… I may have lost my right to call myself one, but I still remember that I once followed a code of chivalry not unlike the one that human knights followed._

"_Now please… Follow my voice."_

Ember knew he was right. She didn't have a choice. She ran in the direction of the voice, just as the buildings around her started to crumble.

"_That's right,"_ said Draco. _"This way…"_

Ember turned a corner, down a road, and saw a glowing portal.

There was no time to ask questions. She dove through it.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

Ember let out a cry as she fell, stumbling into the office.

"Grab her!" shouted Jalal.

Jinx and Shichiro helped her up.

"Ember?" asked Gears. "It's a miracle… The connection we had to you was broken! We thought we had lost you…"

Ember gasped for breath.

"Well…" said Jalal. "In the Astral Plane, sometimes the power of the mind can point a dimensional traveler in the right direction. Ember's desperate desire to get home was likely what enabled her to do so."

Jinx laughed.

"Maybe some of my luck just rubbed off on her," she added.

"People," said Shichiro. "Have you been in this business so long that you simply don't believe in miracles?"

Ember took a deep breath.

"Actually, you're all wrong…" she said. "I had help…"

She paused.

"Draco guided me back… A small piece of his spirit remained, and he used it to help me.

"After all that happened, after becoming a ruthless business tycoon, after being forced into this insane plan, he remembered who he used to be… A heroic knight who fought the enemies of his people."

Jalal sighed and put his hand on her shoulder.

"May he rest in peace…" he whispered.

"Look…" said Gears, looking out the window. "The sun is rising…"

They all looked.

"Y'know…" he said. "You can see the sun rise so many times… But there are times when you see it when it just means more…"

"Jalal…" said Ember. "I have a question…"

Jalal looked at her.

"That woman…" said Ember. "She said that the Power Primordial was a force of Water… If she's right that means that the power of my soul opposes one of the greatest forces in the universe.

"Is she right?"

"It's hard to say," said Jalal. "The Power Primordial is an ancient, mysterious power that very few can understand…

"I suppose some Water might be in it… Life begins in the sea, and water is needed for life to exist…

"But Ember… Most theorists believe that the universe was born in something called the Big Bang… An explosion with greater force than billions of supernovas, which was believed to be hotter than anything that has ever since been created.

"Certainly then, if something with such astronomically high temperature created the universe, then the Power Primordial must have some Fire in it too, wouldn't you say?"

Shichiro grinned.

"This is why he's the boss," he said.

"Never thought of that," said Ember.

Jinx put her arm around Ember. They looked at the rising sun.

"Such a strange world…" said Jinx.

Jalal extended his hand to Ember.

"Welcome to the Shadowchasers, Michiko…" he said.

**0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0**

_**Sigh…**_

_**Well, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it. Whether you believe it or not, well, that's up to you.**_

_**The Deluge only lasted a few hours, and in the end, it helped the Earth more than it hurt it. Like Jalal said, those few hours brought life-giving rain to many nations suffering from drought and famine. I guess there's a bright side to everything.**_

_**Jalal's concern that sundering the Regalia of Day would upset the international elven and dwarven community was premature. Several powerful clans from both races were shocked to learn that an artifact they had cooperated to create could be used for such an evil purpose, and many important members of their clans came to the conclusion that had the two races never broken their alliance, the Regalia would never have separated and this all would never have happened. Representatives from several elf and dwarf clans are now meeting in hopes of burying the past and ending their rivalry once and for all, and the Shadowchasers are acting as mediators. With any luck, something good might come from this. **_

_**As for the three Swords, they were distributed among three clans of dwarves, who know how to use them best; exactly which clans and where they live is a secret known only to the high levels of the Shadowchasers. **_

_**With DaPen, Edmund, and Draco dead, and Sonja's fate unknown, only one criminal known to have knowingly cooperated in the plan will face justice: Hebi-Na. Her first court date will be scheduled as soon as her sanity is evaluated. Although lawyers often jump at the chance to defend high-profile criminals, this is not the case with ophidia. Lawyers know that defending them is a big headache that they don't want. In fact, at the end of Saramanda's trial, her lawyer said that it had taken incredible willpower to do his job, and would give up practicing law before he ever defended another "accursed snake". Who could blame him? Saramanda showed him no gratitude, and insulted him the whole time. For this reason, appointing a lawyer will be difficult, and will likely be a Shadowkind species known for having no emotions.**_

_**The ceremony where I was formally inducted into the organization was a gala event that I won't forget for a long time. I was thrilled when Jalal actually let my parents and cousin attend. Sure, they were told it was for an academic honor society that I had been accepted to, but the fact that they were proud of me was satisfying enough for me, even if they weren't proud for the real reason. **_

_**It seems that, like Draco, I've gotten my own Knight's Title…**_

_**The story has already started to spread. I have a feeling it has been exaggerated after being retold a few times. I've gotten more than one letter from Shadowkind, from simple praise, to offers from Shadowkind artists who want to do my portrait, to letters asking if I have any intentions of replacing Jalal if he ever retires. One gnome joker already commented that he wonders who'll be playing me in the movie. **_

_**After what I did, Jalal would have gladly given me any assignment I wanted at any location, globally. But I just couldn't leave the three folks who had helped me throughout my apprenticeship. **_

_**And even though I am no longer an apprentice, they have continued to teach me over the past month. I was given a real sword, forged by blacksmiths of the Ironhand Clan, and Jinx has been teaching me how to use it. **_

_**Gears has been teaching me how to drive a D-Wheel, and has promised to build one for me as soon as I get my license. I've been studying to take the test, and have already been working on a deck for Turbo Duels. **_

_**Like I said at the beginning, there's so much to see in this world, and so much that most people miss. So much that folks take for granted. It's such a shame that the biggest wonders the world has to offer have to remain hidden from most… But then again, if everyone knew about Shadowkind, it likely wouldn't be very pleasant.**_

_**Oh, and in case you're wondering if Shichiro and I are going out… Well, not yet, I'm afraid. He hasn't exactly shown any real interest that I can see…**_

_**But I do know one bit of good news about Shichiro… He managed to make peace with his old apprentice…**_

Shichiro drove his D-Wheel into a large parking lot, as the sun was beginning to set. As he did so, another D-Wheeler on a fire engine-red D-Wheel was waiting for him.

The two duelists dismounted, removed their helmets, and looked at each other. The other D-Wheeler was a young man with black hair wearing a blue jacket with a high collar over a black shirt and jeans. A criminal mark was on the left side of his face.

On his right arm was a strange symbol. It looked vaguely like the outline of a dragon's head.

"Hey, Yusei," said Shichiro. "How long has it been?"

"Rather long…" said Yusei. "Since everything went… wrong…"

"I dunno, Yusei…" said Shichiro. "I always thought you were special… I wanted to get you out of Satellite, turn your skills into something we could use…"

"I wanted to leave on my own terms," replied Yusei. "And I simply couldn't see what you could see, no matter how hard I tried…"

"I know, and now look…" said Shichiro.

He pointed to the mark on Yusei's arm.

"Turns out you _were_ special… Just not the way I figured… Seems you became somewhat of a hero on your own."

"The world will always have problems, Shichiro," said Yusei. "And they will always need folks to handle them…

"But not all of them will need Shadowchasers."

Shichiro sighed.

"Ain't it the truth…" he said.

He smirked.

"What do you say? One more time for old time's sake?"

Yusei looked at him.

"How can I say no to someone who so many of my best Monsters seem to like?" he said.

The two Duel Disks activated…

_**Finis**_

_I hope you enjoyed "Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: Shadowchasers"._

_There will be a sequel, as this fic has been more of a success than I planned. But for now, I'm going to take a break for a while. I cannot say when my new Shadowchasers fic will come out, but it won't be until at least the New Year. Until then, now's your chance to read this one all over again._

_Until then, anyone who desires can send me a Shadowchaser File. I'd love to see them._

_Until next time…_


End file.
